Planet Earth never ceases to amaze us. Amazing places that seem to come out of a dream offer surreal experiences. Such is the case of a site known as the Chocolate Hills, a place that isn’t only majestic in its sight but that was the setting of an ancient romantic legend.
Imagine contemplating a sensational landscape whose peculiar colors emulate a delicious edible landscape of large formations of chocolate. You don’t have to imagine it; this place exists, and it is located on Bohol Island in the Philippines. The Chocolate Hills are a group of small brown mountains that can be admired from a few meters away.
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The reason why this curious place got its name is that at the beginning of the rainy season in Bohol Island, the grass that covers these small mountains turns from green to brown. This color is observed uniformly because no large trees or bushes grow on its surface.
The rock formations are not too high, measuring between 30 and 50 meters. However, they are so numerous that it is not known exactly how many of them are in this place. There are 1268 hills accurately identified, but some estimates put the number as high as 1776. This impressive sight is scattered over an area of 50 square kilometers.
The romantic legend behind the Chocolate Hills
The origin of this haunting place is unknown, but locals attribute its origin to an ancient heartbreaking love legend. The story goes that a handsome young giant named Arogo fell in love with a mortal woman he could not be with. In frustration at not being reciprocated, the giant cried huge chocolate tears that turned into the hills.
But geologists have a less romantic explanation for the formation of these hills. The theory explains that they were formed through the erosion of huge limestone sea rocks and coral reefs that emerged from the ocean. Over millions of years, they took the shape of cones and acquired their characteristic color.
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The mountains are placed on a layer of rough clay so visitors to the Chocolate Hills cannot climb them due to their uneven terrain. For observation, it is necessary to enter a platform from where they can be seen from a distance.
This impressive site is the third National Geological Monument of the Philippines since 1988. It was also close to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site, although the application has not been approved.
Text courtesy of Ecoosfera
