Tiburon - Haiti Observer Blog

Millions of years ago, the Massif de la Hotte was separated from the rest of the country now known as Haiti by a sea channel that was wide and deep. The remoteness this separation caused gave way to a wellspring of naturally occurring species of plants, birds and reptiles. Today, all that separates the mountain range in the south west of Haiti from the rest of Haiti is its height of 7700 ft.

Found to the far west of the Tiburon Peninsula, the Massif de la Hotte is still home to many of Haiti's most diverse species, endemic to the area and often endangered. The threat comes from the steady decline in Haiti's forests. As it stands, this mountain range has some of the last cloud forests found in Haiti at its peak, deforestation through floods, mudslides and human effort having taken the once abundant geographical feature by force.

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As part of a new series highlighting those areas of Haiti that most people have never seen, Terra Incognita took a step into the mountain range of Grande Colline as the pilot for their program, focusing on the area for the information to be gathered on one of Haiti's last remaining forests.

Located in the south west of the country, in the Tiburon Peninsula, Grande Colline isn't easily accessed by the average voyager. The team consisting of a filmmaker, a journalist, photographers and biologists accomplished their search of the Chaîne de la Grande Colline, which shares the Massif de la Hotte with Chaîne de Macaya by using a helicopter. The area sparked interest because, at above 2000 meters, it still boasts areas with original cloud forest. But, while its neighbor to the east, the Chaîne de Macaya has been studied extensively, Grand Colline remains vastly undiscovered because it's inaccessible by roads.

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Tourism has been on a substantial descent over the last 20 years. But one series of events, the Fête champêtre, continues to give hope to a struggling industry as tourists, local, from the Diaspora, and international, flock Haiti to witness the countryside festival.

One of the main avenues for entertainment to the 18th century elite, a Fête champêtre (a country feast or pastoral festival) was a type of garden party much loved at court. With pretensions to simplicity, the Fête champêtre was patronized by the well dressed, entertained by musicians hidden in the trees, as they enjoyed the beauty of landscaped park.

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Haiti's Tiburon Peninsula, at the bottom of the border Haiti and the Dominican Republic share, spans the entire southern coastline, pointing west towards Cuba. Several departments of Haiti are situated within this region: Grand Anse, Nippes, Sud, and Sud-Est. A major portion of Ouest Department is also located in the region.

Several mountain ranges encircle the peninsula: Morne Bitoche, Morne Bruler, Morne Cali, and Morne Epine. The town of Tiburon, close to Epine, offers breath-taking views of the Caribbean Sea from its many picturesque beaches made of sugar-white sand. The inhabitants of Tiburon are pleasant and gentle, although very poor, as is the case with 70% of Haiti's population.

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