A surreal stretch of country road in the Comeragh Mountains where, thanks to a powerful optical illusion, your car appears to roll backwards uphill all by itself — no engine, no handbrake, just magic (or clever topography).
Park safely at the bottom of the small slope near the fairy tree and the stone marked 'Magic Road'. Put the car in neutral, release the handbrake, and watch in disbelief as you appear to roll backwards up the hill. It's an optical illusion — the surrounding landscape tricks your eyes — but it feels genuinely uncanny.
A few hundred metres further along the same road is the car park for Mahon Falls. From there it's an easy 15–20 minute walk along a gravel path to the base of this spectacular 80-metre waterfall cascading down a steep rock face.
The Magic Road sits on the Comeragh Drive, a scenic mountain route winding from Dungarvan up through the Comeraghs. The drive offers sensational panoramic views over the surrounding countryside, with several high viewing points along the way.
About 20 minutes' drive away, the vibrant harbour town of Dungarvan offers plenty of excellent restaurants, pubs and cafés — perfect for a post-adventure meal or pint. It's also the gateway to the Waterford Greenway and the Copper Coast.
For experienced hikers, the Coumshingaun Lough loop is a challenging 3–4 hour (7.5 km) trek with steep, exposed sections. The reward is one of Ireland's most dramatic corrie lakes, set in a natural amphitheatre of cliffs. Not for the faint-hearted or poorly equipped.
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