Cap-Haïtien

Cap-Haïtien is Haiti's second-largest city and the historic capital of the northern region, set on a sheltered bay along the country's north coast. It serves as the administrative centre of Nord Department and the main gateway to the Citadelle Laferrière, the Sans-Souci Palace and the northern coastline.

The city was founded in 1670 as Cap-Français and became the capital of the French colony of Saint-Domingue until 1770. Its colonial grid, with lettered north–south streets and numbered east–west streets, remains a distinctive feature of the centre. Landmarks such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Place d'Armes and restored 19th-century buildings reflect this layered French, Creole and revolutionary heritage.

Beyond the centre, the surrounding area offers beaches at Labadee and Cormier, mountain forts, plantations and rural communities. The nearby Citadelle Laferrière, reached from the town of Milot, is the largest fortress in the Americas and, together with the ruins of Sans-Souci Palace, forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cap-Haïtien is a working port and commercial hub for northern Haiti, with markets, small businesses and growing tourism activity along the coast. Its food scene centres on Creole cooking, fresh seafood and street snacks such as griot and fried plantains, while rum and local coffee are widely available.

For travellers, the city combines a compact historic core with access to some of Haiti's most important monuments and beaches, making it relevant both for cultural sightseeing and for business travel connected to the port, airport and northern region.