Often overlooked in favor of its more sedate neighbors, Haiti still draws in curious visitors from all around the world. It’s home to extraordinary and interesting sights as well as vibrant and lively culture. This is the Caribbean, but a much rawer version than its luxury resort-dotted neighbour, The Dominican Republic.
You’ll also find plenty of gorgeous scenery as Haiti is home to peaceful beautiful beaches, cascading waterfalls, and towering mountains galore. Here are my favorite places I want to share with you…
1. Labadee
I personally think taking a cruise with Royal Caribbean is worth it just for a visit to Labadee, a peninsula on the scenic northern coast of Haiti leased privately to the cruise company!
Visitors can enjoy this private paradise’s beautiful scenery on secluded, pristine beaches. Several gorgeous options include sandy shores, free beach chairs, extra amenities, and kayak trips. If you want even more privacy, Labadee is the home base for excursions to remote coves, reefs, and sandbars.
For those looking for more adventure, I suggest seeking out the overwater zipline (the world’s longest), an alpine coaster, a water park, and snorkeling excursions.
We can book your trip hopping around Haiti’s beautiful places through our free, top-rated travel planning service!
2. Amiga Island
Amiga Island is a stunning tropical island just a short boat ride from Labadee and Cap-Haitien. Visitors on private excursions can relax on pure sandy beaches, explore the green island interior, and enjoy the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean.
Coral reefs surround the island (some have dubbed them the best reefs in the country), making for exciting snorkeling and swimming!
Despite being a remote island, Amiga Island also offers excellent amenities for tourists. All visitors get a complimentary drink to enjoy the strong flavors of Caribbean mixology (my favourite part!)
3. Cathedral Notre-Dame
Although not as famous as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince (a site now in ruins and impossible to visit), the Cathedral Notre-Dame in Cap-Haitien is an underrated jewel in Haiti’s crown.
The first building on this site was built in 1670 by the French colonists but has undergone multiple reconstructions since then. It was the site of several important events in Haiti’s history, including the official proclamation liberating enslaved people in Haiti on August 29, 1793.
Visitors today can enjoy the gorgeous colonial facade and sizable nave. The square in front of the cathedral also offers excellent views of the sea and Cap-Haitien, so I suggest visiting there, too!
4. Bassin Bleu
Located just a few kilometers outside the city of Jacmel, Bassin Bleu is a gem! This natural getaway consists of several waterfalls pouring over Haiti’s rocky terrain, forming three pools with stunning, mineral-rich turquoise waters. Visitors can swim right up to the waterfall for an unforgettable experience.
The natural area has a small parking lot, a 10-minute hike from the pools. Those just looking for a relaxing adventure can swim in the top pool around the waterfall.
Others who are more adventurous can rappel down the boulders into the lower lakes with the help of local guides.
5. Cadras Beach
Cadras Beach is a stunning spot located on the northern coast. Located near Grand Doco and only a short ride away from Labadee, it is a convenient excursion for many visitors to this region. Visitors can enjoy clear blue Caribbean waters and sandy shores.
In my opinion, the hinterlands of Cadras Beach are just as beautiful as the seashore. Gorgeous forests and verdant green areas surround the area.
Cadras Beach is not fancy but offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy the beach as the locals do. Take advantage of activities such as snorkeling and swimming.
6. Jardin Botanique des Cayes
Haiti’s tropical location is home to stunning biodiversity and plant life. One of the best ways to experience that biodiversity is by visiting the Jardin Botanique des Cayes, on the country’s southern peninsula.
A popular venue for weddings and other events among the locals and the site of important scientific research, the botanical garden is also a stunning experience for casual visitors.
Wander the perfectly sculpted hedgerows with a certified tour guide, who offers a tourist or scientific tour. Visitors can also wander the site independently and explore the themed gardens, including the Ethnobotanical Garden, the Arboretum, and more.
7. Kokoye Beach
One of the most stunning beaches in the country, I personally think remote Kokoye Beach is worth the trip! It is near Petit Goave, a small commune in the country’s west.
Visitors can only reach Kokoye Beach by taking an organized boat excursion from the town or hiking up by themselves. Once they reach Kokoye, they realize all the trouble is worth it.
The stunning beach is surrounded by rocky outcrops, which make for excellent snorkeling and cave exploration. In addition to the natural wonders, Kokoye Beach is home to great restaurants that even host live music.
8. Citadelle
The Citadelle (full name: Citadelle Laferrière) is one of the most important sites in Haitian history. The Haitian revolutionary Henri Christophe and thousands of newly emancipated Haitian people built this fortress on the northern coast in 1805 as a defence strategy against a potential French invasion.
Architecturally, the Citadelle is one of the few examples of Afro-colonial architecture in the New World, and it’s worth visiting just for its unique architectural features and awe-inspiring size!
The fortress, located on top of the Bonnet a l’Eveque mountain, also offers stunning views of Cap-Haitien and the northern coast. Visitors often combine visiting the Citadelle with an excursion to the nearby Sans-Souci Palace.
9. Macaya National Park
Unfortunately, most of Haiti’s primordial wildlife has been cut down over the centuries, starting with French plantation agriculture and moving on to modern development.
Macaya National Park preserves the country’s last primary cloud forest, which modern development has not touched. Nestled in the Massif de la Hotte mountain chain that runs through the southern peninsula, Macaya is well worth the trip out.
Besides the old-growth forest, Macaya National Park is home to many indigenous plants, rare orchids, and animals, including the world’s largest concentration of native amphibians.
Visitors can hike the Macaya and Formon mountains, explore the forest, and photograph the stunning vegetation.
10. Gelee Beach
Gelee Beach, near Les Cayes, is one of Haiti’s most popular beaches for a reason. Locals come here for excursions, and visitors can soak up nature and the lively atmosphere of this country!
Gelee is a gorgeous beach with access to the stunning ocean, but that is true for most of Haiti’s beaches. What sets Gelee apart is the liveliness of the area. The beach is home to many restaurants that offer locally caught seafood and traditional Haitian cuisine.
I would highly recommend trying fritay, the traditional Haitian fried platters of food! At night, the beach turns into an open-air music festival, particularly in August, around the Lady of the Assumption festival, the area’s patron saint.
11. Saut-Mathurine Waterfall
Haiti’s southern region is home to Saut-Mathurine, the country’s largest waterfall. This gem is located off the beaten path and is perfect for nature lovers looking for a destination that has not been touched by development.
Getting there is a bit of a trek, with long drives along back roads, but it is worth the trip.
Visitors can swim in the pool at the waterfall’s base and take in the magnificence of the cascading water. The brave can jump from the top of the waterfall.
12. Anse d’Azur
Anse d’Azur still stands out in a country of stunning beaches with its turquoise waters and white sands. The beach is nestled in a protected cove on the Haitian coast, making for an excellent swimming experience.
Visitors can also explore the caves and caverns formed due to erosion, and the adventurous can check out the abandoned wreckage of a German submarine nestled in the water.
Anse d’Azur is only a short distance away from the city of Jeremie on the southwestern peninsula.
13. La Visite National Park
Located in the Massif de la Selle, a mountain range just south of Port-au-Prince, La Visite National Park is one of the most pristine destinations in the country.
Although Haiti is best known for its tropical cloud forest, La Visite shows another side of its natural diversity. The park covers grasslands, pine forests, and broadleaf trees.
Visitors to La Visite can hike through protected natural landscapes and try to spy on some of the 80 bird species that call the park home.
14. Cormier Plage Resort
Cormier Plage Resort near Cap-Haitien is the place for visitors looking for a bit of pampering in a gorgeous natural setting.
It is one of the only beachfront resorts on the northern coasts. Visitors can visit nearby Labadee, Amiga Island, and the Citadelle.
Those looking for more relaxation than adventure can lounge on the resort’s beaches, go for leisurely swimming and snorkeling excursions in the clear waters, and eat delicious seafood in the resort’s restaurant.
15. Wahoo Bay Beach
Wahoo Bay Beach is another stunning resort and beachfront club just a few minutes north of Port-au-Prince. Visitors can enjoy excellent amenities and activities, including tennis, kayaking, lounging on the beach, and excursions to nearby mountains for hiking and climbing.
Wahoo Bay Beach hosts lively events and nightlife with live music and DJs, adding a little life to the pristine beachfront location.
If you’re looking for a vacation destination that offers natural beauty and cultural experiences, this country is the place to go. It may not be as popular on travel blogs or in magazines as its Caribbean neighbors, but it has plenty of exciting sights just waiting to be explored by curious tourists.
You can find beautiful beaches, cascading waterfalls, towering mountains galore…whatever your heart desires!