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There’s A Magic Road In Waterford Where Your Car Rolls UPHILL (….Kind Of!)

There’s A Magic Road In Waterford Where Your Car Rolls UPHILL (….Kind Of!)

Yes, there’s a Magic Road in Waterford… no, genuinely… well… kind of!

Often referred to as the Mahon Falls Magic Road due to its proximity to the mighty Mahon Waterfall, this place is a little bit mental.

In a nutshell, if you stop (safely!) on the Magic Road in Waterford with the handbrake off, your a car will appear to roll backwards up the hill.

Yep. Really. It’s said to be an optical illusion, but others argue there’s faeries at play. Find everything you need to know below.

Some quick need-to-knows about the Magic Road in Waterford

So, a visit to the Magic Road in Waterford comes with a handful of need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

1. Location

You’ll find the Magic Road in Waterford here, hidden away in the Comeragh Mountains, not far from Mahon Falls (there’s a lovely walk here).

2. How it works

You stop (safely) and turn off the car. You leave the hand break off. Your car will then appear to roll backwards up the hill behind you. Mad stuff altogether!

3. Safety warning

The Mahon Falls Magic Road is narrow, and there’s a bend both in front of you and behind you, so caution is needed if you’re going to attempt this. Pull over when safe to do so and keep an eye our for cars (and people) in front of you and behind.

The Mahon Falls Magic Road: Illusion or fairytale stuff at play?

magic road waterford

Photo via Google maps

So, there are many so-called ‘magic’ roads in Ireland where cars roll uphill, much to the bewilderment of onlookers and, often, to the terror of those sat inside.

If you hit play on the video above, it looks like the car is defying gravity, but it’s all an illusion. It’s said that Ireland’s Magic Roads are in fact stretches of road where a downhill slope looks very much like an uphill slope.

That wrecks the mystery of them a bit, doesn’t it?! If you like, you can always visit the Magic Road in Waterford an pretend there’s some Irish folklore trickery at play.

Things to do near the Magic Road in Waterford

One of the beauties of the Mahon Falls Magic Road is that it’s a short spin away from some of the best things to do in Waterford.

Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from the Magic Road (plus places to eat and where to grab a post-adventure pint!).

1. Mahon Falls

Mahon falls

Photo by Tomasz Ochocki (Shutterstock)

The glorious Mahon Falls are a short spin away from the Magic Road. There’s a 20 minute walk from the car park here to the waterfall and it’s well worth doing.

2. Coumshingaun

Coumshingaun Lake loop walk

Photo by Dux Croatorum/shutterstock.com

The Coumshingaun Lake Walk is one for the more experienced hikers among us. This is a 3 – 4 hour hike that’s very dangerous in places. The views from the top are outstanding.

3. Dungarvan for food

Dungarvan food

Photos via Kimmy’s Kitchen @ The Mill on Facebook

If you’re feeling peckish, Dungarvan is a handy 20-minute or so drive. There’s plenty of things to do in Dungarvan (from the Waterford Greenway to the Copper Coast) and there’s plenty of great restaurants in Dungarvan if you fancy a feed.

FAQs about the Comeragh Drive Magic Road

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from how does the Magic Road work to where to find it.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Where is the Magic Road in Waterford?

You’ll find the Magic Road in Waterford hidden away in the Comeragh Mountains, not far from Mahon Falls (there’s a link to the location on Google Maps at the top of the guide).

How does the Mahon Falls Magic Road work?

Magic Roads are stretches of road where a downhill slope looks very much like an uphill slope, so it looks like the car is rolling backwards, uphill.

What is there to see near the Magic Road?

You’ve everything from Mahon Falls and Dungarvan to the Coumshingaun Lake Walk and more.

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