A small Caribbean nation with a troubled past and a heap of problems, Haiti is also home to colorful art, historic sights, carnivals, vibrant markets and nice hiking opportunities. Located in the western third of the island of Hispaniola between Cuba and Dominican Republic, Haiti is the first black republic in the world but also the poorest country in the Western hemisphere where decades of political upheaval, poverty, natural disasters and overpopulation have left their marks.
Northern Haiti is home to interesting historic sights, including The Citadelle Laferrière, a fortress on a high mountain overlooking the historic town of Milot, the ruins of Sans Souci Palace, and the old buildings in Ramiers that together form a World Heritage Site as being the first monuments constructed by black slaves who had become free. Cap-Haitien in the North coast is the second largest city in Haiti and has some nice beaches nearby. The port of Labadee close to Cap-Haitien is a private resort leased for the use of Caribbean cruise ships. The fenced resort area here is safeguarded by a personal security force and can be visited by cruise ship passengers only.
How to get there. Haiti receives very little tourism nowadays since the country is not considered safe for traveling. There is an international airport in the capital Port-au-Prince and cruise ships visit the private resort of Labadee in Northern Haiti. The airport of Cap-Haitien also receives some international flights. You can travel to Haiti also by bus from the neighboring Dominican Republic. There are domestic flights available from Port-Au-Prince to four other cities in Haiti, as well as plenty of buses. The public transport inside the cities is handled by collective taxis called publiques or tap-taps. Taxis are also available and car rental is possible in bigger Haitian cities.
Visitor services. Haiti has many guesthouses around the country, as well as few modern hotels in Port-Au-Prince. Meals are usually included in the guesthouses. The Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and much of the Southern Haiti is still recovering from recent earthquake damage and has only limited infrastructure to offer for travelers. Unlike French, English is not widely understood in Haiti.
Tourism attractions in Haiti: historical sights, culture, shopping and beaches
Haiti is famous for its naivistic art and rum, excellent Creole cuisine, as well as voodoo religion that is still practiced by roughly half of the population. A major carnival is Haiti is held during Easter, when the streets of Haitian towns are filled with music and dancing. The capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince used to offer colorful markets and an interesting national museum, but is still recovering from devastation caused by a recent earthquake.Northern Haiti is home to interesting historic sights, including The Citadelle Laferrière, a fortress on a high mountain overlooking the historic town of Milot, the ruins of Sans Souci Palace, and the old buildings in Ramiers that together form a World Heritage Site as being the first monuments constructed by black slaves who had become free. Cap-Haitien in the North coast is the second largest city in Haiti and has some nice beaches nearby. The port of Labadee close to Cap-Haitien is a private resort leased for the use of Caribbean cruise ships. The fenced resort area here is safeguarded by a personal security force and can be visited by cruise ship passengers only.
Haiti travel information and practical tips
Haiti has a tropical semiarid climate with constantly warm temperatures and two rainy seasons between April and May and from September to October. Therefore, the best time to visit Haiti is from November to March. Hurricanes and storms are encountered frequently in Haiti between June and October.How to get there. Haiti receives very little tourism nowadays since the country is not considered safe for traveling. There is an international airport in the capital Port-au-Prince and cruise ships visit the private resort of Labadee in Northern Haiti. The airport of Cap-Haitien also receives some international flights. You can travel to Haiti also by bus from the neighboring Dominican Republic. There are domestic flights available from Port-Au-Prince to four other cities in Haiti, as well as plenty of buses. The public transport inside the cities is handled by collective taxis called publiques or tap-taps. Taxis are also available and car rental is possible in bigger Haitian cities.
Visitor services. Haiti has many guesthouses around the country, as well as few modern hotels in Port-Au-Prince. Meals are usually included in the guesthouses. The Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and much of the Southern Haiti is still recovering from recent earthquake damage and has only limited infrastructure to offer for travelers. Unlike French, English is not widely understood in Haiti.
Photo: Andreas Hobi, used under Creative Commons License (By SA 2.0)
The Security situation in Haiti is poor despite the presence of UN stabilization forces. Street gangs, theft, political violence, kidnappings and violent crimes are common, which makes Haiti an unsafe place to visit outside the Labadee resort area. The recent outbreak of cholera in Haiti has caused yet more concern. All visitors to Haiti should be vigilant at all times.
Short history of Haiti
The native Taino people who inhabited the island of Hispaniola by the time it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 were rapidly annihilated by Spanish settlers. The French established colonies in Western Hispaniola during the early 17th century, and Spain ceded the area of Haiti to the French in 1697. The French colony of Haiti became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean and big quantities of African slaves were brought to its sugarcane plantations.First black republic. Haiti’s slaves started revolting in the late 18th century with Toussaint L’Ouverture as their first leader, which eventually led to Haiti becoming the first independent black republic in the world in 1804. Unfortunately, Haiti has had major political violence for most of its history and witnessed long periods of ruthless dictatorship. The latest armed rebellion seized President Aristide in 2004. A new president and parliament was elected in 2006, and there are now international stabilization forces in Haiti, helping the local police to curb the political violence and crime that have plagued the country. A devastating earthquake hit Port-au-Prince and Southern Haiti in January 2010, reducing much of the city into rubble. Restoration is slowly underway.
hint See also these nearby destinations: Port-au-Prince
