On the flat land where Saint-Marc meets the sea, the day starts early: vendors set up around the park in the centre of town, motorcycles thread between the stalls, and boats begin moving in the harbour. Walk a few streets back from the water and you find the older Caribbean houses, with their balconies and ornamentation, that show what the town once was and could be again.
Saint-Marc suits travellers who are passing through the Artibonite rather than chasing resort comforts, and who are willing to ask before they join in. The town is generally considered a safe place to live, and its residents are known for hospitality, so a greeting goes a long way here.
This guide covers what is actually worth your time in and around Saint-Marc, drawn from what the town itself offers: its centre, its markets, its food, its music and its countryside.
Top things to do in Saint-Marc
1. The park and City Hall in the centre of Saint-Marc
The park sits at the centre of town, surrounded by a metal fence, with several large trees, open grass areas and a large central fountain. City Hall is a large, older building located at the park. The park could be lovely, and it is the natural place to start understanding the layout of the town.
It is often populated by vendors, so combine a walk here with the shops on the surrounding sidewalks and inside the buildings, including a store with imported goods across the park. The Western Union nearby sits close to the ocean, which makes an easy next stop.
2. Downtown Saint-Marc's old houses and buildings
Downtown was once, clearly, a nice place. The houses and buildings are typical Caribbean, with balconies, ornamentation and, at times, gardens. There are banks, stores inside as well as on the sidewalks, and the usual bustle of a city, but not as crowded as others.
Walk it slowly and look up at the facades rather than only at street level. If Saint-Marc is restored and fixed up, it will once again have a wonderful city centre, so this is the part of town to see before that changes.
3. The markets of Saint-Marc
Commerce is the largest trade in Saint-Marc, and the markets are open daily, featuring almost any type of fruit or vegetable grown locally. Most residents shop on Saturday to stock up on food supplies for the week, so that is the busiest and fullest day to go.
In Deye Legliz, an area near Saint-Marc harbour, food markets are open daily. The Boulevard area houses a large flea market with mostly second-hand items, including clothing, electronic equipment, shoes, toys and bicycles. Many people come from Port-au-Prince because of the inexpensive costs.
4. The harbour and its boats
Saint-Marc is a large port town, and at all times there are many boats in the port, typically sail boats. The port is currently the preferred port of entry for consumer goods coming into Haiti.
Pair a look at the water with the food markets at Deye Legliz nearby. Keep to the harbour side and the town side rather than the river outlet if you are thinking about swimming.
5. A ride through the Artibonite countryside
Let a vehicle take you for a ride through the neighbouring countryside to absorb more of the culture, the Artibonite, the rice fields and the villages. Saint-Marc is known for being a blend of city and rural lifestyles, and for many living in Port-au-Prince it is considered the start of the "country".
Goats roam the city streets, and many people in Saint-Marc also own cows or chickens, so the rural side of town is never far away. A car ride with a Haitian friend before sunrise along Route Nationale (1) shows you what is done at that time of morning.
6. The iron work and wood carving workshops
Stop at the unique places where they make iron work and carve wood furniture. These are working workshops rather than displays, and they are among the few places in town where you can watch goods being made rather than sold.
Ask before you photograph or step inside, and treat a purchase as the natural way to end a visit.
7. Verrettes and its Wednesday and Saturday markets
Go to Verrettes, on the road east, for the greatest Wednesday and Saturday markets. There are all daily fresh foods of all kinds and a great look at Haitian life, including a donkey-lot.
Time your trip to fall on a Wednesday or a Saturday, and combine it with a walk along the corridor from Verrettes toward Deschapelles, even if just a little way.
8. A church service, ideally in a nearby village
Visit a church service, especially Baptist or such. It is very joyful. If possible, visit one outside Saint-Marc, in a small village nearby, where the singing is fantastic.
Most Haitians attend church on Sundays, so plan around that day. Catholicism and Haitian Vodou are both prevalent in Saint-Marc, and many residents are very involved in their church as a centre of community and cultural identity.
9. A public school, by appointment
Visit a public school, not a church-related or orphanage-related school. Ask for permission in advance, make an appointment if allowed, and just watch and listen.
This only works if it is arranged ahead of time, so ask early in your stay rather than turning up unannounced.
10. The beach, with one caution
The beach has really nice spots, but stay far away from the river outlet. When seen from a plane, you will know why.
Go with that single rule in mind and the rest of the coastline is straightforward to enjoy.
11. The metal lighthouse on Pointe de Saint-Marc
A metal skeleton lighthouse stands on Pointe de Saint-Marc, built in 1924. It is a landmark on the point rather than a sight with facilities around it.
Combine it with a general look at the coast and the harbour, and treat the structure itself as the destination.
12. Saint-Marc's food, eaten where it is made
Food plays a large role in the life of people in Saint-Marc, and meals are an important part of normal daily social interaction. Plantains, rice or pasta are staples of almost every meal, and seafood is consumed regularly, including crab, dried cod and fresh fish. Goat is perhaps the most common meat, with chicken and beef also eaten regularly.
A dish very specific to Saint-Marc consists of white rice with beans sauce and crab or goat meat mixed in, or both stuffed in edible leaves named "Lalo" in Haitian Creole. Bananne pesée, fried plantains called "bannann peze" in Haitian Creole, come with pikliz, a spicy slaw of finely sliced carrots, cabbage, onions or shallots and peppers. Pumpkin soup, "soup joumou", is typically prepared on Sunday morning as a weekly remembrance of the end of enslavement, and riz au lait is a common dessert.
13. Music in Saint-Marc
Three main types of music are listened to in Saint-Marc. Troubadou or twoubadou is very similar to salsa and includes drums, trumpets and guitar. Haitian folk music is strongly associated with Vodou and is often played as processional music in the streets between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. RapCreole is an emerging popular style among the youth, typically using rhythms of Haitian folk or popular music.
If your visit falls between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, listen for processional music in the streets. Zomò is one of the most popular singers at Saint-Marc.
14. The charcoal market
Saint-Marc hosts a charcoal market for cooking material. Charcoal is used for much of the cooking in Saint-Marc and throughout Haiti in general, and it is manufactured locally, supporting a large work force.
Visit it as part of a wider market morning rather than on its own, and remember that cooking here is mostly done outside to avoid overheating and moisture collection inside.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the park and City Hall in the centre of Saint-Marc, then walk the downtown streets to look at the Caribbean houses and buildings with their balconies and ornamentation. Continue to the harbour to see the boats in the port, and pass by the food markets at Deye Legliz.
Afternoon: Have a Saint-Marc meal, ideally the local dish of white rice with beans sauce and crab or goat meat, or bananne pesée with pikliz. Then take a vehicle ride through the Artibonite countryside, past the rice fields and villages, and stop at the workshops where iron work is made and wood furniture is carved.
Evening: Return to the centre and walk the park again as the town settles, with the Boulevard flea market as an option if you want to browse. If your visit falls on a Sunday, plan the day around a church service instead, since most Haitians attend church on Sundays and the singing is the part worth arranging your day for.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best day to shop in the markets?
Most residents shop on Saturday to stock up on food supplies for the week, so that is the fullest day in the markets of Saint-Marc. For Verrettes, the markets are on Wednesday and Saturday.
Is Saint-Marc a safe place to visit?
Saint-Marc is generally considered to be a safe place to live. Greet people with "bonju" and you will receive the same; it is a Haitian custom, strictly observed.
What should I eat while I am in Saint-Marc?
Look for the dish specific to Saint-Marc: white rice with beans sauce and crab or goat meat mixed in, or both stuffed in edible leaves named "Lalo" in Haitian Creole. Bananne pesée with pikliz, and riz au lait for dessert, are also common.
How do I get around Saint-Marc and beyond?
The most prevalent mode of transportation is the motorcycle, known as the mobylette, along with bicycles; cars are considered a luxury. To reach Saint-Marc from Port-au-Prince, use Route Nationale # 1, which continues up to the coastal towns of Montrouis and Gonaïves before reaching Cap-Haïtien.
Decide which day of the week your visit falls on, pick the market or the church service that matches it, and start planning around the town centre and the Artibonite countryside.