Cuban Cigar Culture

Cuban Cigars are perhaps the best known and most appreciated of all Cuban export products. They are known Worldwide as the best.
The quality can be attributed to many factors like the quality of Cubas rich red soil or the gentle breezes that blow through the Tobacco growing regions or perhaps it is the heartiness of the plant and the Expertise of the Cuban Farmer.

More than likely it is a combination of these and many other unquantifiable factors.

 It's not important to the appreciation and enjoyment of a fine Cuban Cigar.  Of course an insight into the History of Cuban Cigars is helpful to a better understanding and perhaps a more enjoyable experience.

Christopher Columbus first saw the usage of Tobacco shortly after arriving in Cuba, at the time the Native Indians used the burning plant mostly as a way of perfuming their skin. It is also noted that it may have originated as ancient bug repellent but later became custom and fashion.

It is unclear when exactly Tobacco was first rolled and smoked in the Old World but we do know that at about the time of Columbus arriving in the New World the Aztecs were already rolling and smoking Tobacco.

Around 1623 Cuba became the Tobacco hub for the diffusion of the plant to the four corners of The Spanish Kingdom.  

From that point forward Cubas Global importance in the Tobacco trade was secured.  For Cuba a Country that now relies heavily on Agriculture and Tourism for their Foreign exchange Tobacco has a status rarely seen amongst Agricultural cash crops.

The Cuban Cigar has taken on legendary and even mythic proportions in the minds of Cigar Aficionado's. The time of year the Cigars are rolled and the factory they are from are all very important. There are even disciples of the Cuban Cigar who will fly anywhere in the world for the chance to purchase Cuban Cigars rolled by well known Master Rollers.

And perhaps most interesting to myself is the process by which Cuban Cigars get their names.  When you take our  Cigar Tour in one of  Havanas Cigar manufacturers at:
www.havanadiscoverytours.com
 you notice that at the head of the cavernous room where most rollers sit is a raised platform with a simple table a chair and a microphone.
Our Guide will tell you what this platform is for. To this day Cuban Cigar rollers are entertained by a designated reader who reads aloud to the captive audience.

In times past the rollers did not want to listen to the news of the day or the state of the Union they wanted adventure, and adventure is what they got. Day after day they heard the adventures of the Count of Montecristo and the tragic Love story of Romeo and Juliet.
 And at these times that coincided with the creation of new types of Cuban Cigars the name of the new Cigar was chosen from the title of the book being read to the rollers.
And so today we have fantastic brands of Cuban Cigars that are known to the World as Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta.

An absolutely fascinating History and Culture that can better be explored and understood through one of our Cuban Cigar Tours at:
www.havanadiscoverytours.com

Creating a tour business

Like so many people I discovered Cuba because it is the most affordable of all Caribbean destinations. And like so many Visitors to Cuba my feet had barely touched the ground when I realised how special Cuba is.
From the very first time I landed at Varadero Airport my Cuban experience has been positive.
After staying at 2 all inclusive resorts and over nighting in Havana once I decided the Urban/City type vacation was more interesting to me than 7 days on the beach.
From that point onwards I have never looked back. I have been in Cuba almost a dozen times and in Havana eight times.

It did not take long to see the need for the type of website we operate.

http://www.havanadiscoverytours.com/

 There seemed to be thousands of people asking the same quuestions I was, namely how can we better understand this fascinating and unique place.
As for myself after quite a bit of research I wondered why are there no online resources available for Visitors who want to be guided though Havana by a Local.
Someone who can show and share all that makes Havana special.
Someone who can speak to me in my language of choice.

I wanted to immerse myself in the Culture and to meet the People and try to understand what it's like to live in a place suffering under 50 years of embargo.
And for the most part this is something I like to discover with my traveling partner. There are other times when the chance to Visit Havana with a Local is priceless.

I have met many Cubans and have managed to only slightly immerse myself in the fascinating Culture and History that is Cuba. My desire to understand grows with each trip and with each new experience.
That in the end is what keeps me coming back.

The desire to experience Havana and try to get some insight into this incredible place is what we offer at http://www.havanadiscoverytours.com/

Come, Join us and see all that Havana has to offer.