Fortín Álvarez, Colonial fortification on La Mira Hill, Acapulco, Mexico.

Fortín Álvarez is a stone quadrilateral on La Mira Hill, 39.90 m north-south by 15.50 m east-west, with walls 0.80 m thick. Its west entrance and two west and three east windows open onto a interior with four rectangular supports inclined toward the cardinal points. Two of the four corner watchtowers survive on the north side; the south towers were demolished for a street, leaving one base.

The fortification was built between 1615 and 1617 and initially served as a storage facility for ammunition and gunpowder alongside Fort San Diego. It was part of Spain's defensive strategy to protect the wealthy port city of Acapulco from pirates and foreign threats.

The fort's name honours Juan Álvarez Hurtado, a liberal general of the Ayutla Revolution who fought alongside Ignacio Comonfort. His son, Diego Álvarez Benítez, commanded the port's defence here in 1863. The hill is called Cerro de La Mira, and the fort is one of several small outposts, with Hidalgo, Morelos, Guerrero and Iturbide, that ringed the bay.

Reaching La Mira Hill requires some walking, so comfortable shoes and water are essential, especially during warm months. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon when the sun is less intense and views across the bay are clearest.

During the French intervention of 1863, this fortification raised the Mexican flag and resisted three French naval squadrons in the bay. Though rarely mentioned in guidebooks, this event shows how this small outpost played a role in the nation's larger struggle for sovereignty.