My amazing casa host had recommended Finca Esmeralda’s tobacco plantation and horse riding tour and arranged it for my first afternoon shortly after I arrived. I was picked up in a taxi and driven further and further out of town until my driver turned into Finca Esmeralda. As we pulled up next to a group of guajiros, dressed in sombreros and cowboy boots, sitting along the dirt drive, with not one other traveller in sight I remember wondering what I’d gotten myself into. It ended up being one of my favourite experiences in Cuba.

I was soon introduced to an English speaking local man who took me through the palm thatched drying shed and explained to me the process of farming tobacco. They plant the seeds in October/November, which takes about 3 months to grow to full size. Once harvested the leaves are hung in the drying shed until they can be used to make cigars. He explained they use the top leaves called corona (crown) as the filler in cigars because this had the most flavour, the middle leaves are used as a binder and the bottom leaves, which are a much lighter flavour are used as a wrapper. He then took me into a separate room where he showed me how to hand roll a Cuban cigar and also showed me some locally made rum. Among my fondest memories in Viñales is that afternoon, sitting in a drying shed with local Cubans shotting rum and smoking Cuban cigars. You can purchase farm rolled cigars for a lot cheaper than the commercial brands. Here they sold 5 packs for 20CUC. Then it was time to sober up and get on a horse.