Fort Picolet, Cap Haitien

Thanks to Paul Clammer’s Bradt Haiti guide, I learned about Fort Picolet and stayed in the nearby Hotel Rival to go on an early morning hike to explore the fort. The 'path' to the fort starts outside the gate to the hotel, go down the stairs to the beach. And keep following the shore at the base of the hill. Wear sturdy shoes that you can get wet (there's medical and other trash on the beach - don't go barefooted). We departed about an hour before high tide and didn’t have to walk through water, but have heard that at high tide water might be up to your knees.

Clammer describes the walk as involving 'a bit of scrambling' which must be British for you need to walk over loose rocks of all sizes and hang onto your surefooted friend to get up and down the big rocks and steps along the shore. See the photos for how high you need to scramble. Would be difficult for someone with bad knees or unsteady in walking.

Once at the fort just climb the stairs and explore! The guide book says this is a French fort built around 1740. There are still canons there. Be sure to go up the little set of stairs on the wall they sit along, and down the other side, and you'll get a good view the waves crashing into the rocks below. On the other side of the fort is a metal structure that must have been a light house.

We started the hike at 6:30a and were back at the hotel at 8am. There are paths to follow if you want to explore more of the hillside. There was no one at the fort, and no one along the way harassed us. There are signs of recent Vodou practice at the fort, even a peristyle, and people were praying with candles at a huge rock that is on the way to the fort.

It is well worth the walk! And look for the cool crabs and snails on the way.

The view from the start of the walk near Hotel Rival

Climb up and over the rocks!

A big step up!

The steps from the beach up to the fort.

At the fort, looking back at Hotel Rival

The peristyle

A lighthouse?