Panoramic view from Pico Ruivo do Paul in NE direction down to the cultural landscape around São Vicente and the Atlantic Ocean. The N slopes of the island are mostly covered by laurel forest (laurisilva), much of it considered to be in a natural state. These forests represent the largest remnants of a formerly more widespread type of ecosystem, and have been listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Laurisilva of Madeira since 1999.