Ouanaminthe
Haiti · Nord-Est · 100 m
Description
Ouanaminthe is the busiest of the four crossings into the Dominican Republic, a town of about a hundred thousand people facing Dajabón across a bridge over the Massacre river. On Mondays and Fridays the barriers open and Haitians walk over without a passport to trade at the binational market, on condition that they stay within a hundred metres of the border. Tens of thousands cross on those days and the whole town works around it. The river carries the name of a colonial killing of French buccaneers, and it ran red again in 1937. A free-trade zone on the edge of town sews clothing for export to the United States.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: December – April
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Binational market on Monday and Friday (Monday)
- Bridge over the Massacre river
- Crowds crossing on market day (Monday)
- Banks of the Massacre river
- Memory of the 1937 killings
- Dajabón on the Dominican side(Day trip)
- Street kitchens around the crossing
- Fort-Liberté and its bay(Day trip)
- Cloth and hardware stalls of the town market
Getting there
- Border town:
- Haiti