Pétion-Ville

Pétion-Ville is a wealthy suburb to the southeast of Port-au-Prince, in Central Haiti. It is known for its nightlife and restaurants, many of which have large expat crowds.

Understand
Pétion-Ville is in the hills east and separate of the city itself on the northern hills of the Massif de la Selle. It was named after Alexandre Sabès Pétion (1770–1818), the Haitian general and president later recognized as one of the country's four founding fathers. The district is primarily a residential and tourist area. Pétion-Ville is part of the city's metropolitan area, one of the most affluent areas of the city, where the majority of tourist activity takes place, and one of the wealthiest parts of the country. Many diplomats, foreign businessmen, and a large number of wealthy citizens do business and reside within Pétion-Ville.

Despite the distance from the capital and the general affluence of the district, the lack of administrative enforcement has led to the formation of shantytowns on the outer edges of the district, as poor locals migrate upward and have settled there in search of job opportunities.

Pétion-Ville has more security than the center of Port-au-Prince, and in general, than the other major cities of Haiti. The community is very stable, with nightlife and business conducted with an appearance of western normality, in striking contrast to many other parts of greater Port-au-Prince.

The hillside suburban town is filled with nightclubs, beauty salons, fitness gyms and French restaurants. Businesses which cater to tourists are commonplace, and parties and get-togethers often take place at night.

By plane
Port au Prince airport is served by several major airlines - primarily American Airlines and Delta - as well as smaller flights from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and other spots in the Caribbean. Taxis from the airport to your destination in Port au Prince will be about US$20 for standard fare. Try to bargain down to US$15. Tap taps going to all places past the airport and will cost about G10 (gourdes) (25 cents). A transit network map shows main routes.

By car
Traffic is bad in and out of Petion-Ville but many roads are quite scenic, looking back towards Port-au-Prince.

By bus
From Santo Domingo, Caribe Tours runs a once-daily bus to Pétion-Ville (in the hills above Port-au-Prince) with the following:

Crowded tap-taps (passenger pickup trucks) and buses can take you to Pétion-Ville for a few dollars, but can be dangerous.

Get around
Tap-taps run along prescribed routes throughout the city. Most routes cost G10, though to get across the city you may need to use multiple routes, each of which charges separately. These can be rather intimidating if you aren't familiar with them.

Taxis are typically about G500 and should only be used during daylight. After dark, prices rise substantially and you are at substantially greater risk of being mugged.

Markets
There are a number of supermarkets in the town.



Art
There are many art galleries around town, from traditional Haitian crafts (painting, beads, metalwork) to fine art.

Banking
There are a number of banks in Pétion-Ville. Banks here close very early, even on the weekdays.

Eat
There are a number of good restaurants in Pétion-Ville.

Drink

 * Crémas, an alcoholic beverage made of coconut and vanilla.
 * Rhum Barbancourt
 * Biere Prestige
 * Only drink Bottled Water!

Mid-range

 * Mr. Grill (the steakhouse above) has a few small rooms.

Stay safe
The town is safer than Port-au-Prince, but still one should be careful.

Embassies

 * Many embassies are located in Petion-Ville.

Go next

 * Port-au-Prince -- the capital city.