Bohol Chocolate Hills legend will bring a tear to your eye….

Not so surprising the attraction that put Bohol on the tourist map was the Bohol Chocolate Hills. Sure the beautiful white beaches of Pangalo and Alona Beach are a major destination, but long before Pangalo and Alona Beach, the Bohol Chocolate Hills reigned supreme and it is easy to see why.

They are an awesome sight. From a distance they look completely symmetrical as if only half a ball has grown out of the ground.



There name comes from the fact that towards the end of the dry season the grass, which grows all over the Chocolate Hills dies off and turns brown. This leaves the Bohol Chocolate Hills a burnt or dark brown colour, hence the name Chocolate Hills. I wonder how many chocoholics have been disappointed not to find any chocolate! I’m sure disappointment turned to awe as they set eyes on these incredible Chocolate Hills.



What are the Chocolate Hills?

The Chocolate Hills Philippines are about 1,268 hills in number varying in size from 30 metres to the largest being 120 metres in height.

If you can try and see the Chocolate Hills at dawn as the sun flickers eerily on the dome like hills transforming there shadows and waking them to a new day.

As you can see from the photo above they are quite unique and it is hard to imagine that mother nature could create such large and numerous perfect domes.

Where are the Chocolate Hills Philippines?

The Bohol Chocolate Hills can be found on the island of Bohol in the Central Visayas.

The Chocolate Hills Philippines are spread over an area in excess of 50 square kilometers, scattered throughout the Barangays of Sagbayan, Carmen and Sierra Bullones in the centre of Bohol Island itself.

How were the Bohol Chocolate Hills formed?

It does not appear that many people agree on how the Bohol Chocolate Hills were formed, many theories abound.

The most common belief is they were an ancient coral limestone reef that was shaped by many thousands of years erosion by both water and wind.

Some believe the Chocolate Hills to be conical karst hills as seen in limestone regions of Slovenia and Croatia, only problem is the Bohol Chocolate Hills have no caves.

So I guess the debate will continue, if you have heard or no how the Chocolate Hills were formed please contact me here, I would really appreciate it. .

Legend of the Chocolate Hills

The more likely reason for the formation of the Bohol Chocolate Hills have absolutely nothing to do with geology and science. The real reason can be found in one of the two legends……

The first legend tells of two feuding giants who in battling with each other hurled rocks, boulders and sand trying to destroy there foe. This fighting lasted days and exhausted the two giants. During there exhaustion they forgot about there feud and became friends, when they left they forgot to clean up the mess of the battlefield, hence the Chocolate Hills.

The much more romantic legend tells of a giant, once again, called Arogo who was extremely powerful and youthful. Arogo fell in love with Aloya who was a simple mortal. Aloya’s death caused Arogo much pain and misery. In his sorrow he could not stop crying, when his tears dried the Chocolate Hills were formed.

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How do I get to the Bohol Chocolate Hills?

The Chocolate Hills Philippines are the number one destination on Bohol and fittingly there are numerous day trips and tour operators more than willing to take you up to see them. The main viewing area is at eh Chocolate Hills Resort about 5 kilometres from Carmen. If you would like to see the Chocolate Hills the organized way then just ask your hotel or any hotel for that matter and they will easily arrange the trip for you.

If you are traveling from Tagbiliran and do not want an organized tour then head for the bus terminal near the markets. You need to catch the bus that is going to Carmen. The trip will take about 2 hours. Don’t forget that you are heading for the Chocolate Hills Resort and you need to get off the bus before Carmen where the resort is. Just ask the driver to drop you off there, you may need to remind him.

Once you have been dropped off by the bus, follow the sign up the hill to the resort. It is about a half kilometre walk up a winding road.

If you can try and stay the night and get up bright and early to see the sun rise over the Chocolate Hills. This is truly a sight worth getting up early for.

The return trip is very simple, just catch the bus going to Tagbiliran, the last bus back is around 4:00pm.

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