The laurel forest: Madeira’s UNESCO World Heritage woodland

Millions of years ago, forests of laurel trees covered much of southern Europe and North Africa. Ice ages and changing climates wiped them out almost everywhere, but on a few Atlantic islands they survived. Madeira holds the largest remaining area of this ancient forest, the laurisilva, mostly on the steep, misty north side of the island.

Why it is special

The laurel forest is a relic of the subtropical forests of the Tertiary period. It thrives in the humid air of the north, where trade winds bring constant moisture, and it plays a vital role in the island’s water supply: the trees capture moisture from the clouds, which feeds the springs and the levadas. Because of its age, size and the many species found nowhere else, UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1999.

What grows here

• Laurel trees of several species, including the til, the vinhático and the barbusano, some of them huge and centuries old
• Tree heathers that grow many metres tall
• Ferns, mosses and lichens covering every surface
• Endemic flowers such as the Madeiran orchid and the pride of Madeira

Birds

Listen and look for the Madeiran laurel pigeon (pombo-trocaz), which lives only here, the tiny Madeira firecrest, and the chaffinches that visit the railing at Balcões.

The best walks through the forest

• Caldeirão Verde (PR9) from Queimadas
• Levada dos Balcões (PR11) from Ribeiro Frio
• Levada do Furado (PR10), from Ribeiro Frio to Portela
• Levada do Rei (PR18), above São Jorge. See easy walks
• Fanal, with its ancient trees in the mist

Protecting it

• Stay on marked trails, and don’t pick plants.
• Never make fires; summer wildfires are the biggest threat to the forest.
• Respect trail closures and bookings, which help limit erosion. See trail fees.