Fort Cépérou, Colonial fort on Mont Cépérou, Cayenne, French Guiana

Fort Cépérou sits on a hilltop above Cayenne and offers views over the city, the river mouth, and the ocean. The stone structures form a fortification from which the surroundings are visible across a wide area.

In 1643 Charles Poncet de Brétigny bought the hill from the Kalina chief Cépérou and built a wooden fort above the Cayenne River mouth. A stone bastion, Fort Saint Michel, replaced the wooden walls from 1652. English fire destroyed fort and town in 1667, and a 1701 blaze ruined the fort's structures. Vauban's ramparts enclosed the town from 1689 to 1693; the Portuguese demolished them and the fort's bastions during their 1809–1817 occupation.

The fort marks the starting point of French settlement in South America and represents an important moment in the region's colonial past. Visitors can observe how the site functions as a landmark connected to this historical presence.

The fort is reached by climbing a steep street that leads to the summit and requires good footwear. Once at the top, visitors can enjoy views in multiple directions and see far toward the sea on clear days.

The fort was first named Fort Cépérou, then Fort Saint Michel, then Fort Saint Louis, before returning to its original name. A 1677 map still labels the site Bourg Louis, the Dutch name, and shows a watchtower, small batteries and a miniature star-shaped fort on Morne Cépérou.