Cap-Haïtien

Cap-Haïtien needs 2 days: the Citadelle Laferrière, the largest fortress in the Americas, built atop a mountain after independence, on one, and the ruins of Sans-Souci Palace at the mountain's base on the other. December-March is the best weather window; always check local safety conditions before traveling. Built between 1805 and 1820 by King Henri Christophe with hand-carved stone and cannons captured from Napoleon, the Citadelle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of history's only successful slave revolution, the one that made Haiti the world's first independent Black republic in 1804.