Polo Magnético

On a stretch of road in the hills near Polo, a car left in neutral appears to roll upwards, and water poured on the surface appears to run the wrong way. The effect is an optical illusion produced by the surrounding slopes obscuring the true horizon, which is what similar sites elsewhere in the world turn out to be, but it works convincingly and a monument marks the spot. Drivers stop, put the car in neutral and let it move.

What you actually see

• The rolling car - a vehicle in neutral appearing to move uphill.
• The illusion - slopes around the road obscuring the real horizon line.
• The marker - the monument set beside the road at the spot.
• The coffee hills - the highland country around Polo the road runs through.

When to go

Year round; the effect works at any time. Weekends bring more visitors. The road is quiet on weekdays.

Honest expectations

It is an optical illusion, not a magnetic anomaly, whatever the name says. There is nothing else at the site and fifteen minutes covers it. Traffic uses the road while people are stopped on it.

Nearby

Polo is nearby, and Laguna de Cabral is north.