Cap-Haïtien, Haiti

Cap-Haïtien, often referred to as 'Le Cap' or 'Aux Cap', is a city located on the northern coast of Haiti. It has been historically known as the Paris of the Antilles due to its beautiful architecture and artistic life. It served as the capital of the French Colony of Saint-Domingue (which later became the country known as Haiti) from the city's formal foundation in 1711 until 1770, when the capital was moved to Port-au-Prince. After the Haitian Revolution, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Northern Haiti under King Henri Christophe until 1820 when he passed.

the small plane we flew to Aux Cap

paintings being sold at the Guy Malary Terminal for $5 each

After our time in Petionville, we headed to Aérogare Guy Malary (the Guy Malary Terminal) at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince to take our 20 minute flight to Hugo Chávez International Airport in Aux Cap.

We stayed at Habitation Jouissant, a beautiful boutique hotel located in the hills of Aux Cap, overlooking the Caribbean Sea and offering stunning views of the bay and the city of Cap-Haïtien. Our first stop after checking in and dropping of our bags off was to jet off to lunch at Hostellerie du Roi Christophe, a  hotel in the middle of the city that blends colonial architecture with modern comforts while celebrating the life of King Henri Christophe.

After lunch, we took a historical tour of the city (I have so many beautiful pics so that tour will get its own post) and then spent the night relaxing back in the hotel. The next day, we set off to tour the Sans Souci Palace and the Citadelle Laferrière.

front views of Sans Souci Palace 

horseback ride up further up the mountain to the Citadel

goodbye, Citadel!

After visiting the Citadel, Belle Vue Tours has a custom of ending their experience with coconut water straight from the nut! I hate coconut but.. when in Rome, ya know? Let me tell you one thing: that little coconut held wayyy more water than I expected. LOL.

It's an interesting thing to be on a plane so small that it feels as if you are flying it. And by "interesting", I mean frightening and also a bit exciting. lol.

I had a wonderful time exploring Aux Cap. I loved being able to walk around the city, go on a historical tour, and just get to chat with and enjoy the locals. I feel as if I learned so much and have a better understanding of the city; it feels a bit like home now. The classic French colonial architecture of the city is very reminiscent of New Orleans, LA and San Juan, PR which, ironically, are it's sister cities. It definitely inspired me to want to visit and explore those cities and see if I can find the similarities.

I can't wait to share more pictures of the city with you. 

xo,

jana-lynn