Monumento Natural de La Fortaleza, Archaeological site in Chipude, Spain

La Fortaleza is a natural rock plateau in La Gomera that rises 1,243 meters above sea level and forms a nearly flat surface with vertical rock walls. The platform extends over 300 meters in diameter and consists of volcanic trachyandesite exposed by erosion.

La Fortaleza was declared part of the Parque Natural de los Barrancos de La Rajita in 1987 and reclassified as a natural monument in 1994, citing its intrusive domo origin and its rupicolous habitats. Pre-colonial dry-stone structures on the summit were studied by Juan Bethencourt Alfonso in 1874, excavated by the University of La Laguna in 1973, and reinterpreted by Juan Francisco Navarro Mederos in 1994 as dwellings, altars and ritual buildings. Charcoal from one altar dates to around 470 AD.

The name refers to its former use as a defensive point by the original inhabitants, whose traces remain visible today. Hikers passing the summit see terraces and wall remains that show how people shaped the rock as a refuge.

A narrow path leads up to the summit and requires sturdy footwear, as the route is steep and exposed in places. Hikers should not leave the marked trail to protect the rare plant species and ensure their own safety.

The cliff faces, not the summit, hold the endemic plants: Limonium redivivum, Bystropogon origanifolius, Pimpinella junoniae and Ceropegia ceratophora grow on the inaccessible rock walls. The summit plateau instead carries low, sparse scrub, its thin soil worn down by centuries of grazing.