Madeira · Paúl da Serra / Porto Moniz

Visiting Fanal forest: getting there, parking and the rules

Fanal forest fog rolling through the ancient til trees, Paúl da Serra, Madeira

A viewpoint is only as good as the day you catch it. Cloud, haze or a north swell can turn the best spot on the island into a grey wall. Getting here is easy; timing it is the part worth checking.

Fanal is a stand of centuries-old til laurels on the north rim of the Paúl da Serra plateau, at about 1,150 metres and only three kilometres from the sea. It is roughly a 40-minute drive up from the north coast, and two practical things shape the whole visit: a small car park at the forestry post, and marked corridors that keep walkers off the roots of the oldest trees.

Most people come for the fog, and the fog is the one part of the trip nobody can book: some mornings it fills the forest, many mornings it never shows. Why it forms, when it is likeliest and how far ahead it can be told are answered in the fog forest guide linked below. This page is the practical half: how to get there, where to park, and what you are allowed to do once you arrive.

There now

Check live conditions before you drive

Getting there and the practical part

Visiting Fanal, step by step

The visit has a fixed shape, and most of what can go wrong happens before you reach the trees.

Drive up on the ER209 No bus route serves the plateau in a way that works for a visit, so it is a car or a tour. Allow about an hour from Funchal, or about 40 minutes up from the north coast.
Park at the forestry post The car park is directly on the ER209 at the forestry post and costs nothing. It is small, so the hour you arrive shapes the visit more than anything else does.
Start from the entrance Walk in from the entrance. The short loop among the old laurels starts there, it is free, and it needs no booking.
Stay on the marked corridors Keep to the corridors and boardwalks that are marked. They are there to keep feet off the roots of the centenarian trees, and stepping off the path between them is not allowed.

Park for free at the Fanal forestry post directly on the ER209 road. The lot is small and often full by mid-morning, when the tour buses arrive; picnic tables and public toilets are at the entrance.

Access has changed. Since November 2025 the IFCN has been fencing off the centenarian trees, visitors are being channelled onto designated corridors and boardwalks, and a cap of 3,000 visitors per day is in force. Off-trail wandering between the old trees, the classic photo approach, is no longer allowed. An entry fee has been studied but was not being charged as of mid-2026.

Open in Google Maps

See the forecast for the days ahead

When to go

Any clear day works for the trees and the picnic tables, and the plateau is coldest and wettest from November to March, when a waterproof and proper shoes matter more than the forecast. For the visit itself the timing that counts is the tour buses: they land mid-morning and the small car park fills, so before 09:00 or late afternoon is calmer. Check the plateau conditions before the 40-minute drive up from the coast, because it makes its own weather.

Shooting here? There is a dedicated photography guide with light, timing and the live conditions that matter for the shot.

New to Fanal? The fog forest guide explains why the fog forms, when it is likeliest, and which route to take.

Trails near Fanal Forest

The same walks are also catalogued by municipality, with distance, climb, difficulty and what needs a booking, on Hiking near Porto Moniz.

Common questions

How do I get to Fanal forest?

By car on the ER209 road across the Paúl da Serra plateau; the forestry post at the entrance has a small free car park. There is no useful public transport, so drive or join a tour. From Funchal allow roughly an hour.

Is Fanal free to visit?

Yes, as of mid-2026 there is no entry fee, though one has been publicly discussed. Parking at the forestry post is free. A daily visitor cap of 3,000 people and fenced corridors around the oldest trees have applied since the 2025-2026 protection works.

What is there at Fanal itself?

A forestry post on the ER209 with a small free car park, picnic tables and public toilets at the entrance. From there a short free loop runs among the old laurels; PR13 Vereda do Fanal, the classic IFCN route across the plateau, is ticketed and booked through SIMplifica.

Do I need to book to visit Fanal, and is there a visitor limit?

A cap of 3,000 visitors a day has applied since the protection works began in November 2025, and no reservation system has been published for it, so there is nothing to book for the site itself. In practice the limit most people meet first is the car park, which is small and fills by mid-morning.

Can I walk in among the old trees?

Not any more. IFCN began fencing the centenarian laurels in November 2025 and visitors are kept to marked corridors and boardwalks. That is exactly what the fencing is for: the corridors keep feet off the roots of the oldest trees. Standing in among the trunks is no longer allowed, however many older photographs show it.

How early should I arrive to get a parking space?

Before 09:00, or late afternoon once the coaches have left. The car park is small and is usually full by mid-morning, when the tours arrive. The site has no opening hours to work around, so when you set off is mostly a parking decision.

Is Fanal the same thing as the PR13 trail?

No, and the difference decides whether you pay. Fanal is the site at the forestry post: a car park, picnic tables, toilets and a short free loop among the old laurels, open to anyone who drives up. PR13 Vereda do Fanal is the classified route that crosses the plateau, and that one is ticketed and reserved on the government portal.

More places: Seixal · Porto Moniz · Chão da Ribeira · Cabo Girão Skywalk · Câmara de Lobos · Caniçal · Monte Cable Car · Eira do Serrado · Miradouro do Guindaste · Cabo do Garajau · Miradouro dos Balcões
See also the microclimate guide and weather by month. Which trails are free.