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The
Caribbean Islands - Haiti
A large, mountainous country, Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. It occupies the western third of the landmass and is shaped by two peninsulas. The tip of its northwest peninsula is just 50 miles from Cuba, and its southwest peninsula is 100 miles from Jamaica.
With 2 million inhabitants, Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, is a bustling center of activity. Colorfully painted tap-taps, buses and trucks that serve as public transportation, brighten the streets; on many downtown walls, murals with social and political messages portray the vitality of the Haitian people. The city, situated on the bay of the Gulf of Gonâve, spreads across the Cul-de-Sac Plain and into the foothills of the Massif de la Selle.
In the heart of the Port-au-Prince is the Place des Héros, a square dominated by the classic white Palais National and adorned with statues of the country's heroes, including Toussaint l'Ouverture, a former slave who led a rebellion resulting in Haiti's independence from the French in 1804; Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first leader of the independent republic; Henri Christophe, head of his own "kingdom of the north" in the early 19th century; Alexandre Pétion, founder and president of the Republic of Haiti; and the "Marron Inconnu," the unknown rebel slave.
Downtown Port-au-Prince is home to many interesting sites, including the Musee du Pantheon National-Hatien, which features exhibits highlighting Haiti's history; the Centre d'Art, which houses works by some of Haiti's most famous artists--Hector Hippolyte, Philome Obin and Benoit--and the Maison Defly, where antiques illustrating the elegant lifestyle enjoyed by Haiti's privileged citizens at the turn of the century are on display. Inside the Cathedral of Sainte-Trinité visitors will see biblical murals that depict the blossoming of Haitian naive art in the 1940s following the inspiration of Dewitt Peters, the American founder of the Centre d'Art. Also in Port-au-Prince stands the Marché en Fer ("iron market"), an architectural monument in cast iron where merchants sell a multitude of handicrafts.
On a hillside overlooking Port-au-Prince from the east is Pétionville. Still considered one of Haiti's most affluent suburbs, it is home to many hotels, restaurants and art galleries. The town affords panoramic views of Port-au-Prince. The Barbancourt Rum Distillery is located a bit farther up the hill. The distillery produces rum flavored with coconut, mango, orange, coffee and hibiscus, among other flavors. For years, Haiti has been famous for its fine rums, made not from molasses but from fermented and distilled crushed sugarcane juice.
Nearby is the town of Kenscoff, situated in a mountainous area that provides relief from the heat; the surrounding hillsides are covered with cultivated fields and pine forests. There lie the ruins of Fort Alexandre and Fort Jacques. The latter affords magnificent views of the capital and its harbor. On Haiti's southeastern Caribbean coast, perched on a hillside verdant with tropical foliage, sits Jacmel. In the 17th century, under French rule, the town flourished as a port from which sugar, coffee and cotton were shipped. Some of its colonial character can still be seen in the houses with wrought-iron balconies. Nearby is the Bassin Bleu, a series of three waterfalls.
Cap-Haïtien, located on the northern Atlantic coast, is Haiti's second largest town. Rising behind it are foothills leading to the Massif du Nord. In the Baie d'Acul behind the mountain, visitors can see the spot where Columbus anchored on December 21, 1492, during his first voyage to the New World. Sailing around the cape on a calm Christmas Eve, his flagship, the Santa María, foundered on a reef in what is now Cap-Haïtien Bay. The Indian chieftain Guacanagaric welcomed him the next day and even helped bring ashore the timbers used to build the fort La Navidad, the first Spanish establishment in the New World. Columbus left 39 sailors at the settlement when he returned to Spain.
Two centuries later, Cap-Haïtien became the French colonial capital. The city today is noted for its colonial architecture and its proximity to two of the Caribbean's most extraordinary buildings--the Sans-Souci Palace and the Citadelle la Ferrière--both of which lie a few miles inland.
Built
in the early 19th century, the Sans-Souci Palace was
the creation of Henri Christophe, Haitian leader turned
self-appointed king. He ordered the grand palace to
be built in a style that would rival that of Versailles.
The historic ruins represent an era of "royalty"
that once existed in Haiti. The
Citadelle la Ferrière, also built by Christophe, is
the largest fortress in the Caribbean. It was built
to defend the northern part of the island from possible
European invasions. The mammoth structure has walls
measuring 46 feet thick and is large enough to hold
10,000 people; it was constructed over the course of
14 years.
Beaches:
Since the Haitians generally prefer cooler mountain
settings to beaches, visitors won't find an abundance
of sands tailored to sunseekers--at least not yet. There
are, however, some lovely palm-lined beaches, black-sand
stretches and powder-white strands to enjoy. Ibo Beach,
Kyona Beach, Wahoo Bay Beach, Moulin sur Mer, Ouanga
Bay and Xaragua, all part of an area called Cote des
Arcadins, are easily accessible from the capital. Near
Jacmel on the calm Caribbean coast is a stunning black-sand
beach.
On
Haiti's north coast, near Cap-Haïtien, lie Cormier Beach
and Labadie Beach. Of particular interest is Labadie,
a strip of land on the secluded Pointe Ste. Honoré.
It consists of roughly 210 acres of tropical splendor:
gently rolling hills, towering rocky crags, lush surroundings,
heavenly beaches and clear waters. The setting is ideal
for swimming, snorkeling and nature walks. Visitors
can even shop for Haitian crafts there. The area is
open to the public when cruise ships are not in the
bay; an entrance fee is charged.
Activities:
Although Haiti doesn't have the posh sporting facilities
of many other Caribbean islands, there are still plenty
of activities for the sports-minded traveler to enjoy.
A few of Haiti's beaches, including Kyona Beach and
Ibo Beach, are great places to enjoy swimming and snorkeling.
There's also sailing, fishing and water-skiing.
The
Petionville Club is home to a 9-hole golf course and
tennis courts. Tennis can also be enjoyed at several
other resorts around the country. Spectator sports include
football, the favorite national sport, basketball and
cockfighting.
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