About Labadee, Haiti

History

• Historically, the entire area surrounding Labadee was comprised of sugar plantations, although now most of them are gone. In the 1980s, Royal Caribbean International bought a large chunk of land in the area and built a private resort on the property. Royal Caribbean International employs 300 Haitian locals to work at the resort and another 200 to sell native crafts in the market area.
  
  

Geography

• Located in the Caribbean, Labadee sits on a peninsula in Haiti's Nord département. Haiti itself is on Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Greater Antilles. The other half of the island is the Dominican Republic. Mountains dominate the area beyond Labadee, and only those with a Haitian tourist visa can get out of the gate into the rest of Haiti.
  
  

Travel

• Labadee beach
  
  For tourists, Labadee is only accessible by cruise ships. Many cruise ship companies offer Caribbean cruises which stop by the resort for a day including Royal Caribbean Panama Canal and Celebrity's Caribbean cruises. Cruise ships dock in the ocean while small boats ferry tourists to the resort.
  
  

Features

• Situated on a peninsula, Labadee is surrounded by beaches, many of which are free. Each beach hosts a number of activities. Water sports, from water skiing to snorkeling, are plentiful. Zip lining across the bay is also an option, as is relaxing in the sun. Plenty of restaurants and shopping areas, including a native market that sells Haitian goods, are available on the resort. Typically, cruises only stop at Labadee for one day.
  
  

Considerations

• Though Labadee is in Haiti, the resort area is closed off from the rest of the country, making it safe. The only locals allowed inside Labadee work and police the resort themselves.
  
  Like most of the Caribbean, all transactions take place in U.S. dollars or on a credit card, which makes purchasing goods and services much easier. Spending money at the native market helps the Haitian economy, though one can haggle with the locals to reduce the price if it seems too high.