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SOUTHERN HAITI

Haiti’s south is about taking it easy. Pulling out of Port-au-Prince, the urban hustle is soon replaced by a much more relaxed air as you head towards the Caribbean Sea. Of the southern coastal towns Jacmel is the gem. It’s an old port full of pretty buildings, with a friendly welcome.

Some hit the handicrafts shops to load up on local art, while others time their visit for the famous Carnival. Further west, things get pretty sleepy. The town of Les Cayes is an embarkation point for the gorgeous beaches of Île-à-Vache, while there are more palm-fringed sandy delights for all budgets in nearby Port Salut.

The southern ‘claw’ is bisected by the Massif de la Hotte, home to Haiti’s last remaining cloud forest. After a spectacular mountain crossing, the road terminates at Jérémie, the sometime City of Poets.

Highlights of Southern Hailti

• Explore the architecture of old Jacmel.

• Have your mind blown by the street theatre of Jacmel Carnival.

• Dive into the cool waters of Bassins Bleu waterfall.

• Get away from everything by heading to Île-à-Vache.

• Laze on miles of sandy beaches at Port Salut.

• Find the city at the end of the road in Jérémie.

• Cut an adventurous trail into remote Parc National Macaya.

From Port-au-Prince, Rte National 2 runs the length of Haiti’s southern ‘claw’ to Les Cayes. After crawling through Carrefour, the road winds through a succession of medium-sized towns along the coast: Léogâne, which is known for its distilleries and stone sculptors; Petit-Goâve, famous for its sweet dous macoss (a type of peanut brittle); and the port of Miragoâne, its streets brimming over with imported (and often smuggled) goods, and home to a large cathedral.

This region was the hardest hit by the 2010 earthquake, whose epicentre was just outside Léogâne. Around 80% of the buildings in that town were damaged or destroyed, with great loss of life. Petit-Goâve was almost as badly hit.

The coastal road used to be popular for weekend beach visits from the capital before traffic made the resorts of Côte des Arcadins a more attractive prospect. From Miragoâne the road cuts inlands and heads across the mountains westward to Les Cayes. Buses and taptaps ply the highway all day between Port-au-Prince and Les Cayes.

NORTHERN HAITI

If you’re interested in how Haiti came to be as it is today, head north. From Columbus’ first landfall on Hispaniola to the key events of the slave revolution, it all happened here. Base yourself at Cap-Haïtien, Haiti’s second city.

Once one of the richest colonial ports in the world, it’s the ideal base to visit the magnificent Citadelle la Ferrière, a true castle perched high on a mountain, with the ruined palace of Sans Souci sitting below, looking like something from a tropical Hollywood adventure movie.

There are plenty of smaller forts along the coast, while Île de la Tortue evokes memories of the golden age of piracy. The crashing Atlantic waves give the north some spectacular coastline and great beaches. Cormier Plage and Labadie are a stone’s throw from Cap-Haïtien and are ideal places to unwind.

Highlights of Northern Haiti

• Relive Haitian history at the Citadelle and ruins of Sans Souci.

• Let the waves lap at your feet at Plage Labadie.

• Explore the backstreets of Haiti’s second city, Cap-Haïtien.

• Join the pilgrimage to the Souvenance Vodou festival.

• Feel the Vodou rhythms of the Soukri Vodou festival.

• Look for pirates at Île de la Tortue.

• Find the remains of France’s colonial history at Fort Liberté.