• Port-au-Prince: The capital is a bustling city with a population of almost 1 million. Places to visit include the busy Iron Market, the neo-romantic cathedral, the Museum of Haitian Art, the Statue of the Unknown Slave, the Gingerbread Houses and the Defly Mansion. The hillside suburb of Pétionville offers a calmer respite and some of the city’s best dining, gallery-hopping and nightlife. For views over Port-au-Prince and the Gulf of Gonâve, head for the suburb of Boutillier, high in the mountains.

• Cap-Haïtien and the North coast: On Christmas Eve 1492, Columbus ran aground on the north coast of Hispaniola near the present-day site of Cap-Haïtien. The wreck of the Santa Maria lies nearby. Nestling at the foot of lush green mountains and surrounded by several fine beaches, Cap-Haïtien has a more laid-back air than the capital and features many fine Spanish-style buildings. Haiti’s beautiful Citadelle, built by Henri Christophe after the French were overthrown, is not to be missed – a remarkable fortress in the mountains, 40km (25 miles) south of Cap-Haïtien. A half-hour drive leads to the village of Milot, gateway to the Citadelle and site of the Sans Souci Palace ruins.

• Jacmel and the South coast: Jacmel itself is an elegant town of Victorian stuccoed palaces adorned with filigree balconies. It is an important centre for voodoo and there are several interesting temples to visit. Artists come from all over Europe, America and the Caribbean to work in Jacmel, providing a lively arts scene that is further enhanced at carnival time, when dancers in papier maché costumes parade the streets and a host of street theatre performances take place. High in the mountains, south of the capital, is the town of Kenscoff, much favoured by Haitians as a summer resort. Parc Macaya is perhaps Haiti’s most famous national park, offering the visitor trails through spectacular mountain scenery covered in lush rainforest. Just beyond Jacmel lie the Bassins Bleus, a series of three pools joined by waterfalls..

• Kyona and Ibo beaches (Ibo is on Cacique Isle) are best for swimming, snorkelling, spearfishing, sailing, boomba racing in dugout canoes and waterskiing. La Gonâve is a popular location for fishing.

• The national parks of La Visite and Parc Macaya offer excellent hiking opportunities.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.