The most beautiful destinations for cigar lovers

While enjoying a premium cigar is a form of travel in itself, there's nothing more exhilarating than enjoying your favorite module in a place steeped in cigar passion and culture. To help you find the perfect place for your next vacation, we've selected 5 of the finest destinations for cigar lovers.

1. Cuba

Every cigar aficionado knows the close link between Cuba and cigars. First discovered by Christopher Columbus's companions, this island is also considered by many cigar aficionados to be home to the world's finest tobacco. Thanks to its ideal climatic conditions and the ancestral know-how of its inhabitants, it has given birth to some of the world's leading premium cigar brands, such as Cohiba, Partagas and Trinidad. From historic Havana to the mountain valleys of Vuelta Abajo, there isn't a corner of Cuba that isn't marked by cigar culture.

While it's perfectly possible to enjoy a Cohiba Robusto on the beaches of Varadero or Cayo Coco, the "cigar mecca" has much more to offer than sunny beaches and crystal-clear waters. On your way to Havana, for example, you can visit some of the world's most emblematic cigar factories, such as H. Upmann-Montecristo, El Laguito and La Corona. Just a few hours' drive west, you can also visit the Pinar del Rio region and explore the legendary vegas finas of San Juan y Martinez.

2. Dominican Republic

Since 1992, the Dominican Republic has been the world's leading cigar exporter and producer. It is home to some of the world's leading premium cigar manufacturers, including Arturo FuenteE.P Carrillo and Quesada Cigars. As in Cuba, cigar culture is part of the Dominican heritage. Even before the arrival of Spanish settlers in San Pedro de Macorís, the natives smoked "cigars" as part of their ritual. Following the nationalization of Cuban operations in 1962, many cigar manufacturers also moved to the Dominican Republic to relaunch their businesses.

During your stay on the island, you can visit the superb plantations of the fertile Cibao Valley and sample a magnificent Arturo Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No. 5 while strolling the 350 hectares of Château de la Fuente. You can also visit Santiago, the country's industrial capital, to discover the Tobacco Museum and the legendary cigar factory. La Aurora.

3. Nicaragua

Situated between Honduras and Costa Rica, Nicaragua is now the world's second-largest producer of premium cigars. With its volcanic soils and hot, humid climate, the "land of lakes and volcanoes" offers many activities for aficionados. Whether you visit the regions of Esteli, Jalapa and Condega, in the north of the country, or the island of Ometepe, in the south-east, you can discover numerous tobacco plantations and visit cigar factories such as Plasencia, CumpayAlec & Bradley and AJ Fernandez.

Surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, Nicaragua is also a dream destination for lovers of idleness. Imagine lighting up a Joya de Nicaragua Clasico Medio Siglo Robusto on the magnificent white-sand beaches of Little Corn Island, or strolling through the cloud forest of the Miraflor Nature Reserve. In this authentic setting and untamed nature, you'll be able to get away from it all and enjoy the mild tropical climate to recharge your batteries.

4. Switzerland

Few cigar aficionados know it, but during the 19th century, Switzerland was home to so many cigar factories that it was dubbed the "land of cigars". Between 1880 and 1911, no fewer than 68 cigar factories were established in the Wynental and Seetal regions. It was also during this period that Villiger Söhne, one of Switzerland's most prestigious cigar brands, was founded. But if Switzerland is now known to cigar aficionados the world over, it's mainly thanks to the genius of Zino Davidoff. Strolling through the streets of Geneva, you can visit the superb Davidoff boutique and its "décor séchoir". The lucky ones will also be able to cruise Lake Zurich aboard the Davidoff-Schiff ship and enjoy culinary animations and an unusual setting for an extraordinary cigar tasting. Of course, your visit to Switzerland can't be complete without a visit to our superb boutique on rue de Rive in Nyon, where the entire La Couronne S.A. team awaits you to share a moment of cigar enjoyment.

5. Florida

Towards the end of the 19th century, many Cuban exiles settled in Florida, where they developed their cigar-making businesses. Cities such as Key West, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Palmetto, Tampa and even Miami became popular destinations for cigar aficionados.

Although the industry is much less thriving here today, you can still visit many historic buildings and structures. In Miami, for example, you can visit the El Credito Cigar Factory, the oldest cigar factory in the United States. You can also visit Tampa's last remaining cigar factory and museum, the J.C. Newman Cigar Company. Lovers of sun and white sand can also cruise the beaches of Fort Lauderdale and South Beach Miami while enjoying a Diamond Crown Julius Caeser 1895 Perfecto Reserve or a Perla del Mar Corojo Robusto.