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 looks like something out of Arabian Nights. Although the Iron Market burnt down after the earthquake, it was magnificently and speedily restored, reopening on the one-year anniversary. It’s rich in food, art and Vodou paraphernalia.

The southern hall is the food market, a full-on assault on the senses; the stifling air buzzing with the noise of traders and the tang of fruit, vegetables, meat and unknown scents. The northern hall is given over to a giant craft market, with the biggest selection of local arts in the country.

This part of town can be a bit dodgy, and political demonstrations are known to erupt suddenly here, so you'll definitely want a local guide to escort you (Voyages Lumière can sort you out). Be prepared for plenty of bustle, and a little hustle, too. Keep a close watch on your possessions.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Port-au-Prince & Around attractions

1. Champs de Mars

0.7 MILES

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…

2. Musée du Panthéon National

0.73 MILES

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

3. Grand Rue Artists

0.85 MILES

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

4. Maison Dufort

1.35 MILES

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…

5. Barbancourt Rum Distillery

4.26 MILES

North of the airport and tucked among sugarcane fields, this famous rum distillery welcomes visitors occasionally and seemingly at random – don't make the…

6. Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

6.05 MILES

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…

7. Museum of the People

6.48 MILES

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 …

8. Fort Jacques

7.13 MILES

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…

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