This was a great place to visit! It was a bit hard to find as it is a relatively small tobacco and cigar shop, but well worth the visit. The owner is well spoken in multiple languages including English, Spanish and French. Not only is it a cigar factory and shop but also a botanical garden with hundreds of fruits, flowers and herbs. I cannot say enough about my visit. Not only did I leave with some amazing cigars and knowledge but also fine coffee and honey!

Amazing experience with Sylvain. Nice sharing of his knowledge of Tobacco and a lot of other topics. We enjoyed going there, it made our day 😄 IMPORTANT NOTE: google maps location is WRONG. The real location is on a parallel path. See the red point on the picture. Merci beaucoup à Sylvain et sa femme de nous avoir bien accueilli 🙂.

(Translated by Google) Brilliant visit accompanied by Sylvain who warmly opened his doors to us, an exchange that lasted no less than 3 hours, with an extremely rich historical return on the origins of the cigar (or even the origins of the world 😁), cigar tasting, demonstration of driving, and exciting discussions of all kinds. And all this, for free! In short, a "must do" if you pass through this beautiful region, authentic visits as we don't do much anymore 😌 (Original) Visite géniale accompagnés de Sylvain qui nous a chaleureusement ouvert ses portes, un échange qui a duré pas moins de 3h, avec au menu retour historique extrêmement riche sur les origines du cigare (voire les origines du monde 😁), dégustation de cigare, démonstration de roulage, et discussions passionnantes en tous genres. Et tout ça, gratuitement ! Bref, un « must do » si vous passez dans cette belle région, des visites authentiques comme on en fait plus beaucoup 😌

Sylvain, a Frenchman who settled in 2001, welcomed us in his cigar workshop 30min from the centre of Santiago. It's not easy to get there but the visit is clearly worth going. A total of 3 to 4 h of explanations about cigars and tobacco, with historical anecdotes. Sylvain is a well to know, if you have a question, no matter what it is (quantum physics, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, anthropology, lunguistics, history, botany etc...) he will know how to answer you. At the end of the explanation, Sylvain rolls a cigar in front of your eyes before presenting you his botanical garden. If you are not French, don't worry, he speaks fluent English, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Portuguese and is currently learning Russian and Arabic. The visit is free of charge and it is possible to buy cigars for very attractive prices (even cigar boxes are made on the spot!). A visit worth to make for all those who came to the Dominican Republic for something other than the beach and the coconut trees. Merci Sylvain ! Max et Marc

I discovered in 2014 this medium cigars factory where the tour was very interesting on the tobacco and the making of cigars, at the end of the visit a tour of 30 minutes inside a very nice botanical garden show big variety of flowers, trees, tropical plants. I spent half day in the nature smoking natural tobacco ! At this time I wrote a review in Tripadvisor, so I came back next week and there is a Cigars Boxes Workshop running and a Tobacco Plantation for visitors the whole year, with a new brand Epic Cigars. Amazing & Complete !

Zemis Tobacco and Cigar in Santiago de los Caballeros, DR is a must-see for anyone visiting DR. I am not a cigar aficionado by any means and have only smoked a handful in my life starting only a year ago during my trip to Cuba. However, this was definitely the highlight of my trip in DR. Sylvaine was a gracious host and an absolute delight to meet and spend the day with. Many people referred us to La Aurora cigar factory but after reading the reviews for Zemis Cigars on Trip Advisor, I was determined to take a chance and find this place. Our taxi driver got lost on the way there and we got to see a side of DR that we never would have had the opportunity to experience. Many people taking the time to help us find the factory shows just how kind and generous the Dominican people are. Once we arrived to Zemis, we knew we made the right choice—the property was like a dream. You are greeted by three friendly dogs as Sylvaine’s beautiful house, surrounded by a botanical garden, tobacco field, and his factory, comes into view. Sylvaine came out to greet us and invited our taxi driver to stay for the tour as well. We then got a history lesson on Taino culture, Europeans in the Caribbean, tobacco and cigars, as well as his background in the Caribbean and how he got into cigar making. One of his employees showed us every step in cigar making and he made a few cigars right in front of us. We were served delicious coffee, given a fresh cigar, and then taken on a tour of his botanical garden. He showed us his tobacco plants, cacao tree, hibiscus flowers, and all other kinds of plants all over his property. The tour was free so we purchased a pack of cigars for friends and family. Even if you are not a cigar smoker, this is a must see destination on your next trip to DR!

Premium handcrafted Cigars Factory with a Cigars boxes Workshop surrounded by a charming Botanical Garden & a Cigars Shop where you can find the following original brands: Zemis, Epic Cigars, Keyif Cigars, Manoa el Dorado Cigars at factory prices with a Tour.

(Translated by Google) Magnificent! The best experience we have had. Sylvain has a small workshop where the cigars are handmade by the team trained by himself. The visit is in the workshop and Sylvain shares his (very extensive) knowledge of the history of tobacco as well as various facts related to the manufacture of cigars, and a little extra for amateurs, the tour is done with a tasting of the cigars from Sylvain! We have adored! (Original) Magnifique! Le meilleur experience que nous avons fait. Sylvain a une petit atelier ou les cigares sont fait a main par l'équipe formé par lui même. La visite est dans l'atelier et Sylvain partage ses connaissances (tres amples) de l'histoire du tabac ainsi que diverse faits liees a la fabrication des cigares, et petit plus pour les amateurs, le tour se fait avec une dégustation de les cigares de Sylvain! Nous avons adoré!

(Translated by Google) Among the best cigars ever smoked. Excellent artisanal and 100% Dominican production in a remarkable natural environment (cibao valley). Super welcome by Sylvain, the boss (a Frenchman!) who took the time to show us around the factory, introduce us to the production, the drying of the tobacco, the different rolling techniques used in the factory and to discuss with us, with broken sticks, the history of tobacco. We will come back and highly recommend, especially for amateurs. (Original) Parmi les meilleurs cigares jamais fumés. Excellente production artisanale et 100% dominicaine dans un environnement naturel remarquable (vallée du cibao). Super accueil par Sylvain, le patron (un français!) qui a pris le temps de nous faire visiter la fabrique, nous présenter la production, le séchage du tabac, les différentes techniques de roulage utilisées sur la fabrique et d'évoquer avec nous, à bâtons rompus, l'histoire du tabac. Nous reviendrons et recommandons vivement, notamment pour les amateurs.

(Translated by Google) Great visit, which we warmly recommend. Sylvain is a mine of information concerning the history of the Caribbean and that of tobacco in particular. We spent a few exciting and instructive hours in his company. The factory is located away from the city, in a lush garden. The opportunity to taste a quality cigar, while discovering this small tobacco company. In conclusion, a very good moment of our trip. Do not hesitate to contact Sylvain! (Original) Super visite, que nous recommandons chaleureusement. Sylvain est une mine d'informations concernant l'histoire des caraïbes et celle du tabac en particulier. Nous avons passé quelques heures passionnantes et instructives en sa compagnie. La fabrique est située à l'écart de la ville, dans un jardin luxuriant. L'occasion de goûter un cigar de qualité, tout en découvrant cette petite entreprise de tabac. En conclusion, un très bon moment de notre voyage. N'hésitez pas à contacter Sylvain !