We always wanted to have a perfumery, which is inspired by the places we love.
Francesca Bonato
Coqui Coqui’s perfume shops across Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula are closely connected to local plants and ways of life. A historic building in Valladolid, the lakeside in Cobá, a corner of the city of Mérida: trying perfume in these different places also offers time to encounter the surroundings behind each scent.
How the shops began
Argentine-born Nicolas Malleville, whose background includes botany and a love of travel, founded Coqui Coqui Perfumeria in 2003. A piece of land he found in Tulum became the starting point for a new life. He and Francesca Bonato built a home there, and their life in that place grew into the brand.
They arrived in Valladolid in 2005. While Nicolas created a garden, the couple restored the perfumery building and worked on their fragrances. For Bonato, this was also the town where she raised her children.
I adore Valladolid.
Francesca Bonato
La Perfumeria, established here, became the main shop supporting their fragrance business. Today, Coqui Coqui also has Mexican boutiques in Cobá, Mérida, Izamal and Guadalajara. The idea that began by the sea has spread to inland towns and cities.
The thinking behind the interiors
Building a way of life around perfume
Perfume is at the centre of Coqui Coqui. Accommodation was added to complement the idea of the perfumery. The objects used in the shops also grew out of the couple’s own way of living.
We love genuinity and spontaneity.
Francesca Bonato
The flowers, fruits, herbs and trees of Yucatán offer tangible starting points for fragrances. The scents appear not only in colognes but also in soaps, oils and candles, which visitors can take home for their bodies or rooms. These different forms offer ways to connect impressions of a journey with everyday life.
Connecting scent and flavour
An interest in the region extends from smell to taste. Honey is combined with cardamom or vanilla, while chocolate incorporates the aromas of flowers and herbs. The containers for these foods also involve collaborations with ceramic artists. They offer another sensory route to ingredients with names familiar from perfumery.
In the perfume shops, visitors can try fragrances and learn about their origins and inspiration. They might choose through an interest in plants or through memories of time spent in the region. The apothecary-like showrooms offer a place to engage with a scent while asking about the story behind it.
Shops to explore
La Perfumeria, Valladolid
At La Perfumeria on Calzada de los Frailes, patterned, coloured tile floors, high ceilings and wooden beams define the interior. Large aged mirrors and dark wooden furniture preserve the calm of an old home, even in the shop lined with bottles.
Developed with equal attention to its garden and building, this site became a base combining a laboratory and the main shop. Valladolid is also home to Mesón de Malleville, which occupies the couple’s former residence. It is a separate property from La Perfumeria.
Papolchac, Cobá
In Cobá, the perfumery is at Papolchac, surrounded by the lake and jungle. A wooden bridge links two limestone towers inspired by the nearby Maya ruins. Maps, botanical drawings and handmade furniture give the spaces the feeling of an explorer’s home.
Alongside the perfume collection, it offers clothing and products for home and travel. With accommodation and a restaurant on site, visitors can either stop by to buy perfume or stay to spend more time in the region.
L’Épicerie, Mérida
Close to Santa Lucía Square, L’Épicerie occupies a townhouse dating from 1903. Within a building reminiscent of the Belle Époque, it has presented handicrafts and food alongside perfume. While walking through the historic streets, visitors can stop here to discover the region’s scents and flavours.
