Let's go to Labadie

Cap-Haitien and its surroundings have a lot to offer to the foreign or local tourist. From art galleries to splendid beaches, historical monuments to magnificent fortresses, choices are plenty. On a ridge 20 minutes west of the northern metropolis, the area generally called Labadie (Pronounced Lah-Bah-Deeh) reveals the bluest of a calm Atlantic Ocean adjoining a curvaceous belt of lush mountains. Labadie has the disctinctive charm of delivering in just one place some of the best beaches of the Caribbean, a bit of History and a bright, colorful palette of arts, crafts and people.

Easternmost, you will find the internationally known beach of  Labadie currently being operated under the anglicized name of Labadee by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (thereafter called RCCL). Going west, you will arrive at the town of Labadie itself, a small fishing village. “Habitation Labadie” to be correct, is a mix of traditional Haitian dwellings and prosperous hill-perched villas. Further west along the coast, another beach, and then suddenly around a bend, the magnificent Baie d’Acul (Bay of Acul), almost completely closed off from the Ocean and immune to any storm. Christopher Columbus used that bay as a shelter during his first voyage. The Santa Maria, Columbus’ flag ship, fell victim to a reef further down the cost from Acul near the Haitian town of Caracol. Across the bay, many small islands and reefs complete the vista. On a clear day, you can see the famous Ile de la Tortue (Tortuga Island) on the horizon.

The beach of Labadie is one of the most well-kept and well-equipped of the country. It is also one of the beaches most visited by foreign tourists. On Mondays and Tuesdays,  luxury cruise boats from the RCCL anchor off the enclave and drop off thousands of tourists for a day-long sampling of fine sandy beaches, warm blue waters or some of the finest snorkeling in the Caribbean. This is probably one of the easiest ways to see Labadie if not the cheapest. And even with such a short stay, you get to do a lot. If that is your choice, you can sail from Miami on a Saturday or wait for Sunday afternoon and depart onboard the majestic Voyager of the Seas, currently one of the most awesome sights and best floating attraction on the Caribbean Sea.

From the boat you can buy tickets for excursions in the area of Labadie. Your choices vary between snorkeling, coastal boat rides, parasailing riding waverunners and various other activities at the beach. We recommend going snorkeling at Amiga Island in the morning and then enjoying the beach in the afternoon. We also recommend purchasing excursion tickets as soon as you board the boat as they tend to  sell out quickly.

Passengers arrive slightly before 8:00am (ship’s time). If you are going snorkeling, you board a small boat right away while others can take tenders to the shore. The trip to Amiga Island, the snorkeling location, is fabulous. You get a little scenic tour of the area while cooling on the light breeze of the ocean . Along the way, you can see little taxi boats going to the between Labadie beach, and the town of the same name. Then, the samll boat would skirt along the bay and veer off towards open ocean to Amiga Island. As it happens, the real name of the islands as I learned from the locals is lilèt, from the French, L’îlet. The island is sometimes called Ile à rats, in reference to certain rodents that could be found inside the island. No larger than maybe a city block, the island is not much more than thick bush. However, it is surrounded by a beautiful beach. The real reason for being there though is to admire the beautiful reefs, coral formations and sea life barely a few yards away.

The excursion crew, a mix of  foreigners living at Labadie (!) and locals, is very good at taking care of beginners and while carefully watching for anybody who might be in danger. Before going in, one of the instructors give the group a very effective snorkeling lesson, and then, leads every one out for short practice swims. Then you are free to admire the fishes (small fishes of course) and corals on your own. Also, underwater, there is an artificial reef composed of the remains of an old ship, like cannon balls that corals have completely taken over.Remember to buy an underwater disposable camera if you want to photograph anything. You can buy one on the cruise ship or on the boat taking you to Amiga Island. Snorkeling is not hard at all- Once you get used to breathing with your mouth instead of your nose. To be honest though, Discover Haiti was a little bit too tentative and did not get too far with snorkeling. Maybe next time, we promise. Nevertheless, there was enough fun just staying around the Amiga Island beach.

If you are done snorkeling early, you can walk towards the merchants offering sculptures, pottery, wood carvings etc. right from their small boats. There are larger shops on Labadie beach where you will find a greater variety of items. However, if you see a piece you like, you can probably get a better bargain for it here, especially on a Tuesday (last cruise boat ‘til next week).

Back at Labadie beach, there is lot to do. Those who simply want to lay down for hours on end do not need my help. Find the shade of a coconut tree and enjoy. For the rest of you, there is jet skiing, banana boat rides (a favorite of the boat crowds), again snorkeling. You can also rent rafts and canoes or simply take a floating mat to the water and relax.

Later on, go to the Artisan’s Market, located within the beach compound, and roam along crate after crate of local products. Haitian art and crafts need no calling card. However, the coffee here is some of the best there is, while The Rhum Barbancourt is a world class fine cognac. For conversation and historical information about the area spend some time with the Normans, (Mr Norman is an American while her wife is Haitian) who own a shop in the Artisan’s Market and live at Labadie Town. There is no hotel on Labadie, bu the Normans operate a guest house in the village all complete with meals and so on. The Gallerie des Trois Visages also within the market offers a great sampling of Haitian paintings by some up-and-coming artists of Cap-Haitien. The nearby marketplace is as close you can get to a real haitian market place. There is a central building full to the ceiling with all kinds of colorful offerings. You can also find lots of crafts there. There is no duty limit as to how many souvenirs you can carry back to the United States.

Rounding up the enclave, a couple of bars and a small fort. The area in fact has many many small forts and remains of plantations. Frankly, those forts has less appeal to me when I know that not far away one may find the great Citadelle Lafferriere and Sans-Souci Palace. There, I believe, lies a little problem with this otherwise fine visit to Labadie. How could those world marvels be so close and yet there is no way of visiting them if you are on a cruise? The same boat goes to Cozumel, Mexico, and from there you can take a plane and bus to Cancun hundreds of miles away- an eight-hour tour altogether? The Citadelle is less than 30 miles away. This is like going to Egypt for the first time and yet fail to see any pyramids. As it is, RCCL does not even allow its passengers to go beyond the compound. Other tour companies take European tourists to see the Citadelle. If it is safe enough for those tourists, it should be safe enough for cruise passengers. One guide I befriended told me late in the afternoon that he could have arranged for a taxi-boat ride to the town of Labadie had I told him earlier of my interest. I am not sure whether RCCL would have approved either if asked.

Although the average visitor is more than happy to enjoy Labadie as offered, being one to have visited the North Side of Haiti many times before, I know that there is so much more to see in the area. I could not help but wonder when will RCCL offer land excursions from Labadie. German tourists are driven from the Dominican Republic, 50 miles away, through the border, all the way to Milot, near Cap-Haitien to see the Citadelle and Sans-Souci. The tourists at Labadie are only a few minutes away.. Maybe it is up to Haitian business folks to set up that service. Maybe it is up to the Haitian government to pressure RCCL to provide more access to the vistas.

As it is now, I do not think the Haitian country is making the most out of that long term lease with RCCL. Sure, the state of Haiti gets a few dollars per visitor. Sure, RCCL provides employment to a number of  locals and allows a few craft shops to make a few bucks. However, as a tourist, you do not see much of Haiti. No Haitian restaurants, no cab rides to Cap-Haitien, no guided tours to the Citadelle, to Vertieres, no chance to try the other beaches or hotels, no shopping in town like in Cozumel or Ochos Rios, other ports of call of RCCL cruises. Cap-Haitien is the birth place of Philome Obin, one of the most internationally famous Haitian painters there were. It is one of the places where Haitian Art can be found at its best. It would make a great excursion for any tourist.

If you want to do those things then, think about visiting Labadie in a different manner. On a non-cruise-day, you can still enter the compound for a few dollars. You will have the whole beach to yourself. You will also be at ease to go to Habitation Labadie itself as well as enjoy what the northern part of Haiti has to offer. To do so, arrange with a local travel agent to stay at one of the good hotels in Cap-Haitien. Hotel Mont Joli (tel:62 0300) and Hostellerie Roi Christophe (Tel 62 0414) or for that matter, Hotel Cormier Plage (tel 62 0119) at Cormier Beach, another fine beach in the area. For more info about what to do there, you can refer to this previous article where we covered Cap-Haitien in greater detail.

All in all, going to Labadie by any method is quite worthwhile. The splendid beach and lush hills are quite a pretty sight. With so much history and art in the adjoining area, a trip to Labadie has the potential to become a life changing experience. With a return of a democratic climate, this is probably a good time for the Haitian government as well as investors, local or foreign to start tapping into the potential of the region.

The Foreign Press has done a lot of damage to the reputation of Haiti by instilling all kinds of fears into the foreign visitor. During our trip for example, at least two couples told us they did not know where Labadie was. When told it was in Haiti, they said they did not think of Haiti as a tourist destination. Ironic for a country that was a primary destination only some years ago. On the flip side, during the same cruise, a young man approached us and spoke the finest Creole I have heard from a foreigner. He told us his family had fallen in love with Haiti while he was a missionary. They owned a house there, in the country side, and go back every year. Question of perspective. How about making your own mind? Labadie and the Northern department offer a glamorous slice cut through various layers of a Haitian Pot-Pourri pie. Beautiful beaches, strong mountains, rich history, effervescent art and the spirit of a simple yet proud people.

*The International code is 011 and Haiti's country code is (509)

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