One of the Philippines’ top tourist attractions, The Chocolate Hills on the island of Bohol is a rare geological site composed of thousands of hills spread over a rolling terrain.
Located in Bohol, found in central Philippines, it is the island’s top tourist draw and listed as one of the Philippines’ list of tourist destinations.
The Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills are thousands of grass-covered limestone hills spread over a 50 square kilometer area that runs throughout three towns in Bohol, which are Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan. There are at least 1,260 hills on the terrain, with the maximum number counted amounting to 1,776.
The hills are cone or dome shaped and covered in green grass but during the dry or summer season, the grass dries up and turn chocolate brown, and hence, the name. They vary in sizes, with heights that range from 30 to 50 meters, with the tallest recorded hill being 120 meters.
Tourism
The Chocolate Hills can be viewed from three different viewing decks. One is in Carmen, where visitors can visit a government-owned resort on top of one of the hills. This resort features a hostel, a swimming pool, restaurant, and a viewing deck. A viewing deck can also be found in the town of Sagbayan, but the one in Carmen is more popular among tourists.
A mountain park is also found in Carmen, featuring a viewing deck, restaurant, shops, and other amenities and attractions.
Activities & Adventure
The Chocolate Hills Adventure Park or CHAP, is a place located in Carmen, Bohol, where, aside from being able to view the hundreds of limestone hills, a number of exciting activities and adventures can be enjoyed. They have a few activities where you can enjoy the following:
- bike zipline
- zipline on a surfboard
- rock climbing
- camping
- rope obstacles for kids and adults
- Zorb ball where you are strapped inside a big “beach ball” and rolled downhill on a 100-meter slope
- Yokuzuna Sumo Wrestling, where you can wear a foam-filled suit and wrestle like a sumo wrestler
Other attractions at the Park include a serpentarium, a butterfly garden, as well as a number of souvenir shops as you hike your way to the Park’s peak or observation deck.
Legendary Folklore Stories
Based on folklore, there are 3 legends that define the said origin of the hills. One of which is that in ancient times, there were two giants in a feud, where they hurled rocks and boulders at each other. Exhausted, the two became friends but forgot to clean up their mess, hence, the hundreds of dome-shaped hills left behind.
The second legend tells of a giant Carabao (water buffallo) who was plaguing the farmers on the island. This carabao is said to have destroyed and consumed the farmers’ plants and produce. Having had enough, the townsfolk gathered all of their spoiled produce and left it in such a way that the carabao will consume it. True enough, the giant carabao did indeed consume the spoiled goods. and defecated until there was nothing left in its stomach. The Chocolate Hills is said to be the remains of the carabao’s feces.
The third legend, which is a romantic tale, tells about the story of Arogo, who was a giant. Arogo fell in love with a mortal, Aloya, but since she was a mortal, she eventually died and this left Arogo in deep misery. Alogo is said to have cried for days, leaving behind heavy boulders of his tears across the land, and thus, the Chocolate Hills.
