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Capital of Haiti
Photo: User:Doron, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of Haiti.
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Palais National
The National Palace collapsed during the earthquake and offers one of Port-au-Prince's most startling reminders of the quake's power. Adjacent to the palace used to be one of Port-au-Prince's many tent cities, whose over 1000 residents occupied what used to be the most beautiful park in Haiti, the Champs-de-Mar, but the residents have now been evicted. As of 2018, the ruins of the palace has been removed and construction of new, identical, palace is to commence.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de L'Assomption
Port-au-Prince's largest cathedral is just down the road from the palace and is likewise a shell of its former glory. Residents continue to pray outside its broken husk, and funerals are frequently held in a plaza behind the main building.
A museum featuring the heroes of the independence of Haiti and the Haitian history and culture. Individual guided tour through a chronology of Haitian history are available. Each period has its own mural and contains paragon items of that time: the anchor of the Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus's flagship, is the centrepiece of the exploration age section.
The experienced moto taxi driver will pick you up in your hotel and show you every corner of Port-au-Prince. Audel is fluent in English, French and Spanish and normally charges US$20 for 3-4 hours trip through the city. He will wait while you visit museums and lead you through Marche de Fer.
One of the best pizzerias in the whole city, although it is hard to find if you do not know its location. There is "Old" Pizza Garden and "New" Pizza Garden, the latter being as a result of a split in co-owners. The décor is typical of a Haitian café, with hand-crafted tables and lamps. The atmosphere feels intimate due to the soft lighting. Try the extra cheese pizza.
The cheapest hotel in the centrally located Champ-de-Mars. A good choice if you want to stay out late as the hotel is so easy to return to. A faded grand balcony occupies the entire second floor. There is a vintage feeling of being where aristocrats used to hang out. It can be a lonely place as there are almost no other Western travellers. The accommodations are rough: electricity and running water (no hot water) are on and off. The cost of a double can be negotiated down to US$40.
A clean secure compound popular with missionaries located in Delmas, a residential neighbourhood, far from the action of Port-au-Prince. The electricity is constant and so is the cold water. You may be placed in a room with other people but that is unlikely; however, you will be sharing a bathroom. A buffet-style breakfast and dinner are complementary. If you do not mind the toilsome journey from the guesthouse to interesting parts of Port-au-Prince, then consider the place for US$30 per person.
Nestled in the hills above Port-au-Prince, in the neighboring city of Pétion-Ville, this hotel offers with excellent views over the city.
Modern, if somewhat bland, luxury hotel near downtown.
They also provide airport pick-up and drop off.
Iron Market
A densely packed market of vendors selling everything from crafts such as voodoo paraphernalia to fresh food such as turtles. It's a challenging, stressful, and maddening place to walk through as throngs of desperate merchants grab you and tight huddle of shoppers, stalls, and moving goods impede your every step, which requires you to swim through humanity. You will find a breathtaking inventory of hand crafted art: sculptures, masks, staves, paintings, globes, tea sets, coconut belts, etc.
By car
By bus
Except Terra Bus the following bus companies offer direct connections from Santo Domingo to their own stations in Tabarre and Petion-Ville.
By boat
Tap-taps run along prescribed routes throughout the city. Most routes cost G15-25 (US$0.25-0.50), although to get across the city you may need to utilize multiple routes, each of which charges separately.
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Port-au-Prince · International · PAP
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