Gate-side cigars before security in MBJ T1
Casa del Habano sits in Sangster International’s Terminal 1 departures area, past check-in but before the main security checkpoint. It runs typical daytime airport hours, usually opening by 9:00 and staying open into the evening bank of outbound flights. If you want duty-paid cigars or cigar accessories while still on the landside side of T1, this is the spot.
This is a branded Casa del Habano store, so you’re looking at Cuban names you recognize: Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and H. Upmann on the shelves. Single sticks often start around US$15–20 and go up sharply for premium lines and larger vitolas, with boxes running into the hundreds of dollars. Humidors, cutters, and lighters sit in a separate case near the counter, priced in the same range you’d expect from an airport tobacco shop.
Stock is duty-paid rather than duty-free, so prices at Casa del Habano in MBJ T1 usually run higher than what you’d see at serious cigar shops in Montego Bay or in some other Caribbean airports. You’re paying for airport location and Cuban branding more than for bargain hunting. That said, if you want a single Cohiba Robusto or Montecristo No. 2 as a souvenir on the way out, it’s an easy one-stop purchase.
There’s no dedicated smoking lounge attached to this Casa del Habano in Terminal 1, so you’re buying to take away, not to sit and smoke. Plan a few extra minutes before security if you’re eyeing a box, because staff will often walk you through the selections one by one. Tip: check prices on a couple of different marcas before you commit; the jump between labels can be significant.