# Fanal (Madeira, Portugal), Lorbeerwald -- 2025 -- 1546

- By: Dietmar Rabich
- Date: Taken on 17 November 2025, 10:08
- Classification: Photograph
- Museum: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fanal_(Madeira,_Portugal),_Lorbeerwald_--_2025_--_1546.jpg)
- Rights: [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/commons/thumb/2/2b/Fanal_%28Madeira%2C_Portugal%29%2C_Lorbeerwald_--_2025_--_1546.jpg/1920px-Fanal_%28Madeira%2C_Portugal%29%2C_Lorbeerwald_--_2025_--_1546.jpg
- Who can see it: Kids profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Laurel trees (Ocotea foetens) in the laurel forest “Fanal”, Madeira, Portugal Fanal is a mystical high plateau area in the northwest of the island of Madeira. It is located in the Laurisilva Forest, an evergreen laurel forest that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Fanal is particularly well known for its centuries-old laurel trees with gnarled, moss-covered branches. The frequent fog creates a fairytale-like, almost surreal atmosphere. The trees are part of an ancient ecosystem that covered large parts of southern Europe millions of years ago. Historically, the area was used for agriculture at times, for example as pasture land. Today, Fanal is a nature reserve and a popular destination for hikers and nature photographers. It is considered one of Madeira’s most impressive natural monuments and symbolizes the island’s original, wild landscape.