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Anybody ever buy Cuban Cigars in Costa Rica? If so, where and did you bring them back to the USA?

A few threads on this; I'll give you my perspective and then by all means do a "Search" for more info.

In San Jose, try the cigar shop at Hotel Little Havana - see Bruce or Don Ursulo, and they can help you out - you might also want to try their own brand, which is very good - you are also buying true Cubans when you shop there.

I don't need to tell you that many times, Cubans are "faked" - nor do I need to tell you that the guy on Ave Central, or in front of the Del Rey is selling fakes, right? Also, in HAVANA, for gods sakes, a box of Cohiba Esplendidos is over $700 a box - so in San Jose, you are unlikely to get one for $150

I smoke 2 cigars a day, but overall I avoid Cubans b/c of the cost and the inconsistancy - be prepared to pay north of $20 per for a good sized popular Cuban Brand.

When you are going back to the USA, simply remove the band - and if you are the nervous sort, get a receipt from where you bought them for "Cigars made in Costa Rica from non Cuban Tobacco" - as long as you are not bringing back hundreds of cigars you should not have a problem.

I just came back from Bogota and stopped into one of the duty free shops in the airport. There were Cubans in one of the stores and for a box of 25 they ranged from $200-$250. I thought that was reasonably priced relative to what I have heard in the past. I have to assume that they were authentic because of the store and it being in the airport. Although anything is possible.

Thanks for the info.

Be sure to buy the Cohiba Esplendidos in a glass topped box in front of the HDR....the REAL DEAL. DON'T!!!!, I'm joking

CR is not the place to buy cubans by the box. If you want to buy Cubans to smoke in the US, PM me and I can give you several "where to buy" sources (located outside the US).

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Voted San Jose's #1 Maripepino

I'm somewhat of a cigar smoker. Coming from the US where there are hundreds, if not thousands of Dominican cigars available, Im shocked that you can barely buy them here. If you can find them, it will be 6x the US price. I'm forced to smoke Costa Rican or Central American smokes down here. That said here is my list:

1. Vegas de Santiago
2. La bruja del re (Not Costa Rica, but can be found in Escazu)
3. Joya Reals

Agree w/ you - the duty on imported cigars is stupid high; regardless the selection in CR is poor; I can go to a local cigar store in Miami and have more choices by far (and regarding duty - normally its to protect a home grown industry, as well as raise revenue - tobacco to Costa Rica, as well as cigar making ar not major crops/industry. Coffee, bananas, palmitas - much more significant than cigars and tobacco).

Also, with the exception of Don Ursulo Cigars, I have not found any domestic CR brands I've enjoyed (I've tried, believe me) - some seem to be made for the tourist trade; non cigar smokers who want to have one while on vacation, or think its cool to take some back home.

Still, you might want to try the brands mfg by Don Ursulo and sold at HLH - had some really excellent cigars my last trip and they tell me they have a new blend - you will pay $8 - 10 per, not cheap, but worth it if you like them - the quality and construction were excellent; looking forward to smoking more when i come down in late September

Just got back from a quick trip to SJO to see how Boyd's new business is going and stopped into the smoking room at HLH. What a blast! Lots of authentic cubans (montecristo, cohiba, etc.) and some reasonable price points.

Bruce the owner hooked me up with a box of Cohiba sigla VI's and another mix of a half-dozen interesting and unusual cuban smokes. He even took the rings off the sticks and put them in a Costa Rican box! He said he would write a receipt for me for Costa Rican cigars if I felt especially nervous about walking the sticks through customs, but I didn't take him up on it. I was stopped at immigration and they found my cigars, but because they had been "packaged," immigration/customs didn't even bat an eye.

Rumor has it there is a TV going in the smoke room...and a hot blonde female employee being interviewed so we can stare at her tits while pretending to talk and smoke with her. Personally I think Boyd and Bruce should get together to work out the details for a Sunday afternoon "A Smoke, A Game & A F*ck" special for game days at the bar... I would definitely be there for that.....

Nice guys in the smoke room when I was there, you can smoke in the bar while drinking. They have the big comfy leather chairs back in the corner of the bar where the girls would walk to the mirror to check and recheck their makeup...very nice to look at between puffs and sips....

Agree w/ you, Dancer - its a fantastic place with a really unique "value proposition" (to use some 90's sales terms

Can't wait to get back there the end of the month!

See you on the 22nd (praying no hurricanes et al in S FL )

Very nice. We'll be be fightin' for the chairs now! Will see you the 24th....and everyday thereafter for a week.

Lookin' forward to one of those Cuban Cohibas again.

Stopped by the HLH for a cigar and a drink and found out they didn't offer cigars anymore, bummer.

What are you talking about (Maybe not for free , but they sell them)

Hey Bruce, what the Phuck is this guy talking about - poor attempt at humor, or what Say it ain't so

I just bought a few cubans from Bruce at the HLH about ten days ago.

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

Maybe he's just talking about at the bar itself. Is it possible to walk in the front door past the humidor and not see it?

Walk up to the reception desk & look hard left.

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"cuz I'm a back-door man" Jim Morrison-1969