An Insider's Guide to Mérida, the Yucatán's Most Enchanting City
Mexican perfumer Carlos Huber shares his guide to where to stay, eat, and shop in the Yucatán’s captivating capital.
Tamara Uribe/La Tropical
Carlos Huber, the Mexico City–born founder of the perfume brand Arquiste , has mastered the art of setting a scene with scent. Arquiste's best-selling Nanban, for instance, conjures the aroma of a 17th-century galleon laden with coffee, leather, and saffron, while L'Or de Louis evokes the atmosphere of an orangerie at Versailles.
Huber's newest fragrance, Tropical, with notes of guava, ginger, and champaca flowers, was inspired by the Modernist villa he and his husband, Dr. Andrew Timberlake, own in Mérida. "The house is built around a courtyard with a beautiful pool," Huber says. "When you walk in, it's like a little Garden of Eden." The couple, along with their dachshund Chorizo, visit the villa, named La Tropical , three times a year (the property is rentable when they're not there).
From left: A pancake with cream, red plums, figs, and white sapote at Pancho Maíz; the café at Coqui Coqui Mérida, a hotel and perfumery.
From left: Pancho Maíz; Coqui Coqui
"We always take time to explore a hacienda, a beach, or a Mayan ruin ," Huber says. "But we're also happy to stay home and enjoy our slice of paradise." Here are his top tips for exploring the city.
What to Do
Mérida, which was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1540, became wildly wealthy in the 19th century thanks to the manufacture and export of sisal fiber, used for rope and textiles. "It was like the tech boom of Palo Alto," Huber says. "Suddenly there were all of these millionaires."
French architects were brought in to build Paseo de Montejo, a broad avenue inspired by the Champs-Élysées, and to give existing haciendas a Parisian flair. Huber recommends visiting house museums such as Quinta Montes Molina and Montejo 495 to relive the city's Gilded Age glory.
Where to Eat
The region's culinary tradition includes dishes made with Yucatán pork, which comes from a pig that is a mixture of Iberian and local breeds. "There are many beautiful regional spice blends, which you can buy at one of the smaller markets like Mercado de Santiago or Mercado de Santa Ana," Huber says.
His favorite spots for lunch include Manjar Blanco , a casual farm-to-table restaurant known for its tacos , and Pancho Maíz , which specializes in rustic corn dishes. For dinner, he frequents Holoch , which has a sceney mezcal bar , upscale Japanese-Yucatecan fusion restaurant Jayu , and Micaela Mar y Leña which serves wood-fired seafood.
Where to Shop
Huber loves the perfumery and boutique at Coqui Coqui Mérida hotel, as well as Casa T'ho, a concept store on Paseo de Montejo stocked with fashion, jewelry, and fragrances by Mexican designers. "There are also many shops in the city center that sell guayaberas, the linen shirts that are typical in Mérida," he says. For gifts, he recommends Taller Maya , which "is all about beautiful quality handicrafts from all over Mexico. You can pick up a sisal wall hanging or a little basket for tortillas."
Taller Maya, a gift shop.
Taller Maya
Where to Stay
"Mérida is a perfect base for exploring the Yucatán," Huber says. Yaxcopoil , just outside the city, is a historic 17th-century plantation that now operates as a museum and guesthouse. "It's a beautiful building, and it helps you understand the history of how the haciendas operated."
Hacienda San Antonio Millet is a family-run hotel where "you can stay overnight or just go for lunch and spend the afternoon." For a beach escape, he loves Club de Patos a sustainable retreat in Sisal that is especially popular with bird-watchers who come to see the 70-plus species that visit its grounds.
A version of this story first appeared in the March 2026 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "The Magic of Mérida."
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