town - Haiti Observer Blog

Roche-à-Bateau is a township located in the Côteau Arrondissement, under the Sud Department, with a population of 13,336 residents. It is located on the southwest part of the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti. Three communes comprise it: Rose-Beaulieu, Renaudin, and Boclos-Martinette.

The lore of the name Roche-a-Bateau has two versions. In the first, it is said an exploring sailor chanced upon Roche-à-Bateau port. Learning the topography of the village, his imagination saw it resembled the shape of a boat, or bateau in French. In the second version, the harbor teemed with sea vessels from foreign shores, all bringing exports to market. In order to keep boats from hitting each other, the merchantmen placed rocks in the bottoms of the boats, and the name of the village, Bateau, then became Roche-à-Bateau, or boat of rocks in English.

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Arniquet is a cityship located in the Port-Salut Arrondissement, under the Sud Department. With an estimated population of 8,000, it lies 583 feet above sea level. Located on the south-western part of the Tiburon Peninsula, it faces the Caribbean Sea. In its time zone, the sun in Arniquet shines nearly 12 hours a day, from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm.

Like most small villages across Haiti, Arniquet has no paved roads, no air strip, and electricity is infrequently delivered. Because of this undependable service, the villagers retire when the sun sets and get up when the sun rises.

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Bainet, located on the south-eastern portion of the Tiburon Peninsula, is a coastal town. The capital of Bainet Arrondissement under Sud-Est Department, its population numbers 166,000 residents, most of whom inhabit the mountains. It is a strong coffee-growing area, yielding premium coffees unlike any other in the Caribbean. Farmers grow crops in rich mineral soil, with a vast selection of fruits produced, among them peach, cherry, coconut, mangoes, guava, apricot, and avocado.

The people of Bainet, big-hearted and friendly, travel by horses, mules, or on foot. Because the village is not on a power grid, the community uses kerosene lamps at night. With no TV or radio available, families often gather together and regale one another with stories. They hand down folklore from grandparents to parents, children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren in some instances.

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Chardonniére, a township in the Chardonniére Arrondissement, is located within the Sud Department. A coastal town of some 21,000 plus inhabitants, it sits at sea level on the southwestern peninsula of Haiti. Four divisions comprise Chardonniére: Bony, Chardonniére, Dejoie, and Randal.

The township is bordered by the Massif de la Hotte Mountains, lying northward, the town of Port-a-Pepper on the eastern side, and the Caribbean Sea lying southward. Port-au-Prince and Les Cayes lie further away. The sea almost completely surrounds Chardonniére, giving it an island-like feeling. The beaches are made of sand so white, it seems sugar-like. Not only does the town look out at vast vistas of water, but it has water coursing through it, the Rivierè Chardonniére. Because of the town's stunning natural beauty it is a tourist magnet, helping to fuel the local economy.

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The Caymites are two tiny islands placed just above the southwest coastline of Haiti, a peninsula that juts into the Gulf of Gonave. They are part of Grand-Anse Department, whose biggest metropolitan area is Anse a Macon.

The larger island, Grande Cayemite, sits east of Petite Caymite, both encompassing a total of 17 square miles. A miniscule population of 5,000 inhabitants lives on the islands, their nearest neighbor, Jérémie, lying 22 miles west.

Grand Cayemite and Petite Caymite share many features with other small coastal villages on the Haitian mainland: a subtropical climate and dazzling white-sand beaches that sift through your fingers like sugar. Both Grand and Petite Caymite's topography is made up of lush green vegetation and magnificent rock formations that have endured over the ages.

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Navassa, an uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea, is part of mainland Haiti. Between two- and three-square miles, it sits approximately 100 miles from Guantanamo Detention Center.

Founded in 1504 by sailors, its status during the next 300 years is mostly unclear. But between its founding and U.S. acquisition of the island, marine forces occupied it until it was turned over to the U.S. in the 1850s. For four decades, the U.S. mined the island for the phosphate, guano. Foreign and domestic conflicts brought mining to a halt by the end of the century.

The completion of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s raised Navassa's profile again when a lighthouse was constructed on the island. But in 1996, Navassa became abandoned when its lighthouse operations ceased.

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Caracol is a village located in Haiti in the Nord-Est Deparment. In the Trou-du-Nord Arrondissement it is a municipality. It is located at a slight elevation and has around 6236 inhabitants within coordinates 19°41′0″N and 72°1′0″W. In Haiti it is a destination, least visited by travelers.

Caracol was a fishing village surrendered by mountainous. It borders with the Dominican Republic for around 360 km. Caracol enjoys a semiarid and tropical climate. Trade winds are easily cut off by the mountains in the region. French is the official language spoken by people in Caracol.

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This is a city you will find in the Nord region of Haiti, in the Saint-Raphael Arrondissement. Around 29,327 people inhabit it.

Pignon is naturally well protected town against possible tornadoes and tropical storms that are frequent in the area. It is situated in a valley that is safeguarded by gigantic mountains.

Jean Guillaume de Pignon, a French tradesmen and a plantation owner founded this beautiful town of Pignon in 1699. He settled his family in the village at the foot of the mountains, shortly after the Treaty of Ryswick was signed with Spain.

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La Victoire is located in Haiti's Nord Department at an altitude of 1417 above the level of the sea. In the Saint-Raphael Arrondissement, it is a municipality. It is inhabited by around 6421 people.

Getting To This Beautiful Destination
This is a mountainous region in Haiti. The town is beautifully surrounded by hills and steep valleys. Small rivers and streams flow at the bottom of these valleys. Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake and people in significant numbers fled to La Victoire town taking a toll on its scarce resources.

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Life goes on for residents of Petit-Goave, a town in the Department of Ouest, after the earthquake that rattled Haiti in 2010. Though they have yet to fully recover from the devastating disaster, the residents have been trying to get by with the help of relief aid organizations.

In January 2010, the 7-magnitude tremor shook the town, killing many people and destroying most of the buildings and structures. Petit-Goave was one of the most damaged towns during the calamity. Marines from the United States have been sent to Petit-Goave in order to provide relief.

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