If you think you have been to Goa several times and there are no more surprises, you need to reconsider. Everytime I have been to the smallest state of India, I have uncovered newer places and things to do. In fact Goa is bustling with hidden gems which fortunately or unfortunately are not so hidden anymore, thanks to the internet  and social media revolution.

Like everything else, there are ups and downs to this. While more exposure has brought in more commercialization and hence earning, this same commercialization is destroying the environment by causing more pollution and all the nuances that comes with increasing footfall. So if you had asked about Cola Beach to travellers about a decade back, only a few would have been able to answer. However now, it's a hot destination because it's supposedly "hidden". Now whether you want to visit this "hidden" place or not, is totally upto you, I will put up my POV for you guys to decide.

I visited Cola beach on my 4th Goa visit. Cola is North to Agonda, in the Southern part of the state. We had rented a car for travel around but Cola beach is not accessible by a regular car. We drove to Cola village and parked there. And from there it's a steep ride downhill, which can be done either by a motorbike or a 4 by 4 vehicle. With increased tourism comes better amenities, and there was no dearth of those 4 by 4 vehicles. We hired a jeep with 2 families and our adventure started.

It was one hell of off roading. If you are prone to car sickness or scared of jerks and bumps, this is not for you! It's kind of a dirt road, very steep downhill with thick vegetation on the edge. It was one crazy adventure! And once we got off the jeep, our sojourn didn't end there. There was an array of steps, that needed to be descended to reach the beach.

The vista from the steps itself was magnificent. You could spot the waves crashing with the coconut trees hugging them. On another side, was the coveted attraction of this place: The freshwater lagoon. Now mortals like us would wonder how on earth is there a freshwater lagoon two steps away from the mighty Arabian Sea? This is what you call God's magic! And the very reason why we humans have been on the hunt to unravel hidden gems like these!

The ambiance down there was unexpected, it was overly crowded. The entire lagoon was filled with kayaks, with enthusiastic travellers taking a lap around. We had two floats, so me and my daughter floated around the lower part of the lagoon, using our arms as oars. For curious people, I didn't taste the water to find out whether it was sweet or salty 😂 There were a few shacks selling food and beach essentials, which were overpriced but understandable nevertheless.

There were surprisingly very few people on the Cola beach. Partly because everyone was in the lagoon and partly because the sea is very wild there. The waves were very tall and the sea breeze was crazy! Since we were with a group ( the two families with whom we shared the jeep) we had to be considerate about the timings. The last thing we would have wanted is to be stranded there, with no amenities. We frolicked on the beach, but couldn't gather our courage to venture out on the sea as it was too scary. The sand was buttery soft and the coconut trees postcard like. There were a bunch of cottages overlooking the sea, I bet they were super expensive.

We were around for 2 hours down there. After that the same drill, climbing up the steep stairs, followed by a bumpy jeep ride uphill, to the car park.

Looking back, I have realised that it was the entire journey that was so memorable about Cola beach, rather than just the lagoon or the secluded beach itself.

Have you been to Cola beach? Would you like to?

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