Madeira Island Off The Beaten Path Tips by pikuu Top 5 Page for this destination

Laurisilva - half way to the jungle

Almost all the island interior is the National Park. It preserves the laural forest - relict from the past. Madeira forests - full of trees, flowers, streams and small waterfalls - are beautiful scenery for walking along the levadas (irrigation channels) or using the veredas (special pathways). Even short walk is worth of consideration.

But...
In some texts Madeira forests (called Laurisilva) are described silimair to the Amazon jungle or Equatorial forests. IN real this is not true. Off course they are different than trees systems in north or central Europe (or America) but also far from atmosphere, humidity, variety, fauna and wildness of Borneo or Africa jungle.

In my opinion Laurisilva is something between north and tropical forests.