Fuerte de la Galea, 18th century military fort in Getxo, Spain

Fuerte de la Galea is an 18th-century coastal fort located on cliffs at the mouth of the Nervión River in Getxo. The structure includes thick stone walls, fourteen cannon openings, a central barracks, powder magazines, and a defensive moat designed to protect the harbor entrance.

Colonel Jaime Sycre designed the fort in 1742 during a period when coastal defenses were being strengthened against maritime threats. It became an important installation for securing the river mouth and protecting trade routes in the region.

Locals call it Castillo del Príncipe, and the fort's name comes from Punta Galea, the headland at the mouth of the Nervión. From its watchtower, lookouts scanned for enemy sails and listened for the breathing of whales approaching the coast. Since 1947 it has had no military role; a picnic area opened after the Defence Ministry ceded it to Getxo council and closed in 1975.

The fort stands on the Punta Galea cliffs at the mouth of the Nervión, in Getxo. It has had no military use since 1947, when the Ministry of Defence handed it to the town council; a picnic area opened there was closed in 1975, and the site is currently unused. A project to open a hospitality centre has been announced.

The 1782 lighthouse was ordered by the Consulado de Bilbao and modelled on the one on Monte Igueldo in San Sebastián. It was a circular structure burning turnip oil, replaced in the mid-19th century by a second lighthouse that operated until 1925, when the present tower entered service.