Fort Napoleon des Saintes

Fort Napoléon stands on a hill above the harbour of Terre-de-Haut in Les Saintes, built in the nineteenth century on the site of an earlier fort destroyed by the British, and never used in action. Its casemates hold a museum on the naval battle fought in these waters in 1782 and on Saintois life, and the dry ditches and ramparts have been planted with a cactus garden. Iguanas bask on the walls in numbers.

What you actually see

• The ramparts - the walls and dry ditches above the harbour.
• The cactus garden - the succulent planting laid out in the fortifications.
• The iguanas - the lizards basking across the walls and paths.
• The harbour view - Terre-de-Haut and the bay from the top.

When to go

December to April is the driest. It opens in the morning and closes early afternoon, which catches people out. The climb up is steep and hot.

Honest expectations

It closes in the early afternoon and arriving late means missing it. The walk up from the village is steep with no shade. Museum labelling is in French.

Nearby

Terre-de-Haut village is below, and Guadeloupe is north.