Right in the centre of the island, in the parish of Santo Espírito, the Nurseries and Nature Reserve of Fontinhas benefit from climacteric conditions favourable to the production and development of exuberant greenery.

The recreational park comprises essentially exotic species — Japanese red cedars and sequoias being the main ones — but the tree fern (Sphaeroptheris cooperi) is definitely the symbol of the reserve; the tree fern is an ornamental plant from Australia whose high foliage stands out in the bright green of the vegetation.