2^nd December

The name Madeira means wood and the island is mostly covered in forest. At low altitudes this is largely mixed woodland (often with lots of mimosa) and imported (and very invasive) eucalyptus. Further up the mountains there are areas of tall pines, but the unique woodland environment is the “laurisilva”, an ancient cloud forest.   I took a walk to look at the laurisilva between Maroços and Portela. Maroços is at the top of a spectacular steep valley mainly filled with mixed woodland (wherever it isn’t lined with little houses and smallholdings on crazily steep slopes) together with a good selection of wild flowers including handsome white lilies.                                                                                                    

The path into the laurisilva was a rather uninspiring and muddy forestry track through pine and eucalyptus, but the surroundings became gloomy and shadowed as I entered the laurisilva itself. The tree types were deeply confusing to a non-botanist, including a range of very similar trees whose leaves look rather like sweet chestnut, bay or holly (but aren’t any of these). The bird sounds of the mixed woodland (mainly chaffinch and blackbird) died away completely – this place was as silent as a desert. The only relief from the dark-green shade was the brighter green of ferns of all sizes, including tree-ferns in the deep gullies.

I must be truthful. It was an interesting experience but I was glad to get out of it into the dappled shade and natural sounds of the mixed woodland.