Cap-Haitien is a port city on the coast of Haiti. This is the fourth-largest city in the country. It enjoys a fabulous location on the north coast of the island. Nowadays, Cap-Haitien is a major port city that, nevertheless, attracts a big number of tourists. Guests of Cap-Haitien can enjoy a striking view of the sea. Besides that, it is always a good idea to take a stroll on the city’s streets to see amazing buildings in Spanish style. Thanks to these buildings, the city had an unusual informal name in the past – the Paris of the Antilles. Tourists often fall in love with this beautiful place and want to return here again.
The French founded Cap-Haitien in 1670. Until 1804, when the country became independent, this city had another name - Cap Français. The city was the capital of the French colony named Saint-Domingue until the end of the 18th century. During the crisis of relations with France and the start of the Civil War in the United States, American troops tried to conquer Cap-Haitien. As a result of this, the old city was almost completely destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century during a long attack.
Traditional dishes in Cap-Haitien, just like specialties across the island, can amaze many tourists with their unique ingredients and combinations of spices. Cooking recipes are quite original. For example, it is fine to boil small corn cobs in fish broth. Banana is a typical ingredient to boiled meat or chicken. Just like in many other countries of the world, local people adore suckling pig kebab. When cooking poultry, local chefs add much pepper or make a special hot sauce. It is possible to try many exotic kinds of fruit only in Cap-Haitien. Many local fruits are simply not exported to other countries because they become rotten quickly. Among popular local desserts, it is important to mention boiled bananas in sugar.
There are no beach resort complexes in the city. One of the most popular beaches in the region is situated on the outskirts of the city. This is Labadie Beach. It is particularly popular with foreign guests. This is the cleanest beach with the best infrastructure in the country, so no wonder why tourists enjoy visiting this coastal area to relax. Besides sunbathing on the warm sand and getting tan in the tender sun rays, visitors have an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the underwater world of the Caribbean. If you have some extra money, you can always book a cruise, during which you will see the region and admire the spectacular beauty of this part of the island.
There are several small beaches in Cap-Haitien, and they are also suitable for recreation. Do you like scuba diving? Absolutely all beaches have this opportunity. Moreover, all beaches have a sand surface, so it is particularly pleasant to relax here, sunbathing in the rays of the Caribbean sun and breathing in the fresh sea air. Local beaches have an interesting peculiarity – they are covered with the sand that had a dark shade. If looking at them from afar, it seems that beaches have a dark blanket. As there are many coral reefs along the coast, tourists with children need to be careful.
Besides beach recreation, Cap-Haitien can offer sightseeing to its guests. Don’t forget to explore the main landmark of the city – the Sans-Souci Palace that was built for Henry I, the King of Haiti, at the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, this was the location of the country’s government. The magnificent palace was a rival of Versailles in France in terms of beauty and grandeur. Once, there was a gorgeous park that surrounded the beautiful building. This charming garden was providing the much-needed shelter on hot days. Unfortunately, the complex now lies in ruins.
Are you searching for some thrilling experiences? Sans-Souci Palace is definitely a mysterious place. Local people consider the building cursed because the king committed suicide here, and his son was killed by members of the rebellion. There are still many legends about this building, and many of these stories are scary. However, tourists from all over the world try to visit this place and see the palace with their own eyes.
It is possible to get to Cap-Haitien from many large cities in the world. The Haitian city has its own international airport that accommodates flights from many countries. There is one more way to reach the city – by land from the Dominican Republic. After your arrival in this country, you need to buy a bus ticket to Cap-Haitien. Mototaxi is the best way to get to the center of Cap-Haitien and to move around.
Sightseeing in Haiti: things to see
Some of the most beautiful beaches with white sand in the world, unique nature reserves with rare types of orchids and unique nature that is an inimitable combination of French and Spanish traditions – the Republic of Haiti cannot leave any tourist indifferent. The country is located on the part of the island of Hispaniola that has very different terrain, and so impenetrable mountains quickly turn into spacious valleys here. The tourist industry started developing not long ago, so there are not many foreign tourists at local beaches yet.
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