Saut-d'Eau

Saut-d'Eau's hundred-foot curtain drops through mossy tiers into pools shaded by figs and lianas - a lovely cascade on any day, and for one week each July the spiritual centre of Haiti: the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, fused inseparably with devotion to the Vodou lwa Erzulie Dantor, when thousands bathe in the falls seeking blessing, candles and song filling the grove in one of the Caribbean's great living rituals. Outside pilgrimage season the site returns to swimming-hole calm, local guides walking visitors up the tiers while the water does its cool, insistent work.

What you actually see

• The tiered falls - the mossy hundred-foot curtain and its pools.
• The July pilgrimage - faith at full immersion, met respectfully.
• The bathing tiers - cool pools under fig shade.
• Ville-Bonheur - the pilgrimage town at the falls' feet.

When to go

December to April for clear water and easy paths; mid-July for the pilgrimage - an extraordinary privilege to witness, on the devotees' terms entirely. Rains cloud the pools briefly.

Honest expectations

Check current travel guidance for Haiti when planning, and arrange the trip with trusted local operators. During pilgrimage, remember whose event it is: photograph only with clear permission, dress and behave as a guest at worship. Rocks are slick year round; local guides earn their fees.

Nearby

Mirebalais, the Peligre lake country and Port-au-Prince's mountain hinterland.