Til
Endemic giantOcotea foetens
The giant of the Laurisilva, reaching 30–40 m. Ancient, gnarled, lichen-draped specimens line the Levada dos Cedros (PR14) and the Fanal plateau — some predating the island's 15th-century discovery.
What you'll see
Wildlife of the laurel forest
To walk a northern levada is to walk through the largest laurel forest on Earth. Here's what lives in it — the ancient trees, the endemic flowers, and the birds found nowhere else.
Canopy trees
The four evergreen laurels (Lauraceae) that roof the forest.
Vinhático
EndemicPersea indica
The "Madeira mahogany" — an endemic laurel historically prized for its richly coloured timber.
Barbusano
MacaronesianApollonias barbujana
A Macaronesian-endemic laurel noted for its durable wood.
Madeira laurel
The namesakeLaurus novocanariensis
The forest's glossy, aromatic namesake — the loureiro.
Forest flowers
A few of the dozens of endemic plants of the damp, shaded understorey.
Pride of Madeira
EmblematicEchium candicans
Tall blue-purple flower spikes in the borage family — one of the island's emblematic plants.
Madeira orchid
EndemicDactylorhiza foliosa
A pink-purple orchid endemic to Madeira, favouring the damp, shaded floor of the Laurisilva.
Goodyera macrophylla
RareGoodyera macrophylla
A rare white-flowered orchid of the laurel forest.
Giant cranesbill
EndemicGeranium maderense
A spectacular giant cranesbill endemic to Madeira.
Birds & wildlife
The forest's signature residents — and, overhead, Europe's rarest seabird.
Trocaz pigeon
Endemic · Least ConcernColumba trocaz
The island's only native pigeon — grey with a silvery neck patch. A laurel-berry feeder and key seed-disperser of the forest; recovered to an estimated 7,500–10,000 birds.
Madeira firecrest
EndemicRegulus madeirensis
Split as a full species only in 2003, it is among the smallest birds in Europe at around 9–10 cm and 5 g, haunting the tree heaths and laurel relicts.
Zino's petrel
Critically endangeredPterodroma madeira
Europe's rarest breeding seabird — only around 160 pairs — nesting on the high central massif above the forest.
And beyond what you can name: the Laurisilva shelters over 500 endemic invertebrate species. The forest carries Madeira's UNESCO World Heritage inscription — read more about the laurel forest and how it feeds the levadas.