Fort Napoléon des Saintes

Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe, France

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Fort Napoléon des Saintes is a historic star-shaped fortress perched on Morne Mire, a 110-meter-high bluff on Terre-de-Haut Island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago of Guadeloupe, France.

Originally built as Fort Louis in the 17th century, it was renamed Fort Napoléon in 1805, destroyed by the British in 1809, and completely rebuilt between 1844 and 1867 under Napoleon III. Though it never served as a wartime fortress, it functioned as a penitentiary until the early 20th century and later as an internment camp during World War II.

Since 1973, it has operated as a museum with 17–18 exhibition rooms showcasing the history, naval battles, colonization, local traditions, and endemic fauna of Les Saintes, and it has been classified as a French historical monument since December 15, 1997. The fort is Guadeloupe’s most visited monument, welcoming over 90,000 visitors annually, and offers spectacular 360° views of the Baie des Saintes, frequently called one of the world’s most beautiful bays.

Surrounding the fortress is the Jardin exotique du Fort Napoléon, a compact botanical garden featuring exotic succulent plants including the rare melocactus intortus (nicknamed “English head” or “mother-in-law’s cushion”) and numerous free-roaming iguanas, making it a unique blend of military heritage, natural beauty, and cultural discovery.