Jacmel

Jacmel is the capital of Haiti's Sud-Est department and one of the country's most distinctive coastal towns. Set on the Baie de Jacmel, it combines a working port, a well-preserved historic core and a lively arts scene built around painting, craft and hand-painted papier-mâché.

Founded in 1698, Jacmel grew rich in the 18th and 19th centuries as a coffee-exporting port. That wealth survives in the arcaded houses and lacy wrought-iron balconies of the historic center, which is on Haiti's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status. Landmarks such as Manoir Alexandra, the Cathedral of St. Philip and St. James and Place Toussaint Louverture sit among former merchants' warehouses and colonial-era residences.

The old town centers on Rue du Commerce and Rue Sainte-Anne, where galleries, craft studios and papier-mâché workshops invite unhurried wandering. Outside the center, the turquoise pools of Bassin Bleu lie in the hills north of town, while Raymond-les-Bains and Kabic draw beachgoers and surfers along the coast.

Jacmel is best known abroad for its February Carnival, when the streets fill with giant handmade masks and costumes, and for the Jacmel Film Festival. Its Creole cooking, coffee and cacao traditions, guesthouses and easy access to the southern coast make it a rewarding stop for cultural travelers, artists and small-business visitors exploring southeast Haiti.