Flor de Selva

Maya. One word is enough to command respect. She is a legend in the world of cigars, and thanks to her, women are represented with such pride. Maya is Madame Blue Smoke’s favourite; an evening at Royal Cigar to meet Maya in the flesh. It is the discovery of an incredibly rich and profound personality, proud of her country and her heritage. It is the breath of charisma through her words, her dazzling authenticity, the resonance of her values in her deep voice.

Like a warrior, she aims to fly the Honduran flag as high as possible in the world of cigars. It is a mission accomplished, for in 2024, Maya was awarded the “LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT 2024”

Madame Blue Smoke has an idol: Maya Selva.

Here, it is emotion speaking. Maya is an incredibly charismatic leader. Inspiring, radiant, warm. When she speaks, she mesmerises the crowd. A male-dominated crowd. She stands tall among the giants of the cigar world, alongside Eric M. Newman and Robert C. Newman, Rocky Patel, Manuel Quesada, Benjamin “Benji” Menendez, and Carlito Fuente.

But I don’t think that’s what drives Maya. She sincerely wants to put Honduras on the map, create jobs, restore the cigar industry’s reputation and make her country a key player in the sector.

Maya is a team. Every member we met—advisors, importers, sales representatives, brand managers—speaks with respect and conviction about her values, is convinced of the products, and is moving in the same direction.

It was therefore with undisguised emotion that we watched her take to the stage at the 2024 Cigar Trophy Awards ceremony.

Maya’s core value: ethics

Maya aims to create jobs in Honduras and to involve every trade that contributes to the making of a cigar. From the tobacco fields to the packaging that wraps the cigars. Consequently, every box produced comes from Honduras, including the raw materials.

Maya does not compromise. Its brand manager, Nina Cobos Rosa, told us at Intertabac: “Initially, the new bands for the ‘Villa Zamorano’ brand were to be gold-toned with green. The material for the gold finish was not available in Honduras; it was impossible to source it. Maya decided to change the band’s colour scheme to greener tones so that the band could be produced entirely in Honduras.”

Where does this Honduran icon come from?

Born to a French mother and a Honduran father, Maya grew up in Tegucigalpa. After studying engineering in France and the USA, Maya returned to Honduras with a master’s degree under her belt, but not yet ready to decide on a career.

It was then that she spent a year learning how cigars are made in the Danli region. Drawing on her academic background, she meticulously studied all the essential parameters involved in crafting high-quality cigars.

In 1994, her meeting with Nestor Plasencia proved decisive for her career. And a year later, after planning the production criteria for her cigars with Nestor, she launched “Flor de Selva” on the French market.

Read Maya Selva’s story