We travelled to Labadee on the island of Haiti with our 11-year-old Kidsetter. This is where beachside meets mountainside on the shores of Labadee which is a private destination owned and operated by Royal Caribbean right on Haiti’s northern coast.
We arrived and the weather was picture perfect, not a cloud in sight. Upon our arrival we were greeted by some local dancers in their festive costumes setting the tone for our beach time.
Labadee is broken into 8 sections;
- Buccaneer’s Bay which includes the following;
- Barefoot Beach Club Welcome Area,
- Tropical Trading Post Store and
- Adventure Tours
- Wave Jet Tour,
- Parasailing
- Speed Boat Adventures
- Dragon’s Plaza which includes the following;
- Pier Entrance
- Dragan’s Tram Station
- Meeting point for walking tour
- Dragon’s Café
- Dragon’s Breath Lookout Point
- Dragon’s Breath & Dragon’s Fire Flightline Sign Up
- Ocean View Point
- Board Games Tables
- Dragon’s Beach
- Volleyball Court
- Floating Mat Station
- Beach Loungers
- Splash Bash
- Adrenaline Beach which includes the following;
- Dragon’s Tail Coaster
- Dragon’s Tail Coaster Sign Up
- Adrenaline Beach Beds
- Basketball Courts
- Bocce Ball Court
- Floating Bar
- Adrenaline Beach Bar
- Town Square which includes the following;
- Bohio Bar
- Café Labadee
- Artisan’s Village
- Artisan’s Market
- Artisan’s Showcase
- Town Square Tram Station
- First Aid Station
- Hair Braiding Station
- Village Amphitheatre
- Barefoot Beach Club which includes the following;
- Barefoot Cabanas
- Barefoot Tram Station
- Nellie’s Beach which includes the following;
- Nellie’s Tavern
- Nellie’s Outpost Ruins
- Nellie’s Beach Cabanas
- Kayak Rental & Floating Mat Station
- Nellie’s Beach Tram Station
- Columbus Cove which includes the following;
- Columbus Cove Café
- Arawak Aqua Park
- Kayak Adventure Sign Up
- Aqua Park & Water Slide Sign Up
- Floating Mat Station
- Columbus Bar
- Beach Bungalows
- Dragon’s Splash Water Slide
We decided we were going to chill out and relax by the beach. We began walking to the beach we had heard was less crowded because it was the furthest away from Buccaneer’s Bay where the ship is docked. We quickly realised the walk was longer than we imagined and we were heating up. We decided to catch a tram to the foot of the Artisan’s Village to reduce our walk.
Artisan’s Village is full of works from the Haiti people. We are not big shoppers so were not keen on not stopping. There were a quite a few of local shop owners touting for business. I advised our Kidsetter to not make eye contact and keep walking. He promptly replied with “They are just trying to be friendly Mum.” Bless him, in all our travels he hasn’t grasped the concept of cajouling yet.
We arrived to Columbus Cove and set up on some deck chairs. Our Kidsetter enjoys swimming and recording his findings with a Go Pro so promptly attached this to his hand.
The water was a beautiful temperature, and we swam and played for hours. We always pack a pool ball to ensure our Kidsetter is entertained. Invariably this is a great way to connect with our kids even if they don’t speak English.
During the day we were attracted to group of gymnasts’ roaming around performing various acrobatic tricks. They were captivating. Our Kidsetter felt very bad for them though as they were asking for donations after their performance and no one gave them any money, including us. I had to explain that because this part of the island is owned by Royal Caribbean it would be highly unlikely that anyone bought any cash with them as all the food is included and the paid activities would be charged to our room via our Sea Pass card.
We stopped for lunch and ordered a Pino Colada and a Mocktail for our Kidsetter.
After some more snorkelling and swimming, it was time to wind up the stunning day.
Labadee boasts pristine sands, coral reefs and jungle-covered hilltops nestling lagoon-like bays. There’s no shortage of places to relax and recharge across five stretches of beach.
