Labadee

Labadee is a peninsula on the northern coast leased by a cruise line and operated as a private destination: beaches, a zip line, water sports, a craft market and a pier that ships tie up to directly. It is fenced and secured, and passengers do not leave it. That arrangement is what it is, and it is worth being clear about, because Labadee appears on itineraries as a stop in Haiti while functioning as a resort enclave with its own rules. The neighbouring village of Labadie, from which the name comes, is a separate place reached by road and boat.

History

The place is named after the Marquis de La Badie, a Frenchman who first settled the area in the 17th century, and in the 18th century the bay was known as Port François. The 260-acre peninsula was leased to Royal Caribbean in the 1980s as a private resort for its cruise passengers (Wikipedia, Labadee).

The landscape

• The beaches - several separated strands along the peninsula, calm and sheltered.
• The zip line - a long cable running down over the water, the site's signature attraction.
• The craft market - a controlled area where Haitian vendors sell to passengers.
• The bay - clear water with the northern mountains rising behind the fence.

When to go

The cruise season runs roughly November to April, which is also the driest weather. The peninsula only operates on ship days, and the cruise line suspended its calls here indefinitely in September 2025 because of the violence in Haiti, so check whether ships have returned before counting on a stop. Hurricane season from June to November reduces calls.

Practical notes

You cannot visit independently: there is no land entrance for non-passengers. Nothing outside the fence is part of the experience, and passengers frequently leave without having seen Haiti at all. Prices inside are cruise prices, and the money that reaches the wider area is a long-running argument worth reading about.

Nearby

Labadie village and Amiga Island are along the same coast, reached separately, and Cap-Haitien is east.