Chocolate Hills, National Geological Monument in Bohol, Philippines
The landscape consists of 1,260 uniformly shaped conical mounds spreading across 50 square kilometers (19 square miles), reaching heights between 98 and 394 feet (30 to 120 meters), with each mound covered in grass and exhibiting similar dimensions.
The limestone formations developed from geological uplift of coral deposits from the seafloor, followed by millions of years of erosion through rainwater dissolving softer materials and leaving harder structures behind.
Local folklore attributes the hills to tears shed by a heartbroken giant mourning his lost love, while alternative narratives describe battles between supernatural beings whose weapons formed these geological features.
Buses from Tagbilaran to Carmen take approximately two hours and cost around 100 pesos (about $2). The viewing platform charges an entrance fee of 50 pesos for adults. A small restaurant and souvenir shops operate at the observation point.
During the dry months from February through May, the green grass transforms into a characteristic brown color, giving the mounds their namesake chocolate appearance that attracts photographers from across the region.
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