Thousands of Haitians every year flock to the ancient city of Saut d’Eau to bathe in its waterfalls and pay a pilgrimage to a Voodoo Goddess of Love.
The Saut d’Eau waterfalls, which are located just 68km north of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, are believed to have healing powers, which hold significance for both Catholic and Voodoo practitioners. Every year, thousands flock to Saut d’Eau Waterfalls on a religious pilgrimage to bathe in the waters, asking for favors and praying for healing from the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.
Near Mirebalais and 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince, the falls became a holy place after it became widely believed that the Virgin Mary had appeared nearby on a palm tree.
The palm tree was chopped down by a French priest who was rightly concerned that the cultural significance of the tree would foster an enormous amount of superstition, but the action was futile, and the area itself became sacred, despite his efforts.
For over a century, Haitians have trekked in from miles around, even more so since the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, to ask the Virgin Mary (or the closely associated Vodou Lwa, Erzulie Dantor) for her blessings. The sick and the needy let the water of the falls wash over them as they perform various rituals of both Voodoo and Catholicism in a religious festival that lasts for three days.
The festival begins in July, two days before the annual July 16th feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Near Mirebalais, the falls became a holy place after it became widely believed that the Virgin Mary had appeared nearby on a palm tree in the 19th century. The falls have become an important religious destination and rite of passage for Haitians.
People gather under the 100-foot waterfall and scrub their bodies with aromatic leaves and soap. After bathing, participants are said to throw out the clothes they were wearing for good luck – putting on new ones. This waterfall is truly a beautiful sight, and it’s worth the drive to the top of the mountain.
Saut-d’Eau is spectacular just by the sheer volume of water; you’ll never see this much freshwater in Haiti. Ever. There is no enormous pool at the base of the fall, but the setting is a visual smorgasbord of rocks, foliage, moss, and the sound of massive amounts of water on the move.
