It's Irie: Moorea – Climbing Magic Mountain

Friends of ours had walked up Magic Mountain on Moorea and encouraged us to do the same. So, about a week ago, we searched for the road leading up to it (and missed it the first time) and managed the relatively short, but steep climb. The whole experience was as different from our previous walk as could be! Instead of dirt, rocks and mud, the “trail” consisted of slabs of concrete, representing an old road. Our hiking shoes seemed a bit out of place. Instead of getting wet because of drizzle and rain, we were soaked in sweat, since the sun was out in force. Instead of being all by ourselves in nature, we were constantly passed by truck loads of tourists. Instead of slaloming through the woods, we could stretch our arms without touching anything, and during each breath catching break, we could look into the distance. Instead of being free, like all the other hikes on Moorea, we had to pay 200 francs a person to an old guy at “the house across the street” to enter the property.

But, the biggest difference with our hike to Vaiare a few weeks back, was our arrival at the top of the mountain, where we found a magnificent view of the surrounding hills, the white lined reefs and the pretty colors of the lagoon. No rain and mist on this beautiful day! We managed to reach the platform in between tourist groups and enjoyed the viewpoint in peace for all of three minutes! We could even spot Irie anchored all by herself in a “sea of blue”! On the way down, we followed a more pleasant track without traffic, noise and fumes – a very agreeable walk indeed.