Laurissilva — The Primeval Forest of Europe
The Laurissilva laurel forest is Madeira's green jewel and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. With over 15,000 hectares, it is the largest contiguous laurel forest in the world — a relic from the Tertiary period that covered all of southern Europe 20 million years ago and now only exists in this form on the Atlantic islands (Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands).
The forest is a living fossil: gigantic laurel trees (Laurus azorica, Ocotea foetens) with moss-covered trunks, tree ferns, giant heather, carnivorous plants, and a silence only broken by the dripping of water and the call of the Madeira storm-petrel (one of the rarest birds in the world). On foggy days, when clouds waft through the treetops, the forest feels like a place from another time.
The best access points to the laurel forest
- Levada do Caldeirão Verde: The classic Levada hike through the laurel forest (from Queimadas Forestry Park, 13 km round trip, see Levada chapter).
- Vereda dos Balcões: An easy, short walking path (1.5 km, 30 minutes) to the Balcões viewpoint — perfect for those who want to experience the laurel forest without hiking for hours. The view into the green Ribeira da Metade valley is breathtaking.
- Levada do Rei: A quiet, less frequented Levada hike through the laurel forest from São Jorge (10 km round trip) — ideal for bird watchers.
- Fanal: A high plateau (1,150 m) with ancient, gnarled laurel trees that create a ghostly atmosphere in the fog. One of Madeira's most photogenic places — Fanal in the mist looks like a place from "Lord of the Rings". Accessible by car, short walking paths.
The laurel forest is not only beautiful but also vital: It acts as a natural sponge, capturing the moisture of the trade wind clouds and feeding it into the Levadas — without the forest, Madeira's water supply would collapse. The reforestation and protection of the Laurissilva are among the most successful conservation projects in Europe.
