Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Shadow Room
The Museum of Lost Tales
Sherlock Holmes Statue
Sherlock Holmes Statue
South Pole Growth Chamber
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
13 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
16 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
20 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
26 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Haiti Haut Saut d'Eau Saut-d'Eau Waterfalls

Saut-d'Eau Waterfalls

Thousands of Haitians travel to the waterfalls to ask the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and her voodoo counterpart Erzulie for healing in a yearly pilgrimage.

Haut Saut d'Eau, Haiti

Added By
MaudeSwift
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Every year, thousands flock to Saut d’Eau Waterfalls on a religious pilgrimage to bath in the waters, asking for favors and praying for healing from the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

Located 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 a large 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.

Related Tags

Voodoo Water Cultures And Civilizations Rites And Rituals

Community Contributors

Added By

MaudeSwift

Published

May 4, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.wilderutopia.com/traditions/haitian-healing-pilgrimage-saut-deau-waterfall/
  • http://www.jansochor.com/photo-blog.aspx?id=vodou-catholic-ritual-haiti
Saut-d'Eau Waterfalls
Haut Saut d'Eau
Haiti
18.816779, -72.201586

Nearby Places

Atis Rezistans

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

miles away

The Forts of Dessalines

Marchand Dessalines, Haiti

miles away

Citadelle Laferrière

Haiti

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Haiti

Haiti

Caribbean

Places 6
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Atis Rezistans

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

miles away

The Forts of Dessalines

Marchand Dessalines, Haiti

miles away

Citadelle Laferrière

Haiti

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Haiti

Haiti

Caribbean

Places 6
Stories 4

Related Stories and Lists

9 Sacred and Superstitious Voodoo Sites You Can Visit Today

voodoo

By Molly McBride Jacobson

Related Places

  • Mexico City, Mexico

    Mercado de Sonora

    Superstitious? Discover the witchy side of Mexico through its largest esoteric market.

  • The Loony Dook.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    The Loony Dook

    Every New Year's Day, locals don gaudy costumes and dive into the frigid Firth of Forth.

  • Fabled Water of Runaway Ghaut.

    Woodlands, Montserrat

    Runaway Ghaut

    Legend says those who drink from this trickle of water are destined to return to Montserrat.

  • Footprints

    Kgatleng, Botswana

    Matsieng Footprints

    Local legend has it that the first humans were created in the pools here, leaving their footprints behind in the rock.

  • Man Lake. Photo taken in immediate succession with that of Woman Lake appearing next.

    Hauts Plateaux, Cameroon

    Man & Woman Lakes

    Spirits from these lakes are said to produce the local weather and odd phenomena as they bicker between themselves.

  • Chios Rocket War.

    Chios, Greece

    Chios Rocket War

    Two churches shoot bottle rockets at each others' bell towers in an unusual Easter celebration.

  • A monster with two smaller monsters in tow.

    Mohács, Hungary

    Busójárás

    Festival of Perpetual Life and Rebirth.

  • Other logs lie in wait for purchase and an eventual fireplace beating

    Barcelona, Spain

    Tió de Nadal

    Catalonia Tradition: Beating the hollow Christmas log until it defecates in your fireplace.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.