Ybor City is known for several things but, one thing it really is known for is their cigars. Ybor City, is a historic neighborhood which has been known as a cigar manufacturing town since 1885. In 1886 cigar makers Vicente Martinez-Ybor and Ignacio Haya moved their cigar factories from Key West to Tampa, this gave the name Ybor city to an area of Tampa that at one time had over 140 cigar factories. Ybor became home to Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants who worked in more than 140 cigar factories in and around the area, producing 250-million cigars a year. This multicultural enclave started out as 40 acres of swamp and scrub trees northeast of Tampa. Today Ybor is an old historic landmark; you know you have entered Ybor when the streets turn from asphalt to hand laid brick.
One of the great attractions in Ybor is the Ybor City Museum. Today the museum is a state park in the heart of Ybor. The State Park contains permanent exhibits on Vicente Martinez Ybor, the founding and early history of Ybor City, the cigar industry, the social clubs of the city, and the Ferlita Bakery itself. Two years ago, the Ybor City Museum Society initiated changing exhibitions in the Museum space; these change twice yearly. The Ybor City Museum also houses a museum store with a variety of items for sale reflecting the ethnic heritage of the community, the cigar trade, and the site's history.
Here are some great links for Ybor City Cigars:
If you are a cigar aficionado or just love the smell and taste of a great cigar next time you are in Tampa make sure you stop by Ybor City.
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