Thiotte

Thiotte sits high in the southeast near the Dominican border, in country cool and wet enough for arabica, and the coffee from the smallholdings around it carries the reputation that Haitian coffee still has abroad. It is grown under shade on tiny plots, picked by hand, and processed through cooperatives that have been rebuilt repeatedly. The town is a market centre for the district and the road in from either direction is long and mountainous.

What you actually see

• The shade plots - coffee grown under trees on smallholdings across the hills.
• The cooperatives - washing stations and drying patios where the cherry is processed.
• The harvest - picking by hand from October into February.
• The uplands - cool, wet mountain country close to the border ridge.

When to go

October to February is the harvest and the only time the processing is visible. The roads are best in the dry months from November. The altitude keeps the town cool in any season.

Honest expectations

Getting there is a long mountain drive on poor roads from any direction. There is essentially no accommodation. Cooperative visits are arranged through contacts rather than advertised, and turning up cold achieves little.

Nearby

Jacmel is west along the coast road, and Foret des Pins is north along the border range.