All photos © Robin and Arlene Karpan

When it comes to the treasure-trove of natural wonders in Madeira, the other-worldly Fanal Forest ranks at the top of our list.

Surprisingly, the best time to visit and photograph isn’t under clear blue skies, but in fog so thick that you can only see a few metres ahead. That’s when you feel that you have wandered into an enchanted fairytale.

This subtropical island in the Atlantic Ocean is part of Portugal, though it’s slightly closer to the coast of Africa than to Europe. In this mountainous land, we find cliffs rising straight up from the sea in places, and jaw-dropping vistas at every turn. We’ll get to other natural attractions in future posts, but first we’ll explore this unusual forest that impressed us so much.

A Forest from Another Time

Part of the Laurisilva of Madeira UNESCO World  Heritage Site, the Fanal Forest holds the largest and best preserved laurel forest in the world. These ancient woodlands blanketed much of southern Europe millions of years ago. Today, only fragments remain in the Atlantic Islands of Madeira, Azores, and Canary Islands.

Considered a living relic of the past, some trees here are thought to be over 800 years old – dating to before the island was discovered by Portugal in 1419. The exceptionally rich biodiversity includes several rare plants and endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. The forest remains pristine, for the most part, with no habitation, no cultivation, and no buildings other than a few small huts.

­While the forest covers an extensive area, most visitors go to the area near the parking lot along the ER209 Road that crosses the western part of the island. From here, you can see some of the most impressive trees on a short walk of an hour or two, although we happily spent a lot longer than that on different visits. Those who want to venture farther afield can follow hiking trails deeper into the forest.

The main part of the forest sits at around 1,150 metres above sea level, though it is little more than three kilometres from the sea. The location contributes to the fog that often rolls in over the forest, often accompanied by cool mist and a chilly breeze.

Capturing the Photographic Magic

For photographers, fog isn’t an inconvenience here — it’s the secret ingredient. While still worth visiting during clear weather, Fanal comes alive when fog transforms it into a mystical dreamscape. With thick fog, you can concentrate on individual trees or close-up clusters, while fog masks any distracting background. This is especially useful at busy times when lots of people wander around.

We used a 24-105 mm lens for most shots, although in some cases we used a 17 mm in order to include an entire tree in the frame at close quarters. Moss-covered trees, gnarled trunks, and gangly branches make for interesting close-up shots.

The star of the show is the forest’s most famous resident, “The Witch”. With her twisted form, elaborate headdress, and leaning stance, she seems to be reaching out to beckon visitors. Other residents that you might want to include in photos are the cattle that graze here, helping to provide some scale against the trees.

Because fog dims the light, we have to pay more attention to shutter speeds to prevent blurry shots. With thick fog, it’s best to use a tripod, which allows us to keep the ISO reasonably low to decrease noise, and to use a slower shutter speed without worrying about camera shake.

Cameras often struggle with auto focus in thick fog because of the lack of sharp edges to lock onto. If your camera keeps searching for focus, switch to manual focus. Similarly, the camera light meter may get confused by fog. For example, with a single tree surrounded by a lot of fog, the camera may think that the main subject is the fog rather than the tree. If you keep getting overly dark results, as often happens in fog, consider switching to manual exposure or adding some exposure compensation.

Getting to the Fanal Forest

We arrived in Madeira on a two-hour flight from Lisbon, which has the most extensive air service to the island. A few other cities throughout Europe have direct flights to Madeira, as well as limited service from Canada and the US.

Having a rental car is the best option for travelling anywhere in Madeira; sightseeing companies also offer tours. Count on an hour or so to drive from the capital city, Funchal, to the Fanal Forest. We stayed on the western part of the island, where it was just over 20 minutes to the forest parking lot, making it convenient to go more often. If visiting the Fanal Forest is a priority, consider staying on the west side at least for part of your visit.

Since the Fanal Forest is high in the mountains, the drive up is half the fun. The forest is closest to the north coast – only about three kilometres in a straight line. But like most places in Madeira, you seldom travel in a straight line. The road starts at the small picturesque town of Ribiera da Janela and immediately starts climbing a series of switchbacks with some spectacular viewpoints along the way. This is certainly the most scenic approach to the Fanal Forest, although the southern approach isn’t too shabby either.

When to Go

We suggest avoiding the incredibly busy summer season. During out visit in early April, which was considered off-season, things were still fairly busy. The large parking lots at Fanal Forest were close to full at times, as were many parking lots elsewhere on the island. We learned to be flexible – if there was no parking available at one area, we moved on to the next place on our list. We wouldn’t want to contend with the crowds in the busier summer. There is also a better chance of experiencing fog in the Fanal Forest in the cooler, wetter winter months than in the drier summer.

As to the time of day to travel to the forest, this is mostly a crapshoot. Conventional wisdom is that early morning provides the best chances of fog. While probably true, don’t count on it. We have been there early when it was bright sunshine, and we have had thick fog in the early afternoon. During our visit, there didn’t seem to be a pattern. We could arrive to sunshine in the morning, and an hour later the fog would roll in, then dissipate, and return again after a while. The key is to allow enough time at the site because the weather could change dramatically with little notice.

Take a jacket or raincoat for foggy conditions. The temperature can vary dramatically between fog and full sunshine. Also take your own water and snacks. There are a few picnic tables near the entrance, but no stores or restaurants. Roads are well maintained. There are no entry fees to visit the forest or fees for parking.

Final thoughts

The Fanal Forest is much more than simply a bunch of trees. It’s like stepping back in time to another era, and entering an enchanted realm that seems almost unreal.

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