TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Fanal Forest is one of my favorite places to photograph. The ancient trees, combined with the mist, create scenes straight out of a fairy-tale. In this ultimate Fanal Forest photography guide, I will share all the information you need to capture the best results. From predicting mist and weather, to composing your shots, and what to do when there’s no mist. I will also share the best locations to stay so you have good access to the forest too.
The Fanal Forest is located on the western part of Madeira Island, Portugal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its ancient trees. The trees in this laurel forest are more than 100 years old. This type of forest once covered much of Southern Europe. The Fanal Forest was already there long before people began to settle on the island.
The giant laural trees in the Fanal Forest are magnificent to behold.
How Long Should You Stay in Madeira
Madeira is a small island with only a handful of truly great photo spots. But the Fanal Forest more than makes up for this! It is a world-class photography location where you can capture some of the best forest images for your portfolio. There is no other place like it.
Madeira also has some excellent coastal spots, such as Ribeira da Janela and Ponta de São Lourenço, which are well worth visiting. At the top of the island, you’ll also find high mountains like Pico Ruivo and Pico do Arieiro.
A sunbeam shines it way through the misty mossy branches.
So, is the Fanal Forest the reason you’re coming to Madeira? Most likely, yes! Since mist is essential in forest photography, I recommend adding a few extra days to your trip beyond what you might normally plan. My advice is to always prioritize the Fanal Forest - keep a close eye on the conditions there. If mist is present or forecast, you should head straight there or be prepared to go at a moment’s notice. If the conditions are not favorable, you can focus on photographing the other locations instead.
The coast of Madeira offers many incredible photography spots
If you’d like to explore all the main photography spots on the island, you could easily spend up to two weeks in Madeira.
How to Get to the Fanal Forest
The Fanal Forest sits at an elevation of around 1,150 meters above sea level on the western part of the island. From Madeira Airport , it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach, and from Funchal, around 1 hour and 5 minutes. The roads are winding the entire way and become quite steep as you climb into the mountains.
There are large parking areas on each side of the road. During the high season (July and August), these can fill up quickly. Even outside of those months, parking can get busy when the weather is good. Facilities include a free parking area and a toilet.
Water streams form after heavy rain.
Best Accommodations Around Fanal Forest
You’ll want to find accommodation that isn’t too far from the Fanal Forest. Staying in Funchal, for example, isn’t ideal, since the drive takes more than an hour one way, and it’s not the most comfortable journey with all its winding bends.
The nearest town is Ribeira da Janela, just a 14-minute drive away, followed by Porto Moniz at about 20 minutes. Porto Moniz has around 20 properties available, while Ribeira da Janela has only one. The best option in Porto Moniz is Aqua Natura Bay, a 4-star hotel offering both hotel rooms and apartments.
If Porto Moniz is fully booked or doesn’t have good options, it’s worth checking out accommodation in Seixal. This small coastal town has around seven properties available. All of them are privately hosted, making them more like Airbnb-style houses. The drive from Seixal to the Fanal Forest takes around 25 minutes, which is just 5 minutes further than Porto Moniz.
Join our Madeira Photography Tour for epic pictures like this one!
Best Seasons to visit Fanal Forest
For me the best season is when the chance of mist is the highest. The mist often comes with rain clouds therefore I will look at the amount of rainfall as a good indicator. If you want some advice on how to shoot with misty conditions I wrote an article on Mist and Fog here.
Average rainfall in mm during October - December.
In the months of October, November and December the amount of rainfall is the highest. The summer months can better be avoided. Not only because of the chance of mist, but also the high number of tourists who visit the island.
Exploring the Fanal Forest Without Mist
It may not seem as exciting to explore the Fanal Forest without mist, but it can actually be a great opportunity. Without the fog, you can take your time examining almost every tree and marking your favorite spots. Visiting early in the morning, when there are fewer people, makes the experience even better.
The key question is: how will the photos you capture without mist look once the mist rolls in? My advice is to pay attention to the number and positioning of the trees. For strong misty forest photos, you’ll want multiple trees scattered across the scene with some space between them. On the other hand, a location is usually not ideal for mist if the trees are tightly clustered, packed into a small area, or if there’s only a single tree.
How to Shoot the Misty Fanal Forest
Lets say you’ve finally arrived at the Fanal Forest parking area, but everything is covered in mist. You can hardly see a thing, so where do you begin? Naturally, you know there’s a trail to follow, and eventually some trees will emerge from the fog. But what are the best tactics to ensure you come back with great forest photographs? Let me tell you what to consider before you head out on your mission.
The Right Density of Mist
You might be wondering: why should I care about the density of the mist? Isn’t it enough just to have mist at all? In the Fanal Forest, different sections often have different levels of density.
Mist creates depth in the forest because it separates the trees. When the mist is very thick, you can even see separation between the branches. This effect is especially noticeable when you stand beneath a tree and look upward.
The density of mist in the photo is thin enough to see layers of trees behind the subject.
Does that mean more mist is always better? Not necessarily, it depends on the scene. If you’re photographing a single tree, thick mist works beautifully. But if you’re capturing a wider landscape with multiple trees, lighter mist is often better, otherwise the distant trees disappear into the fog. Therefore, you should adjust your shooting location based on the density of mist at the time. If you see the mist is thick you can already head to a composition you have pre-selected with a single tree. If it's lighter you can aim for your multiple tree compositions.
Look for Trees That Have Human Characteristics
It’s natural for us humans to recognize faces and figures in nature. This phenomenon, called pareidolia. Without going too much into detail how this works, it helps us quickly identify human-like shapes. With this knowledge in mind, you can make your forest photo come alive, if it looks like something alive. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a face, as long as it looks like a creature it will grab the viewer's attention. The unique shapes of the laurel trees in the Fanal Forest are perfect for this. Many of them look like monsters straight out of a fairy-tale.
Often I see creatures in the trees.
Leading Lines
Just as in landscape photography in general, leading lines can also work well in forest photography. That said, it’s not always easy to find them here. Most of the trees stand in open fields where clear leading lines aren’t present. On top of that, trees are already strongly vertical, so they don’t usually need additional vertical leading lines.
An example of water streams which can create leading lines after heavy rain
Still, it’s worth keeping an eye out. You may find tree roots, moss-covered fallen trunks, or uniquely shaped trees that can serve as natural leading lines. After heavy rain, small water streams may also appear, creating some beautiful, unexpected lines to guide the viewer’s eye.
Look for Areas Outside the Fanal Forest
Most people stay in the main area of the Fanal Forest. However, laurel trees also grow in other sections nearby. To reach these, you’ll need to hike downhill in a north-west direction, where a small trail leads the way. Keep in mind that this area requires more exploration.
The good news is that the forest here is very large - it stretches all the way down the slope. The downside is that the wind is often stronger in this part, which makes it harder for dense mist to linger. Since the forest here is also thicker, the mist doesn’t always stay between the branches as well.
Reflection in Ponds
There is one lake/pond in the Fanal Forest. Keep in mind that it needs enough rainwater to appear. So, if you’re looking for it (like I did on my first visit) and can’t find it, there’s a good chance it hasn’t rained enough! You can find it near the beginning of the forest. Even though you don’t see a reflection in my pond photo because of the strong wind and rain that day, when the conditions are calmer, you can capture a beautiful reflection of the trees in the water.
This is the classic reflection shot from the pond very near the start of the trail.
Different Layers
The Fanal Forest doesn’t have any mountain layers, but you can still find natural layers created by the laurel trees themselves! You just need to get close to one to reveal these layers. When the distance between the layers is even, the scene feels more balanced compared to layers that are more clustered.
Shadows and Light
When mist, sun, and shadows interact, the long stretched shadows of the trees can serve as leading lines. If the entire shadow of a tree fits neatly within the tree itself, it also creates symmetry. Achieving these conditions isn’t easy, though. The mist needs to be low on the ground while the sky above remains clear to allow sunlight to shine through. Often, the conditions will fluctuate between sun and mist, or periods of only mist or only sun. The key is to adjust quickly and move with the changing conditions.
Sun
While the sun often creates shadows, it doesn’t always have to be the main focus. When there is mist and the sun is very low, you might think it’s impossible for the light to break through. However, the Fanal Forest opens fully toward the west, it’s a large field making it perfect for sunsets with mist. This doesn’t happen every day, but it’s also not that rare. Returning around sunset, even if you’ve already taken many photos during the day, is a good idea.
Misty sunset conditions in the Laurisilva of Madeira.
Add a Human Figure for Scale
There are many people in the Fanal Forest, mostly taking selfies for TikTok and Instagram. It can be difficult to avoid having someone walk into your frame. Still, when a human is intentionally “added” in the right spot in your photo, it can create a story and provide a sense of scale. The image can be even stronger if the person is standing next to a tree that resembles a creature.
A person gives scale to how enormous the trees are.
Framing
The laurel trees in the Fanal Forest are perfect for natural framing. They form bends and even arches that you can use to frame other trees, drawing more attention to your subject. This adds depth and interest to your photo. The trees don’t always need to create a perfect bow or circle; you can also experiment with a more chaotic framing, where multiple branches or trees work together to frame your subject.
Use tree trunks or roots to frame your subject tree.
How To Know if there is Mist
For most landscape photographers, having mist in the Fanal Forest is essential for achieving the level of photography they want. Of course, you can shoot it without mist at early in the morning or at sunset. It just doesn’t compare to the misty atmosphere. To save yourself repeated trips to the Fanal Forest parking lot, you can also check webcams. There isn’t a webcam inside the forest, but there is one nearby that can indicate whether there is mist. The webcam is located near the coast of Porto Moniz. See the webcam here.
Please note: the webcam shows four different images - it rotates with a 10 seconds interval. You have to wait until you see the view in the screenshot below.
Wait until you see Fanal Forest on the webcam screen.
As you can see in the screenshot, there are clouds over the mountains. The Fanal Forest is located exactly where it says “Fanal Forest.” Sometimes, the clouds appear lower on the mountain slopes. In such cases, it’s possible that the Fanal Forest is above the clouds. This is more likely if other parts of the sky are sunny. For example, over the sea in the distance. Even then, you might still decide to go, which can be a good thing, because the clouds can lift and enter the forest, creating incredible conditions. At the same time, you have to accept that visiting the Fanal Forest multiple times without any luck can be frustrating.
Night Photography in the Fanal Forest
To create different moods in Madeira, you can also try night photography in the Fanal Forest. When there is mist, you can use light painting techniques to create back-lighting effects behind the trees. Think about the light rays formed by the trees and the light source. You can use any kind of (head)torch, including your phone’s torch.
A symmetrically shaped tree works best. Place the torch on the ground behind the tree, making sure the torch itself is not visible in the frame and is blocked by the tree. You can then aim the torch slightly upwards. The angle of the torch affects the direction of the light rays; an angle of 5–20 degrees upwards often works best. This also depends on how soft the torch is.
A light beam is called soft when it spreads out over a larger area, and hard when it is very focused or bundled. Place a hard, bundled light beam further away from the tree, and a soft light beam closer to it.
The exposure depends on the strength of the mist, the presence of moonlight, and the intensity of the light beam. You can also adjust the aperture (f-number) depending on the amount of light. A higher f-number, like f/8 or even f/11, is possible when there is moonlight. Moonlight helps create a less contrasty image, as it illuminates areas that would otherwise be in shadow.
Camera Gear to Bring
I recommend a wide-angle zoom as your go-to lens. I used my Nikon 14–30mm lens on my wide-angle Z8 and didn’t use anything else. If you have an even wider lens, I recommend bringing it as well—this can help you achieve an ultra-wide perspective when standing under certain trees.
Besides an ultra-wide lens, a tripod is essential for shooting in low light and at night. In addition to your photography gear, bring rubber boots, an umbrella, and rain clothes. It can rain for days on end, turning the entire area into a flooded forest. An umbrella is especially handy for keeping your lens dry.
Final Thoughts
The Fanal Forest is a photographer’s dream, full of misty moods, interesting light, and unique natural compositions. Patience and flexibility are key because weather is unpredictable, but that’s part of the magic when all the conditions come together at just the right moment. Remember to bring the right gear, and try experiment with framing too for those more unique compositions.
Max Rive is most driven by seeking new perspectives in the natural world and capturing them in his own distinguished style. Max's powerful portrayals of his interactions with the mountains has earned him international recognition in the outdoor community.
Madison McCardle is a passionate landscape photographer driven by curiosity and a desire to capture the true essence of each place she explores. Through her lens, she seeks new perspectives that reveal the beauty and authenticity of the world.
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