Cigars from La Palma: Cuba in the Canary Islands

Cuba and La Palma share the tradition of making cigars by hand, and their fans claim that those from La Palma are as good as those from Cuba.

The local cigar makers insist that even Fidel Castro himself admitted it!

Thanks to a cigar-making process that uses locally grown tobacco, and following methods that have not changed in centuries, La Palma enjoys cigars that are up to the standard of luxury, except for the price.

While Cuban cigars have gained fame over the years, and therefore have increased in price, those from La Palma are less well known, and therefore enjoyed in the Canary Islands.

The history of the cigar of La Palma

There is a historical link between the islands of Cuba and La Palma thanks to a past of emigration of Canarian islanders to Cuba. In fact, many of the main cigar factories in Havana were established by former Canary Islanders.

However, and fortunately, those immigrants returned to their home in La Palma founding the cigar industry thanks to their craft skills for the manufacture of cigars, and the subtropical climate and the layout of the Canary Islands, which proved to provide the ideal conditions for the cultivation of tobacco.

Cigar making in La Palma

The way and process of making cigars on La Palma has hardly changed in centuries. In an era where immediacy is sought and technology is abused, La Palma recovers the Cuban son and, in its cigar factories, men and women make the famous La Palma cigar by hand.

There are three parts to the canary cigars:

  • casing: the contents of the cigar, the carefully selected leaves
  • capote: the leaf or leaves that wrap up the gut
  • layer: the outer sheet that wraps around the

The way the three have been rolled together will determine the quality of the cigar and the way it is smoked.

As in Cuba, each cigar is made from start to finish by a single person. Therefore, each handmade cigar is completely unique, and constitutes a work of art with a perfect appearance.

Museums and guided tours

Cigars from La Palma are synonymous with quality and dedication. And you can see the process and results in different tobacco farms and family businesses open to the public.

Museo del Puro Palmero: Located in Breña Alta, this museum captures the history of the cigar of La Palma as an engine of economic growth on the island (especially between the 1920s and 1960s).

Finca Tabaquera El Sitio: Also in Breña Alta, here you can find the authentic Palmeran cigars made entirely with raw materials native to La Palma.

Tabacos La Tanita: Made with "tabaco Breña", La Tanita cigars follow the legacy and know-how of the family business.

CigarsJulio: The artisan process of the production of Julio cigars culminates in offering cigars with a peculiar aromatic mixture.

Puros Destiladera S.L. Puros Destiladera S.L.: It stands out because these cigars are made by people with disabilities and therefore their consumption helps the labour insertion of its employees.

Tabacos El Rubio: Traditional and handmade cigar making that has not been lost over the years.

Puros Richard: Family business that maintains the traditional process of producing cigars from La Palma from "Breña" tobacco.

Puros Cruz: The family tradition is maintained in this company that also uses varieties of leaves from around the world in the production of its cigars.

Kolumbus Premium Cigars: In its most premium version, this brand of cigars from La Palma is born.

Where to buy cigars from La Palma

In addition to the places mentioned above, La Palma cigars can be purchased in bars, supermarkets and specialty shops, as well as at the airport.

Did you know that cigars from La Palma were Winston Churchill's favorite?

Source photos: Pixabay, Shutterstock, Wikipedia.

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