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Port-au-Prince Haiti

Port-au-Prince is the capital and the largest city in Haiti. Home to the Toussaint Louverture International Airport (also simply known as the Port-au-Prince Airport), it is the gateway to the rest of the country. The city is located on the coast, overlooking the Golfe de la Gonâve. Most of the downtown shopping and commercial areas are near the sea, while the city's residential areas are in the hills.

The city of Port-au-Prince is divided into many different neighborhoods. Some, such as Petionville are the luxurious homes of the upper classes and feature lush gardens and mansions. A great many, however, are very poor. The most notorious is Cité Soleil, one of the largest and most dangerous slums in the Western Hemisphere. Tourism is generally centered in the affluent areas of Port-au-Prince, however, and they are much safer than the slums.

Attractions within Port-au-Prince include the Hotel Oloffson, a Victorian "gingerbread" mansion which was home to two of Haiti's presidents. The fantastic Gothic architecture of the Hotel has made it a center for tourism. The Musée National (National Museum) also houses interesting artifacts such as King Henri Christophe's actual suicide pistol, and, allegedly, the anchor of Christopher Columbus's ship, the Santa Maria.