ARTICLE - JACMEL - 4TH IN CARIBBEAN

JACMEL LISTED 4TH IN 8 TOP CARIBBEAN TOWNS
(Haiti Libre) -

LONDON, United Kingdom - Jacmel, Haiti is ranked 4th in BBC's Lonely Planet countdown of the top 8 towns to visit when searching for beautiful sun, white-sandy beaches and crystal-blue waters only found in the Caribbean.

Author and writer, Robert Reid is a US Travel Editor who has written two dozen guidebooks and articles from the New York Times, to the Wall Street Journal, and even ESPN. His recent work, Top 8 Caribbean Towns recognized the charm of the south east coast of Haiti, in the historical city of Jacmel.

With a little context before the countdown, Reid lets the traveler know:

Life’s not always a beach. The Caribbean may win hearts for its white-sand beaches in perfect turquoise coves, and high-end villas with moored yachts, but there’s another part of the story: its towns. Some have histories that predate the Pilgrims, cobbled centers that gaze out at the water and enough attractions to justify carving a day or two away from those perfect stretches of sand.

Down the first half of the list, ranking at number 4 is Jacmel, Haiti, founded in 1698, population of 40,000 and the womb that gave birth to South American nations.

Reid writes:

Haiti’s not for everyone, but as the nation struggles to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake, tourism is starting to pick up, and help give a bit of an economic boost to boot. Eighty miles south of the capital Port-au-Prince, Jacmel is a charming town that wasn’t as damaged as the capital. It has many Victorian-era buildings from the city’s coffee days, superb handicrafts including hand-painted boxes and animal toys, good beaches and a fun day trip to a grotto of cascades and cobalt-blue pools you can reach by horse for $20 or $25. Set in a Victorian mansion, the damaged and rebuilt Hôtel Florita evokes a century-old vibe, with its period furniture and balconies in the rooms.

From Port-au-Prince you can bus three hours on good roads to Jacmel.

The list of towns in the countdown were as follows: San Juan, Puerto Rico, Havana, Cuba, Willemstad, Curacao and trailing Jacmel, Haiti were, Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Roseau, Dominica and Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius.