There really isn’t a destination I appreciate more than a lush, tropical beach with warm and shallow turquoise waters.
It comes as a surprise to some when I say my favorite beach I’ve been to is in Jacmel, Haiti. You come to the beach by a dirt road leading up through a lush palm tree forrest. There are a few grass huts mixed in with the trees where locals sell art and food to beach goers, and it’s only fresh, locally caught fish and local produce on the menu. Yum.
There was a man with a boom box blasting reggae music, and men playing ‘futbol’ (soccer). Hardly any locals swim in the water, as they practice voodoo in the region, and they are highly superstitious of the sea which they believe to be extremely dangerous, even though this beach isn’t any more dangerous than any other Caribbean beach.
So basically, you’ve got the water to yourself, and you share the shore with the locals who will provide you with a great, cheap lunch and island ambiance, and great conversation if you speak French!
