The Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippines: Naturally Sweet Truths from the Hills to Your Table!

You might have come across different mountains and hills worldwide, usually known for their towering peaks or massive sizes. But I’ll tell you about one such hill that appears like the chocolate molds or truffles. Surprised! I know but that’s true. I am talking about the eye-feasting Chocolate Hills sitting in the center of a tiny Island in Bohol, Philippines.

They have a make-believe man-made touch to them, resembling chocolate truffles. If you want to experience this, I suggest you take a private day tour of this surreal place. So, here’s a sweet exploration of this mysterious and wonderful landscape, a sweet recipe created by nature for tourists across the globe.

Are you wondering why these are called the Chocolate Hills? I’ll tell you. This is because these hills are blanketed with shrubs and bushes, which become dry during summer, emitting a chocolatey brown hue as the sun waxes hot, hence its name. 

Sometimes they are called the Eighth Wonder of the World (unofficially) and the third National Geological Monument of the Philippines of 1988. You can find these Hills in the Carmen region on Bohol Island. If you are planning to visit it from the Panglao, a focal tourist hub, it takes a 70km drive or a rental scooter of up to 2 hours to reach the destination. Check this map to know the exact location-

As you step into this fascinating place, try visiting these spots to get some of the best views of the mysterious places in nature!

• Chocolate Hills Complex Viewpoint, Carmen
• Sagbayan Peak Viewpoint
• Take a dip into an adventure for all ages in the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park.
• Camp closely beside the Chocolate Hills.
• Ride the Chocolate Hills ATV rentals for action-packed fun.

How Were These Hills Formed? Let’s Get into its History

Traveling backward in time, the famous history of these hills can be divided into two strands. One is the cultural history in the form of oral legends, basically, make-believe stories passed down for generations. The other is a science-based history that excavates its evolution from the conical karst topography, as stated by geologists. So, I’ll tell you about both one by one.

Cultural History

Four primary legends span around the evolution of the hills that people believed for years.

• The first legend narrates the feud between two bickering giants. In the middle of this long and hard battle, they flung boulders and mud balls at each other, and the legend says that it was an eternal fight. But towards the end, some say they became best friends, while others say they were dead and buried. In the limelight, the combat ground where they left the boulders and the mud balls became the famous Hills that appear today. 

• The second legend spans a romantic strain where a powerful young giant named Arogo falls in love with a mortal young woman named Aloya in Bohol. However, as Aloya dies according to all the mortals’ course of life, the sad giant cries over Bohol. It was believed that these tears solidified to become the hills today. 

• The third legend spans around a giant swap-dwelling buffalo (also known as the carabao). It is said that this buffalo grazed over all the villagers’ crops. And to end this eating, the farmers gathered piles of rotten food in giant heaps for the buffalo to graze. Unfortunately, the giant carabao grazed over the rotten food until his stomach could not handle it, leaving the buffalo grievously ill. The funny part is that the giant buffalo’s feces all over Bohol are believed to have formed these Hills!

• Finally, the fourth legend has a romantic touch that spans around a greedy giant named Miguel. He was a glutton who ate everything that came his way. One day, he fell in love with Adrianna, a lovely girl. This encounter inspired him to lose a few calories. Hence, to win the girl’s affection, the giant eliminated all that he ate, forming the massive brown hills. 

Aren’t these stories interesting? But, no matter what story you come across about the origin of the Chocolate Hills, they are the bizarre landscape you can see!

Science-based History

For those who didn’t find cultural legends a satisfactory answer to the evolution of the hills, it’s time to sit on the lap of science to get all the answers you seek!

According to science, these Hills are a geological formation of nearly hundreds of conical hills ranging from 30- 120 meters. They cover a landscape of up to 50 sq km and are a part of the Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan municipalities. If you take a Bohol private tour, the hills are surrounded by a flat landscape, making them look unique. Geologists classify them as a conical karst landscape.

Okay, I’ll simplify it further, these hills were formed from leftover limestone deposits. Rainfall and other water bodies were shaped into what we see today. Nevertheless, there were many theories around the formation of these hills, and the one widely accepted was the formation due to tectonic activities. 

This theory states that the tectonic plates’ movement resulted in the mountain upliftment. And the limestones that are a primary component of the hills were initially found on the ocean floor and were pushed to the surface through tectonic activity. 

To support the theory, scientists have discovered a fault line running through the area to prove the presence of tectonic activity. It is said that the fault line’s occurrence can result from the movement of the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate that further uplifted the limestone. 

Furthermore, the uplifted limestone was exposed to erosion over time, resulting in the formation of the cone-shaped hills that are seen today. Also, this upliftment created caves in the limestone that are visible at the foothold of these hills.

Here is something interesting- did you know? Despite the dissimilarity of these hills concerning height, if you look at them from afar, they appear symmetrical. Sounds cool, right?

Chocolate Hills Facts You Didn’t Know!

Are you ready for some facts now? I must say at first sight, the hills might look to you as a manufactured wonder and not as a handcraft from nature. Hundreds of domed and conical hills are stacked side-by-side like haystacks in a field. They are a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site among the many nationwide geological commemoratives in the Philippines. 

So, here I’ll tell you some exhilarating facts that make the hills stand out in the Philippines. 

1. 360-degree Panoramic View

You get a 360-degree Panoramic View of the Hills at the summit once you are at the peak. The unique mountain view of all the ranges is a prominent fact that no other mountain view can provide.  The plus here is that you can also view the rice fields at the foot between the hills and the heavy winds to capture captivating photography that’s worth it for your Insata feed!

2. It Houses the Philippine Tarsier

Found in Siargao Island, Maripipi Island, Dinagat Island, and Basilan Island, the Philippines is the native of the endemic Tarsier. They belong to the 45 million-old Tarsiidae family. Their diet consists of small vertebrates, spiders, and tiny crustaceans, and they mostly occupy the dense parts of bamboo shoots, tall grasses, and bushes.

3. These Hills Remain Flooded Without an Underground Water System

Sounds surprising, isn’t it? Basically, it’s a natural phenomenon that limestone hills have an underground water system. But you might be awestruck that the Chocolate Hills don’t possess this feature and remain flooded! 

Guess how? It’s because of the formation of the natural rivers and springs due to the erosion of the farmlands around the hills that creates the flood.

The Icy Whiz team talked to Mounir Salek, the Founder/CEO of IGoMorocco, about the Chocolate Hills of Bohol’s unique geological formation and rich cultural significance. Here is what he said:

“The Chocolate Hills in the Municipality of Carmen, Province of Bohol, Philippines show how nature and local stories can make a place a hit with tourists.

These hills, all 1,200 of them, turn a deep brown in the dry season, which not only looks stunning but also sparks curiosity about how they came to be.

Some think they were shaped by natural processes like erosion or volcanic activity, while others love the whimsical tales of giants throwing boulders at each other.

For other places trying to draw in tourists like the Chocolate Hills do, there are a few things to keep in mind. Mixing local legends with scientific facts can appeal to all kinds of visitors and make their trip more interesting.

Focusing on sustainable tourism helps protect these amazing sites, and teaching visitors about the area’s natural and ecological importance can make them more mindful tourists.

Also, getting the local community involved can help present the culture authentically and boost the local economy. All in all, the success of the Chocolate Hills teaches us that combining natural beauty with local stories can make a travel spot both appealing and meaningful.”

4. They Contain Marine Deposits

Each hill only has topsoil, usually covered with grass. With the tectonic activity that has given the shape and structure to the hills, marine deposits like coral, algae, and mollusks exist. The evolution of the Bohol hills might have started as corals thriving in a warm, shallow sea around two million years back.

5. People Around the Hills

You will notice numerous towns around the Chocolate Hills, like Carmen, Butan, and Sagbayan. The language they speak is Tagalog. They call themselves the Boholano people, referring to the individuals living on the Provincial Island of Bohol.

However, natives also thrive in the place known as the Eskaya, a cultural minority group in Bohol. These have a separate cultural heritage in language, religious adherence, literature, and clothing. You can gain deeper insights if you take a Bohol countryside tour. 

6 Chocolate Hills to Chocolate Milk Hills?

Fondly known to resemble Hershey’s Kisses, these Chocolate Hills after the deadly earthquake in 2013 that struck the Philippines, had cracks on them and their complex. Interestingly, they were white inside and were famous to many tourists for transforming from Chocolate Hills to Chocolate Milk Hills. 

Michael Sawyer, Operations Director at Ultimate Kilimanjaro, talked to the Icy Whiz team about natural beauty and cultural stories related to these hills. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

“At Ultimate Kilimanjaro, we know it is a heady mix of natural beauty and cultural stories that always come together to make compelling travel destinations.

The Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippines, are a classic example of just that. Being a travel business, largely focusing on climbs and hikes, there is no way we can easily overlook the great potential such travel destinations hold.

It is not the geological form that the Chocolate Hills take, that brings on the appeal, but rather the cultural significance it has. It is not some series of hills; it is a part of local legends and lore, hence a complete cultural experience.

This integration of nature and narrative is what we believe other destinations should aspire to emulate to enhance their appeal.

The Chocolate Hills are also ideal for climbing or hiking, offering moderate trails so everyone can explore their beauty up close.

Drawing lessons from their success, countries with similar potential need to single out sustainable tourism practices that respect the environment and local cultures. This approach entails the preservation of natural and cultural heritage by an additional 35%.”

7. The Government Protects These Hills

The National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) has covered the Hills to preserve and conserve rich biodiversity. Also, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) protects these hills for safety purposes.

Hence trekking is forbidden here for tourists. The only place to view the hill summit is the Sagbayan Peak and the Complex in Carmen town.

One must admit that these hills in Bohol are worth visiting once in your lifetime. The experience can be outstanding and genuinely extraordinary. I recommend you the best time to visit there is between December and May to capture the best of the chocolate color of the hills. This is when there is less rainfall for you to grab on some activities like snorkeling, swimming, and diving.  The hills also offer a mesmerizing trekking experience for adventure enthusiasts and nature spots for couples and families.

Last Updated on May 28, 2024 by Pragya