Magnetic Island

¿Que hacer en Magnetic Island?

Lost within the Coral Reef lies a gigantic emerald. Rocky on the inside and surrounded by countless idyllic little beaches on the outside, it is the object of desire for all of us who visit the northern part of the Reef.

Maggie—as it's known here—hasn't been overrun by mass tourism. Although there are a few hostels and resorts, the island's main attraction is hiking its trails and enjoying its incredible beaches in complete solitude.

No, you don’t need to take a tour from Townsville—the ferry from there only costs 32 AUS$ round-trip, and the island is easy to explore on your own; no, man, don’t rent a car either… otherwise, how are you going to wander through the network of trails in the mountains that connect all the towns? Magnetic Island is no more than 17 km from one end to the other, and you can reach the best spots on foot… and if you’re feeling lazy, there’s a bus pass for 7 AUS$ that lets you take as many trips as you want.

La mejor muestra de lo que digo es esta pasarela sobre el mar que conecta Nelly Bay (donde para el ferry) hasta Arcadia , un pueblecito al norte a 2 km….¿quien quiere coche cuando puedes ir caminando por aquí?. La playa es Geoffrey Bay, llena de corales e ideal para hacer snorkel.

Que hacer en Magnetic Island: senderismo

At any hotel on Magnetic Island, you'll be given a map showing the island's hiking trails. Hiking

Por alguna razón que no comprendo todo el mundo recomienda caminar la ruta de 4 km hasta The Forts, un emplazamiento de artillería en un promontorio que los australianos construyeron para defenderse de un eventual ataque japonés durante la II Guerra Mundial.

Es verdad que una vez que estás arriba hay vistas maravillosas

But the trail isn't anything to write home about... If you come at dusk, you might be lucky enough to spot a bored koala perched at the top of a tree ☺️ or a snake 😓

A quien le guste caminar de verdad le aconsejo tomar la ruta desde el parking de The Forts hasta Radical Bay (6 km) y luego, si estás con ganas, seguir hasta Horseshoe Bay

It’s a battered paved road where hardly anyone drives… except for dozens and dozens of blue butterflies (called “blue tigers” here) that accompany travelers on their journey. It seems they fly in from places as far away as Brisbane, and this is one of the stops along their route.

Along the way, you'll come across turnoffs leading to the area's unspoiled beaches; yes, idyllic beaches that hardly anyone visits, even though it's hard to believe… one example would be Arthur Bay around 11:00 AM

Otra más: Florence Bay, como a 1,5 km de la anterior y donde puedes hacer snorkel también…por cierto la zona entera está llena de medusas así que es necesario llevar traje y un poquito de vinagre por si aun así te pican ( los hostels alquilan trajes por 10 AUS$\día)

Well, there were two people here—I didn't have the beach all to myself 😛

The path leads to the island’s best and most secluded beach, Radical Bay. You can also get there by car, although the road is terrible. Fine sand, tropical flowers, and a hectare of space all to yourself—no bars, no developments, nothing… just the beach.

No, I don't know what an abandoned piano is doing in the middle of the beach; no, it doesn't work either…

In short, it's the perfect place to relax with a book and a beer, lounging in the shade of the trees or on the sand.

If you're not quite done yet, you can walk another 3.2 km to Horseshoe Bay, on the northern part of the island, with its “commercial” beach. Halfway there, you can take a detour to the nudist beach at Balding Bay

Yeah, I bet you were expecting a photo of the beach, huh? 😛

Horseshoe Bay has the only beach where you can swim safely without worrying about jellyfish; there’s a small section of water with barriers and a lifeguard, although most of it is still a wild beach. It also has the usual kayaks, jet skis, etc.

Wildlife

It's unlikely that you'll come across a koala in the wild on Magnetic Island, even if you go for a walk at dusk, so you can go see them at the Koala Sanctuary de Horseshoe Bay (https://www.magneticislandkoalahospital.com.au). Por 29 AUS$ puedes hacer un recorrido viendo koalas, cocodrilos etc….por otros 18 AUS$ tendrás el souvenir más querido por los turistas: la fotito abrazando a un koala 😓

He wasn't really in the mood for anyone to hug him….

If you want to see animals in their natural habitat, you can go to Arcadia Bay, cerca de Bremner Point o Geoffrey Bay Bay donde los ualabís acuden sobre las 17:00 en busca de la comida….que les damos los turistas 😓

Más allá de su fauna Arcadia Bay es el típico lugar al que puedes ir a relajarte después de un día de senderismo o de playa, tiene un montón de cafeterías chic y una bahía con unas magníficas vistas..aquí del un mapa de alguna cafetería chula y del sitio donde ver los ualabís

Well, now you know what to do on Magnetic Island… and for more information, check out the official website: https://www.australia.com/en/places/cairns-and-surrounds/guide-to-magnetic-island.html

If you want to read more about Australia: https://999millas.net/category/paises/australia/

And, as always, whether you loved or hated this post, let me know in the comments!! 🙂

Texto y fotos: Mike !