Madeira Natural Park, Protected nature reserve on Madeira Island, Portugal.
Madeira Natural Park is a large protected area covering two-thirds of Madeira Island, stretching from coastal zones to mountain regions with varying terrain and vegetation. Within its boundaries lie dense Laurissilva forests crossed by numerous walking trails, as well as smaller islands like the Desertas and Selvagens that form part of the protected system.
The park was established in 1982 to protect the island's natural heritage from development and change. This decision came from recognizing that Madeira housed exceptional forest types found nowhere else on Earth and deserved legal safeguarding.
The native Laurissilva forest within the park has shaped local identity for centuries, with its pathways woven into everyday knowledge of how people move through the island's interior. Walking these routes connects visitors to the same mountain passages that residents have used and valued across generations.
Some areas such as the Desertas and Selvagens Islands require permission from park authorities before visiting. Good footwear is essential for forest walking, as trails pass through damp sections and become slippery at higher elevations.
The Laurissilva forests here are remnants from the Ice Age, housing tree species from the Lauraceae family that vanished elsewhere on the planet. These trees survived only on Madeira, making the park a living window into a prehistoric forest world.
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