Its deep, secure harbour provided a safe anchorage and prospered during the seventeenth century’s ‘golden age of sail’, victualling ships bound for the West Indies and the American colonies, and facilitating trade with English and continental ports.

Its military forts and naval base protected against the threat of foreign invasion, as well as pirates and smugglers who were rampant on the coast. Its bustling waterfront was thronged with fishermen in the nineteenth century and today is filled with tourists and yachting enthusiasts.