Bohol, Island province in Central Visayas, Philippines
This province in the central Visayas covers a main island and many smaller islets separated by narrow straits. Towns and villages scatter across gentle hills and flat coastal strips, while bays and offshore islands break up the shoreline.
Spanish seafarers landed in the 16th century and made a blood pact with a local chief, marking the start of colonial times. Revolts against foreign rule shaped the following centuries, until the islands gained their present administrative form in the 20th century.
The name comes from a local term for a type of fish that once thrived in the island's rivers. Farming and fishing families shape daily life across many communities, drawing their livelihood from the sea and rice paddies.
Flights and regular ferries link the island group to neighboring regions, while public buses and smaller three-wheelers move travelers between towns. Many roads wind over hilly routes, so allow extra time for longer journeys.
More than a thousand cone-shaped hills rise like row houses from the green interior and turn brown during dry months. These formations sit close together and create a rolling pattern that becomes especially clear when seen from above.
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