Nestled within a chain of 40 coastal fortifications that have existed since colonial times, Fort Saint Joseph was built by French settlers in 1747 in rock masonry. It is located north of Le Carénage, on the road to Rival, in a mountainous and strategic area which dominates the entire bay of Cap.

Fort Saint Joseph includes a battery of 9 guns protected by a long wall following the contours of the promontory. It accommodated two hundred men distributed in 32 rooms of the barracks.

Along with the two other fortifications in the area, Fort-Magny and Fort Picolet, Fort Saint Joseph made up the North-East defense system of Cap-Français.

The Fort was bombarded in 1788 by Toussaint Louverture. In 1802, part of the throat of this work as well as the entrance door were demolished by the explosion of the powder magazine.

Since then, abandoned, nature has regained its rights there, its walls have taken wrinkles, and its flowerbed invaded by weeds of all kinds. In 2021, renovation works were initiated by the private sector, in particular the Fatima Group, in collaboration with the Institute for the Protection of National Heritage (ISPAN), the Town Hall of Cap-Haitien and the North Departmental Directorate of the Ministry of Tourism.

To ensure the proper management of Fort Saint-Joseph, a consortium was established. It is made up of representatives of the town hall, ISPAN, the Ministry of Tourism, the Management Organization and the tourist destination of Haiti, which received a one-year renewable mandate to manage and make profitable this new public space. of which the Capois can be proud.

The doors of this Fort are now open to the public for visits.

From August 9 to 20, 2023: Daily from 10 am - 7 pm

From August 21: Thursday to Saturday from 10 am - 7 pm

Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Entrance per person: 5 US dollars or 500 Gourdes

HL/ TB/ HaitiLibre