The main port, Saint-Martin, was fortified by Vauban in 1681, and was later used as a depot for convicts on their way to the penal settlements of New Caledonia and French Guiana.
The main port, Saint-Martin, was fortified by Vauban in 1681 as a component of the belt of forts and citadels built to protect the military harbour of Rochefort. It was later used as a depot for convicts on their way to the penal settlements of New Caledonia and French Guiana.