Chocolate Hills

The Chocolate Hills

 

This geological formation is known to almost every Filipino. In fact, the representation of a ‘hill’ to the Filipinos is a cone-shaped brown mound referenced to those of the Chocolate Hills.

This site is one of the pillars of Philippine Tourism and one of the few natural wonders which do not feature water. As we know, water (beaches, rivers, falls) are always in the front of the Philippine Archipelago Tourism.

The uniqueness of these landforms led to the declaration of it as a national monument.

What are the ‘Chocolate Hills’?

The Chocolate Hills are karst formation which dates back in the Pleistocene Era. Almost all of the hills are cone-shaped. There are a total of 1,776 hills which are concentrated on three landlocked towns of the island. However, there are also a number of these hills in other three towns. The hills are 30-50 meters high and amazingly there is no single tree on them.

These cone-shaped hills are covered in green, but during the dry seasons these grasses die and leave the hills in broad sunlight. The exposure to sunlight to the soil make it appear brown.  Hence, the name.

Where can we find the Chocolate Hills?

The Chocolate Hills are found in the beautiful island of Bohol. The island-province is situated in the Central Philippines, few kilometers off the island province of Cebu.

How did mother nature mold this wonder?

Long before men inhabit earth, there were still no hills in this area. Instead, corals and other marine creatures lived. There was no Bohol then, the area was still totally submerged in water. The waters became shallow and the remains of the corals became limestone which eroded and became what is now known as the ‘Chocolate Hills’.