Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
Chocolate Hills, Philippines
The Chocolate Hills are found in the Bohol province of the Philippines. They are a group of oddly shaped hills located in the middle of an island.
These hills are so many that the exact number is not known but the estimated number is 1268. These hills form a very unique and beautiful landscape.
Their conical shapes have made them a national monument and they feature on the provincial flag and seal as a symbol of abundance.
Spread over 50 square kilometers, these hills turn brown during the dry season, hence the name.
The hills are one of the main tourist attractions in Bohol province and as such been declared the Philippines’ third National Geological Monument.
They have also been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Learn more about the Chocolate Hills in the top 5 facts below.
1. The Chocolate Hills are limestone covered in grass
During the rainy season, the Chocolate Hills are usually lush green. They form rolling mounds of a mostly conical and symmetrical shape.
They are estimated to be between 1,268 to about 1,776 individual mounds. Beneath the green vegetation, these cone-shaped hills are made of limestone.
The domes vary in size between 30 to 50 meters high with the largest being 120 meters.
These hills are spread out in hundreds throughout Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan towns in Bohol province.
When there is little or no rainfall, the grass on these limestone mounds turns brown. The new color transforms the landscape into a beautiful chocolatey scene.
Each of the hills is knowns as karst which is made of limestone and is covered by topsoil and grass.
The natural arrangement of the karst was formed when layers of soluble limestone got eroded by a process called dissolution.
Erosion of the surrounding farmlands around the Chocolate Hills has also led to the formation of underground springs, rivers, and caves.
2. The Chocolate Hills are symmetrical and consistent
One other fantastic feature of the Chocolate Hills is their exceptional and rare geological formation.
These hills are spread across 20 miles and are estimated to be about 1268 to 1776 dome-shaped hills, covered in grass. They are spread across the towns of Sagbayan, Carmen, and Batuan in Bohol.
The hills are estimated to be between 150 to 400 feet high. Additionally, the height of the domes ranges between 98 to 160 feet.
One of the highest peaks in these hills is approximately 390 feet.
Their true geographical name is geomorphological structures, also known as mogote.
It has taken geologists several years to attempt to decode the mystery of the formation of these hills.
Several theories are explaining how these hills were formed. One scientific one is due to a major geologic shift when coral deposits rose from the sea.
In the process, the dome-like shape was formed due to the erosion of the marine deposits by wind erosion through thousands of years.
Surrounding the Chocolate Hills are rice and corn farms that give a beautiful green backdrop for the Hills.
These hills have an elevation of about 100 meters to 500 meters above sea level.
The hills in Carmen town are of uniform cone shape but higher hills can be found in the other surrounding towns.
3. The Chocolate Hills have marine deposits
Geologists found out that the Chocolate Hills have marine deposits. Since the hills are located on an island, they believe that this was a result of tectonic activity.
The movement led to the current shape and structure of these hills. The marine deposits found on the Chocolate Hills include coral, algae, and mollusks.
From a distance, the Chocolate Hills look like women’s dresses, giant molehills, or man-made hills.
It catches many by surprise to learn that the hills are a purely natural phenomenon. The top layer of these marine limestones is covered by a layer of clay.
These hills are only covered in grass and the cone shape is more common than the rest although they differ in size.
When the grass withers during the dry season, the hills look like chocolate was spread on them.
Some of the grass species that grow well on the hills are Imperata cylindrical and Saccharum spontaneum.
Lush trees grow at the base of the hills and are lush and form leafy rings around the almost naked cone-shaped hills. The result is its awesome natural beauty.
4. There is a legendary tale about the formation of the Chocolate Hills
As a natural phenomenon, the Chocolate Hills have some interesting myths and legends explaining their origin.
One such story is about a fight between two giants. The giants were throwing big rocks at each other. At the end of the day, they were exhausted and fell asleep.
The next day, they woke up and had forgotten about their previous fight. They also forgot to clean up the mess of rocks used in the fight.
As time went by, grass grew on them and they turned to be the Chocolate Hills we see today.
There is another legend explaining the origin of these hills. Locals believe that a giant named Arogo fell in love with a girl named Aloya.
As fate would have it, the girl was mortal and died soon after. This news left the giant heartbroken.
He mourned her and cried. The huge teardrops fell on the ground and formed mountains. The result is the endless mounds of hills found in Bohol that are known as Chocolate Hills.
Scientific explanations on the origin of the Chocolate Hills are that they were the result of thousands of years of weathering of marine limestone.
Other states that the hills were formed by the uplift of coral deposits that erupted from the sea in a massive geologic shift.
5. Chocolate Hills is a UNESCO Site
The Chocolate Hills were confirmed as a National geographical monument in 1988. UNESCO also declared these hills a World Heritage Site.
Despite being a national monument and a heritage site, the hills have been used to source limestone by local quarries. The Philippine government is however fighting this.
They have efforts in place to plan and develop the region since it attracts several tourists throughout the year.
These hills have been featured severally in the Philippine Tourism Authority’s list of Philippine tourist destinations.
The Chocolate Hills are also the Philippines’ third National Geological Monument. These hills have also been featured in the Eight Wonders of the World list.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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