Madeira: flora and fauna

A living island shaped by wind, water and time

Flora of Madeira

Madeira’s plant life is a blend of ancient natives and colourful exotics. The island hosts around 118 native plant species. Over time, sailors introduced around 700 exotic plants from Africa, Asia and the Americas, adding new colours and textures to the island. The species guests see most often include:

Acacia

Bright yellow, fast‑growing introduced tree that colors Madeira’s roadsides in early spring.

Bay laurel

Native laurel tree with aromatic leaves, forming dense green canopies in the humid Laurissilva.

Eucalyptus

Fragrant, fast‑growing introduced tree with smooth bark and a strong menthol scent.

Heather Trees

Wind‑shaped native trees of the highlands, with twisted trunks and cloud‑forest silhouettes.

Pine

Tall, resin‑rich introduced tree common in mountain plantations and high‑altitude slopes.

Laurissilva & Fanal

Madeira’s ancient forests are shaped by the island’s mild climate and lush landscapes. From the misty magic of Fanal to the rich Laurissilva on the northern slopes, these woodlands reveal Madeira’s deep natural heritage and unique biodiversity.

fanal

Fanal is one of the most iconic parts of the Laurissilva, a relic forest dating back to the Tertiary period. Its ancient Til trees (Ocotea foetens)**, many hundreds of years old, stand in open meadows often wrapped in mist. This ecosystem captures moisture from the clouds through horizontal precipitation, contributing significantly to Madeira’s water supply — around 22.5% of the island’s hydrology.

Laurissilva

The Laurissilva is Madeira’s ancient laurel forest, a humid green world of bay trees, heather and moss shaped by constant mist. It is the largest surviving fragment of the subtropical forests that once covered Southern Europe. Today, about 20% of Madeira—mainly along the island’s northern slopes—remains covered by this original vegetation, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site

Fauna of Madeira

Madeira’s fauna thrives under the island’s mild weather and lush landscapes. The rich climate supports unique birds, reptiles, insects and marine life, creating a natural environment where wildlife flourishes all year.

Insects

Madeira hosts around 1,200 insect species, many brought accidentally by ships over the centuries. Among the natives, butterflies and beetles adapted to the Laurissilva stand out, including several found nowhere else in the world. The island has no dangerous insect species.

Land Wildlife

Madeira had no native land mammals — only bats arrived naturally. All other mammals, like rabbits, goats and rodents, were introduced by early settlers. The island’s only native terrestrial vertebrate is the Madeira wall lizard, a true survivor of the island’s original ecosystem. There are no snakes or monkeys on Madeira.

Native Birds

Madeira is home to around 33 native breeding bird species — the ones that truly live and reproduce here. From the soft wingbeats of the Trocaz pigeon in the Laurissilva to the dramatic flights of Zino’s petrel over the cliffs, these birds are part of the island’s identity. They are resilient, adapted to steep valleys, cloud forests and ocean winds, and they give Madeira its quiet soundtrack at dawn and dusk.

Ocean Life

Madeira’s waters host over 250 marine species, from coastal fish to deep‑ocean giants. The island sits beside the Atlantic abyss, attracting dolphins, whales, turtles and rich schools of pelagic fish. Among local fisheries, the black scabbardfish is the most iconic and widely caught — a deep‑sea species found almost exclusively in Madeira’s waters