There’s a huge variety of forest environment within the Garajonay National Park. It’s also home to a wide range of plant life.

The humid fog that normally exists here nourishes the small streams that spring from the edge of this arid land.

The central peaks of the park are normally completely covered in fog; and beneath lies a fascinating, luscious and incredibly green rain forest. The landscape at the higher altitudes contrasts sharply with the dry coastal and lower zones of La Gomera.

The most well known vegetable in this area is called “laurisilva”. There is also a large variety of arboreal species found here whose leaves are very similar to those of the laurel tree.

The Canarian Laural forests have sparked enormous interest with scientists from all over the globe. There are some plant and animal species here that can be found nowhere else on earth.

The forests are like living fossils that can tell us a lot about former geological periods. They’ve shown us that, millions of years ago, some of these species were already alive in subtropical forests that covered the Mediterranean area. And, that they were completely wiped out during the ice age.

These forests have been completely transformed (and destroyed) over the years mainly by intensive exploitation. Nowadays though, most of these forests are protected. Garajonay National Park is a shining example of successful preservation. It’s considered the most extensive and best conserved of this type of ecosystem in the whole of the Canary Islands.