Nature lovers who crave to see forests with tall trees and rare plants, where hardly any light reaches the ground, Cotigao Sanctuary is the place to make a visit to. It is located in Canacona Taluka, South Goa district, of Goa, India. This sanctuary is renowned for its dense forest of tall trees, some of which reach 30 metres in height. The forest supports moist deciduous trees, semi-evergreen trees, and evergreen trees. A special feature of the sanctuary is a treetop watchtower positioned 25 metres above a watering hole where animals go to drink. The best times to visit the watchtower are dawn and dusk when animals are most likely to be visiting. The approach to the sanctuary is very convenient from a Beach resort in Goa such as Alila Diwa Goa where you can spend a relaxing holiday while enjoying the marvels of nature. Visitors can interact with the tribal groups including the Velip and Kunbil who live in and around the sanctuary and learn about their unique culture and lifestyle.
The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1969 to protect a remote and vulnerable area of forest lining the Goa- Karnataka border. Animals in the sanctuary include the flying squirrel, slender loris, Indian pangolin, mouse deer, four-horned antelope, Malabar pit viper, hump-nosed pit viper, white-bellied woodpecker, Malabar trogon, velvet-fronted nuthatch, heart-spotted woodpecker, speckled piculet, Malayan bittern, draco or flying lizard, golden-back gliding snake, and Malabar tree toad.
You will find an eco-tourism complex run by the Forest Department at the entrance of the sanctuary that houses a Nature Interpretation Centre which provides information to visitors, cottages, toilets, library, reception area, rescue centre, canteen, children’s park, and forest ranger office. For those who seek a little bit of adventure facilities like snake-proof camping sites, canvas tents, reference material or even cots and mosquito-nets can be provided by the Forest Department. There are endless possibilities for those who really want to rough it out to make a truly adventurous experience in this sanctuary.
Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
There are four routes that one could trek and hike around. The most famous route during the monsoon is the castle rock route where you will reach the castle rock station along a pretty 14 km route and then to the waterfall. The second is the Kulem route which is equally beautiful as the first but less popular. Kuveshi route is the most adventurous and is not accessible during monsoon seasons. The travelers of Dudhsagar can have a rest in a