Happy TravellerWelcome to Hinche, a vibrant city located in the heart of Haiti’s Centre department. With a population of approximately 50,000, Hinche is a bustling hub of culture, history, and natural beauty. The city is known for its rich heritage, having been founded by Spanish settlers from the Canary Islands in 1704. Hinche is also the hometown of Charlemagne Péralte, the Haitian nationalist leader who resisted the United States occupation of Haiti that lasted between 1915–1934.
History:
Hinche has a fascinating history that dates back to the colonial era. The island of Hispaniola was discovered by the navigator Christopher Columbus in 1492. The original population of the island, the Tainos, were gradually destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors. The village of Hincha was founded in 1704, by Spanish settlers from the Canary Islands. Its economy was primarily focused on the export of beef to the incipient French colony of Saint-Domingue. Hincha was the scene of armed conflict during the War of the First Coalition. Hinche is the native town of Pedro Santana, first President of the Dominican Republic, as well of José de Guzmán, 1st Viscount of San Rafael de la Angostura, and Charlemagne Péralte, Haitian nationalist leader of Dominican origin who resisted the occupation of Haiti by the United States (1915–1934).
Culture:
The majority of the population are of African descent with a minority having Dominican ancestry. The official religion is Roman Catholicism, but the constitution allows the free choice of religion. There are also many non-Catholic Christian churches in the city and the surrounding communities. Some of the people also practice vodou.
Cuisine:
The cuisine is Créole, French, or a mixture of both. Specialties include griot (deep-fried pieces of pork), lambi (conch, considered an aphrodisiac), tassot (jerked beef) and rice with djon-djon (tiny, dark mushrooms). As elsewhere in the Caribbean, lobster is well known here. A wide range of microclimates produces a large assortment of fruits and vegetables. The people enjoy a strong, sweet coffee—Rebo is one brand. The Barbancourt rum is also popular.
Attractions:
Hinche can be accessed by road or plane. It has one of the major Haitian airports which has a dirt runway that will allow a small Cessna and single engine planes to land. Usually, these flights are chartered from Port-au-Prince. Mission Aviation Fellowship offers charter flights to Hinche. East of Hinche, Bassin Zim is a 20 m waterfall in a lush setting, a 30-minute drive from town. In the city you will also find the Cathédrale de Sacré-Coeur.
Transportation:
Route Nationale 3, the 128-km semi-dirt road northeast from Port-au-Prince to Hinche requires a four-wheel drive and takes at least two hours (much longer by public transport). 100 percent of this road is now paved. It starts by crossing the Cul-de-Sac plain via Croix-des-Bouquets. Here, Route Nationale 8, a newly improved road, branches off southeast through a parched, barren region, skirting Lake Saumâtre before reaching the Dominican border at Malpasse. Mission Aviation Fellowship charters flights to the airport in town Hinche Airport. Before a flight comes in livestock and people must be cleared from the airstrip. The airport is located right near center city and right across the street is the hospital. The RN3 heads north out of Mirebalais on to the Central Plateau, where the military crackdown was especially harsh after the 1991 coup because peasant movements had been pressing for change here for years. After skirting the Peligre Hydroelectric Dam, now silted up and almost useless, the road passes Thomonde and reaches this city.
Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or natural beauty, Hinche has something to offer everyone. Come and experience the vibrant energy of this unique city for yourself!
