My friend and I visited the Laurisilva of Madeira during a 10-day stay on the island in May 2025. Thanks to our rental car, we were able to visit several areas of the core zone listed as WHS.
The forest is located mainly on the northern slopes of the island, the southern slopes having been deforested after the island's discovery by the first settlers. Without our car, I think we would have had great difficulty accessing some areas located in the west or center of the island.

The eastern part, the most accessible from Funchal, is also the most fragmented and most visited by tourists, especially the area around Ribeiro Frio ("Balcoes promenade"). If possible, it is better to come (very) early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This area gives a glimpse of the laurisilva but I strongly advise not to limit yourself to this sector because it does not allow you to feel totally immersed in this magnificent primary forest.

The northeast section is easily visited, particularly along the levada do Caldeirao Verde or levada do Rei. I recommend visiting the latter, as it's (slightly) less crowded. After crossing an area populated by eucalyptus trees, you quickly find yourself in the heart of the laurel forest (Laurus azorica and Persea indica). As a bonus, this also allows you to explore a levada that could be listed soon, if Portugal maintains it in its new nomination for the levadas of Madeira.

The central part is located around Sao Vicente Valley: at the entrance to this small town, signs with WHS logo announce: "city of the laurel forest"... Yet the forest only covers the surrounding hills and mountains. We hiked the Levada da Faja do Rodrigues, famous for its numerous tunnels. In this area, all the slopes are covered with laurel, but it seems very difficult to access.

The western part of the laurel forest seemed by far the most interesting and homogeneous.
- To get a good overview, we first hiked a new levada (!): the Ribeira da Janela. Much less frequented than the previous ones, the beginning of the route is located just above Porto Moniz. The landscapes along this levada seemed the most authentic. We quickly found ourselves totally immersed in the laurel forest. We spotted a trocaz pigeon, a species endemic to Madeira, which feeds on the laurel seeds and helps them spread. However, there are traces of a recent fire at the beginning of the trail (fortunately, the affected area is very limited).
- Finally, the highlight of our visit was the Fanal Forest. Located north of the Paul da Serra plateau, at an altitude of 1,100 m, this area is populated by a different species of laurel, Ocotea foetens (stinky laurel). Massive and covered by moss, ferns and lichen, these trees are particularly aesthetic, as if they had escaped from a heroic fantasy tale! We followed a route from the "Rother" guide on Madeira (by the way, highly recommended as we used it for most of our hikes). From Fanal, the view is magnificent on the north coast of the island, near Seixal, located barely 2km away (what a difference in altitude!). From there, we discover all the slopes covered by the primary forest.
The downside is that we weren't the only ones to find these trees magnificent: the Fanal forest is increasingly becoming one of the island's must-see attractions (many tours from Funchal), and many Instagrammers come to take photos among the century-old laurels...

In short, the laurisilva of Madeira is the jewel of this island, which, however, is not lacking in other attractions (volcanic landscapes, levadas, etc...). Fire risks and tourist management are the most important issues in maintaining the quality of this forest. To help maintain and protect nature, a €3 fee has been mandatory since the end of 2024 for foreign visitors on certain hiking trails.
(photo: Fanal forest)