During french colonial time, Cap Haitien was called Cap Français by the French and was the capital of the colony of St. Domingue. Le Cap, as it is also called was founded in 1670 by Bertrand d?Orgeron was once the Paris of St. Domingue and is one of the oldest Haitian cities. It is located in the northern section of the country. The biggest commercial port was located in Cap Haitien. At least twice, Cap-Haitien would be used as the capital of Haiti.
Due to its proximity to wide Caribbean beaches to its northwest, Cap-Haïtien has traditionally been a resort and vacation destination for Haïti's upper classes.
Cap-haitien is now the second largest city of the country. Thanks to its historic and economic importance the city is viewed very highly. Its marvelous historical sites such as the fortresses and palaces. Its beaches welcomed great numbers of tourists weekly when tourism was high in Haiti up into the mid 80s. Although the city had suffered great destruction in 1734, 1798, 1802 and 1842 (the 1842 earthquake killed half the population and destroyed Sans Souci palace), in some ways it still manages to provide to the visitor the feeling of a french colonial city à la New Orleans or in the mold of Jacmel.
Cap-Haïtien is also the nearest sizeable city to the historic Haïtian town of Milot, which lies 12 miles to the south along a gravel road. Milot was Haïti's former capital under the self-proclaimed King Henri Christophe, who ascended to power in 1807, three years after Haïti had gained independence from France. As a result, Milot hosts the ruins of the Sans Souci palace.
Excursions from Cap Haitien
La Citadelle Laferriere
In the days after the independence, preparing against a retour en force of the French was in everyone's minds. Jean-Jacques Dessalines had asked all the regional leaders to build forts across the country in preparation. La Citadelle Ferriere was built by King Henri Christophe between 1805 and 1820. It covers 10,000 square meters with walls up to 40 meters high. It is said that 20,000 people were pressed into its construction. La Citadelle is perched atop the Bonnet a L'Eveque (900m altitude) overlooking the Plaine du Nord.
The views offered by La Citadelle are very impressive and breathtaking. Cuba can be spotted on a clear day. King Henri Christophe, the royal family and its garrison of 5,000 soldiers could have held out for a year against a possible French return. But the French never did return (at least, not with an armada) and the fortress lies in eternal wait with the cannonballs still pilled up intact. The two-century-old fortress has been under restorations for years and a beautiful job was done.
While at La Citadelle do not forget to visit the adjacent fort of the Site des Ramiers which control the near access. It also provides an exquisite view of the city.
Sans Souci
Sans Souci was King Henri Christophe?s royal palace. Sans Souci was the administrative capital and is located in the town of Milot just down the mountain from the Citadelle Laferrierre. It ranges over eight hectares in the foothills. The construction of Sans Souci Palace started in 1810 and ended in 1813. Sans Souci was ruined by the earthquake that destroyed Cap Haitien in 1842. Sans Souci Palace also includes a printing shop, garment factories, a hospital, schools, a distillery chapel and military barracks.
Getting there:
By car - Take the road south from the Cap to Milot. From Milot, you can drive and park your car about two thirds of the way up. Then be prepared for a steep 5 kilometers hike up to the fortress. We suggest that you wear comfortable shoes and start your day early to avoid the mid day heat up on the road. In order to reach to the Citadelle, you must first walk through the Sans Souci Palace. We suggest that you hire a guide and make sure that you agree on a price in advance. Be ready for some of the most fascinating history a touch of the typical exaggeration of the facts. Make your way up there more interesting by enjoying our tropical fruits such as mangoes, watermelon, coconuts etc...
You can also take a taptap to Milot which leaves Cap in the morning. Hotel Mont Joli offers tours as well. Start climbing before noon to make it back before sundown.
The Beaches
Some excellent beaches while in the neighborhood are Cormier Plage, Labadie or Coco Beach , Belli Beach and Rival Beach and more are on that coast. Those beaches are on the north side of the cape and can be reached in about 20 minutes by car. They all provide excellent food, clean beaches, opportunity to go kayaking, sailboating, banana boating and more. At Hotel Cormier Plage, you can rent a simple chalet or a room in the main building and enjoy swimming, scubadiving. We strongly recommend that you make reservations as it gets very busy at times. If you walk for about 30 minutes or drive 5 minutes further west you will find Labadie or Coco Beach. Labadie welcomes tourists from Royal Caribbean on Monday and Tuesday. On other days, it opens to the public. Belli Beach is just another half an hour walking . There is a hotel, with very nice rooms and good food. There are boats available for rent that can be used to visit nearby villages.
Other suggestions
Shopping
Before you leave Cap Haitien do not forget to take some souvenirs with you. You can do that by stopping at the Atelier Taggart and the Galerie Des Trois Visages among others. Those places offer all kinds of handicrafts and naive paintings.
How to get there:
Cruise boats such as the ones belonging to Royal Caribbean stop at Labadie Monday and Tuesday.
There are small planes that leave Miami for Cap Haitien.
The Marien Air is an air taxi service that offers flights from Cap Haitien to Port-au Prince, Dominican Republic, Turks and caicos, Bahamas and Jamaica.
If you are coming from any other place you can land at the international airport at Port-au-Prince then board on Air MAF and Caribinair to Cap Haitien.
By car, you can drive from Port-au-Prince to Cap or take public transportation at the station of Cap located at the intersection of the Route De Delmas and la Saline. The trip usually last for about 6 to 7 hours and the fare is US$5.80.
Hotels & Restaurants
Reviews of Hotels in Cap-Haitien from Tripadvisor.com
HOTEL DU ROI CHRISTOPHE
262-0414*
HOTEL IMPERIAL
262-0171/0534*
HOTEL RESTAURANTS BECK
262-0001*
HOTEL RESTAURANT DU MONT JOLI
262-0326/0300*
HOTEL RESTAURANT LES JARDINS DE L?OCEAN
262-2277*
HOTEL CORMIER PLAGE
262-0100*
HABITATION LABADIE
223-5900*
PENSION BRISE DE MER
262-0821*
*The International code is 011 and Haiti's country code is (509)
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