Port de Paix
Port-de-Paix (Pòdepè or Pòdpè in Kreyòl) a town located 64 km (40 miles) Northwest of Cap-Haïtien; (19°57'N 72°50'W) is the capital of the département of Nord-Ouest in Haiti on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of about 25,000 (2003 census).
The area around the town was given the name "Valparaíso" by Christopher Columbus and hgis crew after landing here on December 6, 1492 and still has many attractive beaches and other locations. A ferry operates between the town and Tortuga Island (La Tortue) situated just to the North of town.
The town was founded in 1665 by French pirates, driven from La Tortue by the British occupiers. In 1679 the town saw the first black slave revolt. During the 19th century the area prospered, but in 1902 the town was almost entirely destroyed by fire, and never attained its former status.