A few facts about the El Laguito factory, Havana, Cuba

Programmed on Wednesday 01 March, the factory visit at this year's Festival de Habano will be to the world famous El Laguito factory. Easily recognizable by its red tiled roof, yellow exterior and sweeping marble stairway, Cuba's most exclusive cigar factory, is located in Havana's most exclusive suburb, Miramar, a posh neighborhood populated with embassies and protocol houses managed by the Cuban government that rival any Beverly Hills mansions. Before becoming a cigar factory in 1967, the mansion was the home of the former Marquez (Prince) of Pinar del Rio. In the factory more than 100 workers, mostly women, produce Cuba's most expensive and exclusive cigars, the Cohiba and Trinidad brands. Ask anyone in Cuba or elsewhere, connected with the Cuban cigar industry and they will tell you that El Laguito is a cigar factory unlike any other. The El Laguito factory is located a 25 minute ride from Havana Vieja (old Havana) where you will find the H. Upmann, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta and La Corona factories. Besides its more suburban location, El Laguito also has the distinction of being managed by a woman, the infamous Emilla Tamayo.