The Procigar Festival planned for 2011 combines the opportunity to get to know some of the best premium smokes in the country, with cigar factory tours, seminars, golf, local cuisine, dancing, visits to the beaches and more. The annual event begins at Casa de Campo this year, with opportunities for beach and golf at the legendary Teeth of the Dog golf course, and a visit to the Tabacalera de Garcia Cigar Factory next door (La Romana, 6-8 February).
It then continues to Santiago, a three-hour trip that takes visitors through Santo Domingo where participants can choose from factory tours to General Cigar, Davidoff, Matasa, La Aurora and Tabaquisa, beer & rum factory tours, city tours, merengue lessons, seminars, sailing along the north coast on a catamaran, playing golf or just relaxing in the tropical breezes of Puerto Plata beach, one hour to the north. In the evening, organizers promise spectacular dinners, premium drinks, local cuisine, dance and warm Dominican hospitality for their guests (Santiago-Puerto Plata 8-11 February).
Procigar is hosting Silent Charity Donations at every dinner in Santiago to benefit the Voluntariado de Jesus con los Ninos that helps sick children and the Hospicio San Vicente de Paul (a retirement home for low-income elders).
See http://procigar.org/
If you can’t wait till then, check out the available cigar factory tours in La Romana: www.dr1.com/directories/tours/cigar_factory_tour.shtml