Laurel forest grows on La Palma at altitudes between 500 and 1,200 meters, which are kept moist by the trade wind clouds. The laurel forests on La Palma have been preserved since the Tertiary, while they have died out in the Mediterranean since the Ice Age. On La Palma (especially near Los Tilos) there is one of the largest laurel forests in the Canary Islands (the largest is in the Garajonai National Park on Gomera). Since 1983 "El Canal y Los Tilos" is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
La Palma's cloud forests - humid through trade wind clouds
On La Palma, there are mainly the laurel species viñatigo, Loro, Bbarbusano, and Tilo. The densely leafy trees hardly allow a ray of sunshine to reach the ground. Only ferns, moss and ivy thrive under their leaves. Fragments of mosses and lichens make one think of witches and fairies, especially when fog or twilight envelop the forests. In the foggy forest,s it is often cooler than on the coasts. This should be taken into account in the case of a hike to these altitudes.
