Hiking through the Laurel Forest

The Laurel Forest is situated in the middle of La Gomera. It covers nearly 10% of the island. This region remains most of the year in clouds and mist. The forest is a relict ecosystem which is nowadays only found on the Canaries, the Azores and Madeira. In Tertiary evergreen rainforests like this covered many parts of Europe and North Africa. In this region they have only survived thanks of high humidity and mild temperatures all over the year; the moisture comes with the westwinds from the Atlantic Ocean and is stopped by the mountains. The Laurel Forest is very important for the source of water for La Gomera and it's a refuge for a lot of endemic plants and animals. Since 1986 it's an UNESCO World Heritage site.