Haiti is a small country with an area of 27,750 km². At first glance, this seems like a disadvantage. With respect to the topic at hand, I will show you that it is actually an advantage. One of Haiti’s main characteristics from an environmental and ecological standpoint is the diversity of ecosystems one is likely to encounter there; ranging from the driest to the most humid, from xeric to mountain rainforest. Rainfall varies from 400 mm/year to 4,000 mm/year. Vegetation ranges from cover dominated by cacti to forest cover where tree ferns (cyatheaceae) are predominant. These plants thrive in ecosystems where rainfall is so high that it becomes a limiting factor for tree growth. Haiti has humid plains conducive to mahogany, mango, coconut, and avocado trees; low-altitude mountains favorable to avocado, coffee, saman, and sucrin trees; and higher mountains with pine forests.
Haiti’s advantages are not limited to ecosystem diversity; there is also a wide variety of tourist and ecotourist sites. While Haiti has 1,770 km of coastline, it boasts 300 km of beaches in particular. The number of islands and islets is estimated at nearly 80, though the true figure likely runs into several dozen. Haiti therefore has significant potential for beach tourism, far beyond the single site of Labadie.
A mountainous country par excellence, Haiti has seven (7) mountain ranges, accounting for nearly 150 rivers and watersheds. These mountain ranges, rivers, and watersheds often host waterfalls and cascades. The best known is undoubtedly Saut d’Eau in the town of the same name, which draws a large number of visitors every July. In the south, Saut Mathurine on the Cavaillon River is worth mentioning. In the southeast, Bassin Bleu near Jacmel is better known than Cascade Pichon. Saut du Baril is undeniably one of the wonders of the Nippes department. In the Centre department, Bassin Zim stands out among the rest. There are many other waterfalls and cascades throughout the country, less well-known than the others. Another category of sites deserves attention: lakes and ponds. The most significant in Haiti is Lac Azuei on the Haitian-Dominican border, alongside Trou Caïman in the Cul de Sac plain. Lake Péligre, an artificial lake also located near the border with the Dominican Republic, sits in the Centre department. Other important bodies of water include the two ponds of Miragoane at the junction of the Ouest and Nippes departments, as well as Étang Bois Neuf near Saint-Marc and Étang Laborde in the Cayes plain. Lesser known but nestled in its verdant setting is Étang Bossier in the heights of Cayes-Jacmel and Marigot. In the hills above Petit-Goâve, there is also a mountain pond called Étang Duverger.
In addition to beaches, islands, coral reefs, waterfalls, and lakes and ponds, rivers must also be mentioned. Haiti has more than a hundred of them, spread across its ten departments and originating in the various mountain ranges. These rivers offer tremendous recreational potential, not only for swimming or water sports such as canoeing and kayaking, but also for excursions upstream along the river.
Haiti is home to numerous caves, such as the Marie Jeanne Cave at Port-à-Piment and the Counoubois Cave at Camp-Perrin. Everything I have mentioned so far undeniably constitutes the natural heritage, to which we can add the many panoramic viewpoints such as those at Boutillier or Kenscoff, as well as lesser-known ones like Jalousie between Petit-Goâve and Grand-Goâve, or Morne Saint-George, which offers a panoramic view of Aquin Bay.
Beyond these many natural heritage sites, we can also highlight the built heritage. Haiti’s built heritage manifests itself around two types of structures: historical monuments (military fortifications from the colonial or post-colonial period) and the many houses dating mainly from the nineteenth century, collectively known as gingerbread architecture.
Military fortifications can be subdivided into those from the colonial period and those from the post-colonial period, the latter having been built after independence. Colonial-era military fortifications were constructed by either the French or the English and are generally located near the coast. Notable examples include the various military fortifications of Fort-Liberté Bay, including Fort Saint-Joseph, where the final meeting between French expeditionary generals and commanders of the indigenous army took place. In the same vein, Fort Picolet at Cap-Haïtien and Fort Royal at Petit-Goâve can be cited. The battery at Môle-Saint-Nicolas and Fort des Oliviers at Saint-Louis-du-Sud are attributed to the English.
However, the most important military fortifications were built in the aftermath of independence by Haitians themselves and carried an entirely different symbolism. Whereas French and English military fortifications were built to defend colonial possessions, the fortifications built by Haitians symbolized their determination to protect themselves from Western invaders. In this context, mention must be made of the Citadelle Laferrière on Bonnet-à-l’Évêque near Cap-Haïtien, Fort Rivière at Vallières, Fort Jalousière at Marmelade, Croix Saint-Joseph in the heights above Port-de-Paix, Fort Drouet in the Chaîne des Matheux above Arcahaie, Forts Jacques and Alexandre in the hills above Pétionville, Fort Ogé at Cap-Rouge near Jacmel, Fort Blockhaus in the hills of the Vallée de Jacmel, Fort Gary above Petit-Goâve, the Citadelle des Platons overlooking the plain and bay of Cayes, and finally Fort Marfranc in Grande-Anse.
But Haiti’s built heritage does not stop there. It also encompasses the residential houses of Port-au-Prince’s fine neighborhoods — known as Bois-Verna, Turgeau, Babiole, and others — as well as the historic city centers of Cap-Haïtien, Jacmel, and Jérémie. Haiti’s built heritage includes houses that once sheltered historical figures such as Anténor Firmin, José Martí, and Jacques Roumain. It also includes the countless churches in the capital and provincial towns that deserve a pause for admiration. What more can be said? One might add the scattered ruins of colonial estates and a few examples of vernacular architecture.
All of these elements of natural and built heritage are found within a very small territory. One can leave a beach and go swimming again in a nearby pond — as is the case at Chouchou Bay beach in Port-Margot. In the same commune, one can find a high-altitude pond nestled in greenery called Bassin Waka. Let us head south. A family spends the weekend at Gelée beach. The day after arriving, they visit the Marie Jeanne Cave at Port-à-Piment, and the following day they discover the Citadelle des Platons and the foothills of Pic le Ciel in the Massif de la Hotte. Before leaving, they stop at Saut Mathurine. This is no joke — I have done it myself. Now to the southeast. Let us spare no experience. One heads to Cap-Rouge to visit Fort Ogé — inside there is even a small football pitch where you can play a match. The next day, one sets off toward the communal section of La Montagne, after discovering the falls at Bassin Bleu or after visiting Bellevue, then continues on to Trou Baguette beach, home to a small fishing community. On the last day, one visits Étang Bossier in the heights of Cayes-Jacmel and Marigot, then heads to Raymond-les-Bains beach — or the other way around.
Another itinerary could be added. Leaving Port-au-Prince, one heads toward the Cul de Sac Plain while visiting the ruins of colonial estates, then proceeds to Lac Azuei, climbs up to the Forêt des Pins, descends to Cascade Pichon, and ends the day at Seguin — all within a single day. Haiti offers this unique combination of natural and built heritage sites. France, the world’s top tourist destination, also enjoys this privileged blend of natural and built heritage, except that France organizes and promotes it, while in Haiti, not even the bare minimum is done — and that minimum would simply be to visit these sites and monuments without damaging their integrity.
My judgment may be too harsh, however. Efforts have been made to provide our country with new hotels. More than half of Haiti’s municipalities now have hotels. There is certainly much to be done to equip the country with tourist and ecotourist services. In France, there are structures known as syndicats d’initiatives — public-private partnership organizations whose role is to provide the general public, and tourists in particular, with all the information they need about a given area. Something similar would probably be needed in Haiti, at least at the departmental level. There is also a need for companies capable of organizing excursions that would allow tourists to discover the tourist and ecotourist sites of each region.