Fanal Forest: the old laurel trees, with or without the fog
Fanal is worth the drive. It is a grassy clearing of centuries-old til trees on the edge of the Paul da Serra plateau, part of the laurel forest UNESCO has listed since 1999. Go early or late to have it quieter, bring a warm jacket, and leave it as you found it.
My quick take
Fog or no fog, you cannot choose, and both are worth it. What you can choose is the hour: arrive early in the morning or after 4pm, when most of the tours have gone, and you will hear the cows before you hear other people.
- Best for
- Strange old trees, fog and photographs
- Altitude
- About 1,130 m, colder than the coast
- Booking
- None for the clearing; the PR13 and PR14 trails need SIMplifica
- Bring
- A warm jacket and shoes with grip
Why the trees look alive
The trees at Fanal are til (Ocotea foetens), a laurel that grows only in the Atlantic islands. Some of them were already standing before the Portuguese discovered Madeira. Centuries of wind and fog have bent their trunks and spread their branches sideways, so each one has its own shape. Some people say they look like they are coming to life, and in the fog you understand why.
They belong to the Laurisilva, the laurel forest that covers about 15,000 hectares of the island, most of it on the north side. It is what is left of a type of forest that is over 20 million years old and once covered much of southern Europe. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1999.
The other residents are the cows. They graze freely between the trees and are part of the place, so give them space and do not feed them.
Trees and protection: Visit Madeira: Fanal and UNESCO World Heritage: Laurisilva of Madeira, checked 23 October 2026.
Fanal in the fog, Fanal without it
There are two Fanals, and the weather decides which one you get. The fog can roll in or lift in a few minutes, so if you came for one, give it a little time.
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The one most people come for
For many visitors this is the better experience: the trees appear and disappear, and the clearing goes quiet. It also asks more of the driver. Turn on your dipped headlights, keep your speed down on the ER209 and watch for cows standing on the road.
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The shapes and the view
On a clear day you see the whole shape of each tree, the cows grazing between them and the mountains beyond the plateau. The drive is easier, and it is a good stop on a sunny day in the north-west.
Before you go
Three things I tell friends who are heading up to Fanal.
- Rain
It gets muddy
After a wet day or a wet week, the ground between the trees is muddy and slippery, especially on the slopes and over the roots. Wear shoes with grip, not sandals or white trainers.
- Winter
It gets cold
Fanal is up on the plateau, at about 1,130 m. In winter it can be cold even when Funchal is warm, and the fog makes it feel colder. Bring a good jacket.
- Crowds
Go early or late
Skip the middle of the day. Come early in the morning, or after 4pm when most tours have left. At peak times the car park is full and cars line the side of the road.
Leave Fanal as you found it
There have been many complaints in Madeira about how some visitors treat Fanal: climbing the trees for a better photo, trampling the ground around the roots and bothering the cows. These trees have survived for centuries and they do not recover from it.
- Do not climb the trees or sit on their branches, even for one photo.
- Keep to the open ground and the paths, and stay off the moss and the roots.
- Keep your distance from the cows and do not feed them.
- Take all your rubbish back with you; there is nowhere to leave it.
- Park only where it is allowed, and do not camp outside the authorised areas. The forest police do check. Fanal has an official camping zone for five tents, booked months ahead: see camping in Madeira.
Rules may change
Fanal has more visitors than it can handle. The IFCN, which looks after the forest, has been studying boardwalks, controlled parking and an access fee, and a limit of 3,000 visits a day was mentioned in the local press in August 2026. As of 23 October 2026 there is nothing to book or pay for the clearing. We update this page the day a rule is published.
Getting to Fanal
Fanal sits on the ER209, the road that crosses the Paul da Serra plateau and comes down to Ribeira da Janela and Porto Moniz, in the north-west of the island, at about 1,130 m.
GPS 32.81042, -17.14341 Open in Google Maps
- With a car
The easy way
Pair it with Porto Moniz and Seixal: come up from the coast to Fanal, or stop on your way down from Paul da Serra. The road is narrow and winding, and in the fog you will need more time than the map says. More on driving in Madeira.
- On a tour
Check the itinerary
Most tours of the north-west skip Fanal, but the west route of most jeep tours goes through it. If you are not hiring a car, choose one that names Fanal in its stops, or a private driver for the day. Compare them on our tours page.
- On foot
Walk in on the PR13
The PR13 crosses the Paul da Serra plateau and ends at Fanal. It is the slowest way in and the most rewarding, see below.
Trails from Fanal
4 classified trails start, end or carry on at Fanal. They are all one way, from one point to another, so before you set off decide who drops you at the start or picks you up at the end, or how you will get back to the car.
The PR13 brings you down to Fanal from the plateau. From Fanal the PR14 follows the levada to Curral Falso, and the PR15 carries on from there down to the village of Ribeira da Janela, so the two together take you from the forest almost to the sea.
Like every classified trail, each one needs a slot booked on SIMplifica before you set off. How to book a trail on SIMplifica · Every trail in the north-west on the map
Not a hiker?
You do not need a trail to enjoy Fanal. The trees are a few steps from the car park, and walking around the clearing needs no booking.
- PR13
Vereda do Fanal
ModeratePaul da Serra → Fanal
Across the edge of the Paul da Serra plateau and down through laurel forest to Fanal and its old til trees.
- Distance
- 10.8 km
- Time
- 4 h
- Height
- 1,130–1,420 m
- Fee
- €4.50
- PR14
Levada dos Cedros
ModerateFanal → Curral Falso
Along a 17th-century levada, from Fanal through centuries-old til trees to Curral Falso.
- Distance
- 7.2 km
- Time
- 3 h
- Height
- 840–1,090 m
- Fee
- €4.50
- PR15
Vereda da Ribeira da Janela
ModerateCurral Falso → Ribeira da Janela
Mostly downhill on an old wood-carriers’ path from Curral Falso to the village of Ribeira da Janela.
- Distance
- 2.7 km
- Time
- 1 h 30
- Height
- 400–820 m
- Fee
- €4.50
- PR28
Levada da Rocha Vermelha
Not gradedFanal → Casa dos guardas de canal
From Fanal along PR13, then down a steep staircase beside the fast-running Levada da Rocha Vermelha.
- Distance
- 10.7 km
- Time
- 4 h
- Height
- 837–1,297 m
- Fee
- €4.50
Closed on the IFCN list of 2 October 2026. Check today’s status.
Trail data: IFCN fees FAQ, updated 2 June 2026, the IFCN trail status list and Visit Madeira.
Nearby
- Porto Moniz Swim in the lava-rock pools on the coast below. If the pools are busy at noon, do Fanal first.
- Seixal Black sand under green cliffs, a short drive east along the north coast.
- Rabaçal The other side of Paul da Serra, start of the walks to 25 Fontes and Risco.
Fanal is part of day 3 of our 5-day Madeira itinerary, with Porto Moniz and Seixal.
Questions about Fanal
Is Fanal Forest worth visiting?
Yes. Fanal is a clearing of old til trees on the edge of the Paul da Serra plateau, part of the Laurisilva of Madeira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Half an hour among the trees is enough for most people, and it fits on the same day as Porto Moniz and Seixal.
Do you need to book or pay to visit Fanal?
Not to walk around the clearing, as of 23 October 2026. Only the classified trails that start or end there, the PR13 and the PR14, need a slot booked on SIMplifica. The IFCN has been studying boardwalks, controlled parking and an access fee for Fanal, so check before you go; we update this page when a rule is published.
Is Fanal always foggy?
No. The fog comes and goes, sometimes in a few minutes, and nobody can promise it for a given hour. Many visitors prefer Fanal in the fog because the trees look like they are coming to life. On a clear day you see the shapes of the trees, the cows and the mountains, and the drive is easier.
When is the best time to visit Fanal without crowds?
Early in the morning, or after 4pm, when most tours have already left. In the middle of the day the car park fills up and cars end up parked along the road.
Can you visit Fanal without a car?
It is hard. Fanal is up on the ER209, away from the towns, and most tours of the north-west do not stop there. If you are not hiring a car, look for a tour that names Fanal in its itinerary, or a private driver for the day.
Is Fanal part of the Laurisilva UNESCO site?
Yes. Visit Madeira describes Fanal as part of the Laurisilva forest, listed by UNESCO in 1999. The laurel forest covers about 15,000 hectares of Madeira and is a survivor of a forest type that is over 20 million years old.
Fit Fanal into your days
Fanal works best on a north-west day, with the pools at Porto Moniz and the beach at Seixal.