Haiti sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

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.

Christopher Columbus was the first discoverer of the island. He landed on its coast in 1492. Several years later, the Spanish started the active colonization of Haiti. A part of the island became a French territory in the second part of the 17th century. During the colonization, invaders destroyed almost all indigenous tribes that previously lived on the island. Slaves brought from African countries became the main inhabitants of Haiti.

The country became independent from France already in 1825, but this didn’t bring peace and stability to the country. Haiti continuously suffered from the new regime’s changes and protests. The appearance of the new constitution in 1987 helped to stabilize the situation. Modern Haiti tries to develop its tourist infrastructure, and natural landmarks of incredible beauty remain the main treasure of the small country. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Fans of architectural landmarks will find it interesting to visit Cap Haitien. This colonial city was founded by the French in 1670. It became the capital of the country at the end of the 17th century. The city still has many important landmarks in the nearby areas such as the Sans-Souci Palace in the town of Milot and the grandiose Citadelle Laferrière that is one of the biggest fortresses in the Americas.

Port-au-Prince is currently the capital of the country. It was founded a little bit later, in 1749. This city is located in an incredibly beautiful place, on the Gulf of Gonave. If you look at the city from the water, you will notice that is has a shape reminiscent of an amphitheater. There are comfortable residential areas on the hills while the commercial part of the city is located closer to the coast. This city attracts tourists with its unique colonial architecture. Besides that, there are several excellent hotels.

Do you dream of visiting some of the most beautiful beaches in the world? If yes, then don’t forget to visit Labadee that is widely recognized as one of the most picturesque regions of Haiti. This part of the island has wonderful beaches with soft white sand and dense tropical jungles that grow close to the water. There are interesting shops, restaurants, souvenir workshops close to popular beaches. In short, a vacation at this resort will never be boring.

Etang Saumatre Lake is an outstanding natural landmark. The size of this lake is 170 square kilometers. Its shores have become home to more than a hundred of different species of birds. By the way, visitors can see gracious flamingos here. Crocodiles are the main inhabitants in the lake. As this predator is widespread in the region, tourists can visit Etang Saumatre only together with a guide. Tourists can participate in interesting boat excursions, strolls along the lake, and even diving tours.

The picturesque town of Petion-Ville is typically described as one big architectural landmark. It was founded in 1831. The town is built near the coast, on a hill slide. The small facades of houses in Petion-Ville are painted in all colors of the rainbow. When walking on the streets of the town, you will hardly find two houses that look the same. Besides unique architecture, the colorful town is famous for its numerous national cuisine restaurants and loud entertainment venues.

The Pic Macaya National Park was founded in Haiti in 1983. This park is mostly famous for its gorgeous forests. The park got its name after Mount Macaya that is located in the central part of the natural reserve. The height of the mount is 2,347 meters. Besides exotic plants, it is possible to see rare birds and other typical animals in this park.

There are two international airports in Haiti that accept flights from European countries. For example, tourists can reach Haiti from Paris if they use the services of Air Caraïbes. There are also flights to Haiti from New York, Miami, Santo-Domingo, Panama, Kingston, and Havana. It is possible to enter the country by bus from the Dominican Republic – these two neighbor countries have regular bus connection. Every day, Caribe Tours buses head to the capital from Santo-Domingo. The ticket price is roughly 60 dollars.