One of Haiti's biggest shantytowns was painted in a rainbow of psychedelic colors a few years back. The controversial project 'Beauty versus Poverty: Jalousie in Colours', is welcomed by some of the residents, and critiqued as purely cosmetic by others.

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Port-au-Prince & Around

Let’s admit the obvious: Port-au-Prince doesn’t have the image of somewhere you’d visit for fun. A true city of the developing world, just a couple of hours by air from Miami, the city was preceded by a reputation for impoverished chaos even before the 2010 earthquake shook it to its foundations. Years later the recovery is still slow going, the gulf between rich and poor remains as wide as ever, and the streets remain cluttered with trash and rubble.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Junkyard sculpture on Grand Rue.

    Grand Rue Artists

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    While most of Haiti’s artists are represented in the rarefied air of Pétionville’s galleries, a collective of sculptors and installation artists produces…

  • Museum of the People

    Museum of the People

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    This small jumble of a museum attached to the mission is worth a stop on your way up to Kenscoff. There are taxidermied specimens of Haitian fauna …

  • Marché de Fer

    Marché de Fer

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    Several of Haiti’s cities have iron markets, but Port-au-Prince’s is the original and the best. Constructed in 1889, the exuberant red-metal structure…

  • Musée du Panthéon National

    Musée du Panthéon National

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    This modern, mostly subterranean history museum, set below gardens, hosts a permanent exhibition chronicling Haiti’s history, from the Taínos and slavery…

  • Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

    Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    At the outbreak of the Haitian Revolution, the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac was one of the richest parts of St-Domingue. Little remains of this period, but one…

  • Fort Jacques

    Fort Jacques

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    Fort Jacques was erected during the burst of fort-building following independence in 1804. It was built by Alexandre Pétion and named after Jean-Jacques…

  • Champs de Mars

    Champs de Mars

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    A series of parks split by wide boulevards that collectively make up the Place des Héros de l'Indépendence, with the former site of the demolished Palais…

  • Maison Dufort

    Maison Dufort

    Port-au-Prince & Around

    This recently restored gingerbread home is the first of its kind to be not only preserved by a nonprofit, but also opened to the public. The creamy-yellow…

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Articles

Latest stories from Port-au-Prince & Around

Wildlife & Nature

Ten things to know about visiting Haiti

Dec 28, 2015 • 5 min read

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