Cap-Haïtien

Cap-Haïtien is the second largest city in Haiti with a population of 275,000 in 2015. It lies along a bay on the northern coast of the country.

When Haiti was the French colony of Saint Domingue, the city was the colony's capital, then called Cap Parisian or Cap Francais. Following independence, it was briefly the capital of the monarchy established in Haiti's North by King Henri Christophe, who built a magnificent palace, Sans Souci, and giant citadel, Citadelle Laferriere, the largest fortification in the Americas, nearby. The country was unified upon Christophe's death in 1820, and the capital moved to Port-au-Prince.

Today the city is a busy port and has a number of nice beaches nearby. While very off the beaten path for tourists (understandably, being in Haiti), it is by far the safest and most attractive city in Haiti.

By plane


Airlines that fly into Cap Haiten include:
 * Bahamas Air (Nassau)
 * InterCaribbean (Providencia)
 * Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale)
 * Sunrise Airways (Port-au-Prince)
 * Caicos Express Airways (Providencia)

Get around
The city is small and compact enough that you can walk most places. There are, however, many taxis and motor-taxis available. Most restaurants and bars are in the central, gridded part of the city.

See
The downtown area is full of French colonial architecture — it looks like New Orleans may have looked in the past. There is a wide promenade, Bouleved du Carenage, along the bay offering a nice view and sea air. A number of restaurants line the Boulevard. The downtown has shops and restaurants, but most cater to locals.

The Cathedral and Grand Place downtown are also rather impressive..

The nearby town of Milot is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sans Souci Palace and the Citadelle Henri Christophe, both built by King Henri Christophe. The palace ruins are impressive, as is the Citadelle, a massive castle that has been renovated and is really pretty amazing to see.



Beaches




To the north of the city are a few beautiful beaches.

The walled Labadie (or Labadee) beach resort compound is 10 km to the city's northwest, and serves as a stopover for Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Some of the largest and most luxurious, dock weekly at Labadie. The resort is connected to Cap-Haïtien by a paved mountainous road. People not on cruises can visit the beach too for a small fee.

From just outside Labadie, you can catch a water taxi to Paradis, a beautiful secluded beach in a nearby cove. There's a tiny tiki bar and locals will catch and grill seafood for you if you ask. Rates vary, generally G1000 (gourdes) and up (bargain with them!)

Cormier Plage is another beach on the way to Labadie with a really nice and large beachfront hotel, restaurant and bar.

In addition, Belli Beach is a small sandy cove with boats and hotels. Labadie village could be visited from here.

Do
The Boulevard du Carenage along the water is a nice walk and there are bars, restaurants and craft shops. Beaches north of the city are very nice, and outside of town are the Citadelle and Palais Sans Souci.

Buy
Market places dot the city with frenetic hustle and bustle. Sidewalks are crammed with vendors selling everything from charcoal to second hand bicycles fresh from Miami by boat. If it's avocado or mango season, do yourself a favor and buy some.



Eat
There are various restaurants, many near the waterfront or the Hotel Roi Christophe. Many places serve good seafood dishes (lobster and conch especially), French food, American food or a mix. Traditional Haitian food often includes rice and beans, flattened and fried plantains (but not sweet ones) and pikliz, a spicy cole slaw.



Drink
Most of the restaurants are also good for drinking places, but there are a few bars too.

Prestige, the local beer, is tasty, and rum drinks are popular. Barbancourt 5 star is the best local rum (and most expensive!) Try a rum sour, made with lime, lemon and sugar.

Kleren is the local moonshine which you can buy on the street or from some stores. It's strong and variously flavored -- fruit, cinnamon, even conch (sea snail!) It can be tasty but drink at your own risk, as it's often homemade.



Stay safe
General warnings about Haiti are true also for Cap-Haïtien, though the city is, on the whole, safer than Port-au-Prince. Arranging transportation through your hotel maybe be safer and easier than finding it on the street, but probably a bit more expensive.

Stay healthy
Drink bottled water, even at restaurants and hotels, and use hand sanitizer before eating.

Go next


A tap-tap to Milot will cost around G15 (US$0.45), but taxis are probably a bit safer, or at least less stressful. The Citadelle Laferriere and ruins of Sans Souci Palace are very impressive and worth a visit. You can hike from the palace up to the Citadelle, but it's very steep and somewhat strenuous.

The Government of Haiti has built a ticket stand and marketplace for vendors at the foot of the trail to the Citadelle, and there you can hire a guide (recommended) or rent donkeys. You'll need to be in good shape if you don't take a donkey. The donkey rental people may just follow you for a while even if you say no, waiting for you to tire out.

A taxi to the airport from the town will cost around G100, or US$2.50. On leaving, you will be required to pay taxes of US$28 in cash. There is no ATM at the airport.