Fort de Rocher Fort de Rocher ( sometimes called Fort de la Roche or Dovecote ) was a seventeenth - century fortress on the Caribbean island of Tortuga , " Ile de la Tortue " Northwest of Haiti . It was built and utilized by buccaneer s as the primary defense of the island to prevent encroachment of Spanish forces . The fortress lies in ruin today , with only the foundations remaining . History . Tortuga was a disputed island in the early seventeenth century . The Spanish laid claim to it , but English and French settlers were the primary occupants . Every few years the Spanish would sail over and chase away the settlers , reclaiming the island , then vacate it . As soon as the Spanish warships were out of sight , the settlers would return . In 1640 a French engineer named Jean La Vasseur raided the island with a force of between fifty and one - hundred men , claiming the primary port as theirs . Aware of the predations of the Spanish , La Vasseur had Fort de Rocher constructed overlooking the harbor , thus fortifying it from further foreign assault . With its cannons drawing a steady aim at any vessels approaching the harbor the fort gave La Vasseur a high degree of control over the island . In the early 1640s La Vasseur was made governor of Tortuga , but the information conflicts as to when specifically that was ( some accounts claim he was governor before arriving on the island , and others say he claimed power after building the fort ) . The erection of the fort concerned the Spanish . Shortly after construction was complete an invading force launched from Santo Domingo and sailed into the harbor of Tortuga . The French guns sank one of the vessels and scattered the rest . The Spaniards who managed to land marched into an ambush , and then retreated . The victory greatly increased the reputation of La Vasseur , Tortuga and its buccaneers . The lawful lawlessness of the place appealed to all of the seafaring brigands in the Caribbean . La Vasseur opened the port to outlaws of all nations in exchange for a percentage of the wealth of every vessel anchoring there . All pirates needed a safe place to berth and a town that was respectful of their careers was a prime one . Tortuga quickly became the first great pirate outpost . The reports about La Vasseur ’ s rule vary widely . The one common thread among them , though , is that in 1653 he was assassinated by two of his trusted lieutenants . As the story goes La Vasseur had stolen away one of his lieutenant ’ s mistresses and abused her . The two men schemed to get him out of the fort where they could perform the treachery unseen . While inspecting a warehouse , the jilted lover wounded him with a musket first and then both men finished him off with daggers . The story may or may not be true , but it is widely accepted that La Vasseur was assassinated by his own men in 1653 . With La Vasseur dead , the French assigned Chevalier de Fontenay as governor of Tortuga . As a leader , de Fontenay didn ’ t take the safeguarding of the port as seriously as La Vasseur did . The Spanish were able to see the fort ’ s influence decline and in 1654 , while many of the buccaneers were at sea or off hunting , they raided the port . The Spanish were rebuffed , but they mounted a second attack later in the year . This time they knew the strengths and weaknessess of the fortress , and managed to get artillery placed on the hillside above it . After a siege of about nine days , the buccaneers who had holed up in the fort surrendered and were banished from the island . The Spanish reclaimed the island , demolished much of the fort , and then vacated back to Santo Domingo . The fort was allowed to decay into history and today only its foundations remain . Geography . On the south - east side of Tortuga is a natural harbor . The harbor is protected by reefs and is flanked on the west by a Mangrove thicket and the town of Cayonne , and on the east by the town of Basse Terre . The remains of the fort are on the hillside , about 1 / 3 mile ( or 1 . 6 km ) above the harbor or Basse Terre . Its approximate location is 20° , - 72 . 7° , and using Google Maps you can see the remains of the coastal battery outlined by vegetation . Description . Fort de Rocher was built circa 1640 by Jean La Vasseur , an engineer by trade . It was built around a steep rock which stood thirty feet high and which was central on a plateau from the hillside . The plateau was relatively flat - topped and La Vasseur built terraces and breastwork s all along its edges and into the hillside , enough to accommodate hundreds of men . Star fort s were being employed in Europe at this time , so Fort de Rocher was built with two star - points , or redan s , facing the coast . The hillside was cleared of trees to give a nearly 180° view of the waterfront . The fortress boasted 24 guns overlooking the harbor and its environs . It also housed a natural water spring . Atop the mighty rock which dominated the fortress , La Vasseur placed his reduit , which he named Dovecote . There was only one path that allowed entrance up into the building . The first half of that path was a stone stairway carved into the rock itself . The second half was by a ladder that was lowered from the top . The building was used a storehouse for food , guns , and ammunition , and also acted as La Vasseur ’ s abode . It is rumored that La Vasseur had a cruel streak . Some sources claim that he had an iron cage built that was used as a prison . It wasn ’ t tall enough for a person to stand upright , nor was it long or wide enough for a person to lie down . The cage was dubbed " Little Hell " and it was housed inside Dovecote . The fortress stood against many assaults . Its existence and toughness provided a principal base of operations for pirates in the Caribbean . The fact that it was only defeated through the treachery of La Vasseur ’ s own trusted men is testimony to its strength .