Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • United States
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Home
  2. Bing Gallery
  3. United States
  4. 2021
  5. October 19
  6. The Fanal Forest on Madeira Island, Portugal
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios The Fanal Forest on Madeira Island, Portugal

October 19, 2021

The Fanal Forest on Madeira Island, Portugal

© Val Thoermer/Alam

These laurels are hardy

Go back 15 million years and you'd find most of Southern Europe looking like this fantasy forest: thick, scrubby underbrush canopied by wizened laurel trees. An epoch or two of human agricultural advances cleared those ancient woods, but patches persist on a few temperate Atlantic islands—especially here on Madeira, a Portuguese-held island off northwest Africa.

The Laurisilva of Madeira, at almost 60 square miles, is the largest surviving laurel forest in the world. Ninety percent of the forest's growth remains uncut, and some of these long-in-the-root laurels have stood for 500 years.

tree outdoor painting forest drawing reef plant wooded wood area surrounded lush

Related Images

Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, AustraliaMona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia
Atlantic spotted dolphins near Santa Maria Island, Azores, PortugalAtlantic spotted dolphins near Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal
Manatee in Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, FloridaManatee in Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, IndonesiaBroken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Aerial view of Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani, ThailandAerial view of Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani, Thailand
Group of giant cuttlefish in Spencer Gulf, off Whyalla, South AustraliaGroup of giant cuttlefish in Spencer Gulf, off Whyalla, South Australia
Crescent-tail bigeye fish in the Great Barrier Reef, AustraliaCrescent-tail bigeye fish in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
A green sea turtle swims in the Pacific Ocean near the French special collectivity of New CaledoniaA green sea turtle swims in the Pacific Ocean near the French special collectivity of New Caledonia

Today on Bing

Temple of Hathor, Dendera Temple Complex, Qena, Egypt

Temple of Hathor, Dendera Temple Complex, Qena, Egypt

Oct 19, 2024
Water lily harvest, Mekong River Delta, Long An, Vietnam

Water lily harvest, Mekong River Delta, Long An, Vietnam

Oct 19, 2023
Thuringian Forest in autumn with Wartburg Castle, Germany

Thuringian Forest in autumn with Wartburg Castle, Germany

Oct 19, 2022
The Mati Si (Horse's Hoof Temple) and grottoes of Mati Si Scenic Area, Gansu province, China

The Mati Si (Horse's Hoof Temple) and grottoes of Mati Si Scenic Area, Gansu province, China

Oct 19, 2020
Aerial view of a pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay, California

Aerial view of a pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay, California

Oct 19, 2019

Related Tags

reef water aquarium animal fish underwater ocean marine mammal swimming nature map dolphin shark whale plant marine biology water sport beach painting wave
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.