Dame-Marie

Dame-Marie sits near the western point of the southern peninsula, in the wettest corner of Haiti, and the country's cacao comes largely from the smallholdings around it. The beans are grown under shade with other crops, fermented in wooden boxes and dried on racks and patios in the sun, and cooperatives here have worked to move the crop from bulk export towards fine-flavour grades. The town itself is small, hot and green, with a beach and a working harbour.

Highlights

• The cacao smallholdings - pods grown under shade among fruit trees and coffee.
• The fermentation boxes - wooden crates where the beans are turned over several days.
• The drying patios - beans spread and raked in the sun outside the cooperatives.
• The town and harbour - a small working settlement at the western tip of the country.

When to go

November to March is drier and the road is at its most passable. Cacao is harvested across much of the year with peaks after the rains. Hurricane season from June to November hits this corner hard.

What to expect

The road from Jeremie is rough and slow, and this is the far end of the country in every sense. There is very little accommodation. Cooperative visits need arranging through someone local rather than turning up.

Nearby

Abricots is back east along the coast, and Jeremie is the regional centre.

Key facts