A Cali Cigar Pilgrimage: La Aroma De Havana in Pismo Beach, CA

In my travels, I recently found myself in northern Santa Barbara County, California, in the city of Santa Maria. Though Santa Maria is a nice little agricultural city, the town of just over a hundred thousand people sadly lacks any type of cigar store.

With some free time, I decided to venture twenty miles up the coast to beautiful Pismo Beach in San Luis Obispo county, looking to take in some spectacular scenery and of course, enjoy a fine cigar. 

Oddly in this part of California you can find all the marijuana you ever wanted to smoke (or eat), and there seems to be another vape shop every other block, but the classic tobacconist has become more and more scarce. Pismo Beach banned all smoking in public earlier in the year so your options for smoking anything are: La Aroma De Havana Cigar Bar, your home or your car.

So, off to La Aroma I go…

Thankfully for the cigar enthusiast, La Aroma has been in operation for over two years now,  just blocks from the picturesque beach and the multitude of surf shops. The humidor is moderate sized, the selection is quite curated and the beer taps are plenty. Here I found a Rocky Patel Corojo that hit the spot.

La Aroma carries Gurkha, Drew Estate, Davidoff, La Gloria Cubana amongst other standout brands. What makes this spot especially enjoyable is the bar and lounge area. Having a large selection of craft beer on tap can certainly make for a fun afternoon. The bar is actually constructed of reclaimed timber and nails from the old Pismo Beach Pier. Though I certainly had to go on the hunt a bit, it’s a true pleasure to enjoy a cigar in such a stunning Californian beachside town.

I would think that after a long day spent surfing or sunning on the beach, La Aroma De Havana would be a great place to visit to enjoy a cigar and quaff a cold beer or few.

It was well worth the pilgrimage. 

– Sean Douglass