Home Forums Blogs Articles Photos Videos Contact FAQ

Bohol - Geography

Bohol - Geography: Encyclopedia II - Bohol - Geography

The Chocolate Hills are considered one of Philippine's natural wonders and Bohol is often referred to as the Jewel of the Philippines. They are hills made of limestone leftover from coral reefs during the ice age when the island was submerged. They turn brown during the summer, hence their name. Most beaches are of white sand, which is often of such high quality that it is exported to other beaches in the world. The Luboc river is the largest and most famous, running from the southeastern ...

Bohol: Encyclopedia II - Bohol - Geography

Bohol - Geography

The Chocolate Hills are considered one of Philippine's natural wonders and Bohol is often referred to as the Jewel of the Philippines. They are hills made of limestone leftover from coral reefs during the ice age when the island was submerged. They turn brown during the summer, hence their name.

Most beaches are of white sand, which is often of such high quality that it is exported to other beaches in the world.

The Luboc river is the largest and most famous, running from the southeastern coast to the center of the island.

Numerous waterfalls and caves are scattered across the island, including the beautiful Mag Aso falls. Mag Aso means smoke in the native tongue. The water is cool and often creates a mist in humid mornings which can hide the falls.

Panglao is a small island south of the main island, connected by a causeway to Tagbilaran.

Bohol - Political

Bohol is subdivided into 47 municipalities and 1 city.

Tagbilaran City

Alburquerque
Alicia
Anda
Antequera
Baclayon
Balilihan
Batuan
Bien Unido
Bilar
Buenavista
Calape
Candijay
Carmen
Catigbian
Clarin
Corella
Cortes
Dagohoy
Danao
Dauis
Dimiao
Duero
Garcia Hernandez
Guindulman

Inabanga
Jagna
Jetafe (Getafe)
Lila
Loay
Loboc
Loon
Mabini
Maribojoc
Panglao
Pilar
Pres. Carlos P. Garcia (Pitogo)
Sagbayan (Borja)
San Isidro
San Miguel
Sevilla
Sierra Bullones
Sikatuna
Talibon
Trinidad
Tubigon
Ubay
Valencia

Bohol - Physical

Location. Bohol is an island province in the Visayas. It lies southeast from Cebu across Cebu Strait (in some references called Bohol Strait) and southwest from Leyte, separated by the Camotes Sea and Canigao Channel. Bohol is also located north of Mindanao with Bohol Sea between them.

Features. With a land area of 4117.3 km² and a coastline 261 km long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines. The main island is surrounded by about 70 smaller islands, the largest of which are Panglao Island facing Tagbilaran City in the southwest and Lapining Island in the northeast.

The terrain of Bohol is basically rolling and hilly and about half the island is covered in limestone. Near the outer areas of the island are low mountain ranges. The interior is a large plateau with irregular landforms.

Near Carmen can be found the major tourist draw of the province, the Chocolate Hills. The more than 1,200 uniformly cone-shaped limestone hills were named that way because in the summer, the grass growing on the hills turn brown, making the landscape look like it had chocolate mounds all over. The Chocolate Hills is found on the provincial seal of Bohol.

Panglao is famous for its diving locations and routinely listed as one of the top ten diving locations in the world. Numerous tourist resorts dot the southern beaches and cater to divers from around the world.

Climate. Unlike Luzon and the northern part of Visayas, Bohol is mostly unaffected by the numerous typhoons that hit the country. The weather is mostly mild all year round. When typhoons do hit the island, they usually cross quickly and are no longer powerful, their energy dissipated by the mountains in Leyte and Samar.

From November to April, the northeast monsoon (amihan) prevails. Except for a rare shower, this is the mildest time of the year. Daytime temperatures average 28°C, cooling down at night to around 25°C. The summer season from May to July brings higher temperatures and very humid days. From August to October is the southwest monsoon (habagat). The weather during this season is not very predictable, with weeks of calm weather alternating with rainy days. It can rain any day of the year, but you wil have more chance for a heavy shower from November to January. If you want to see the Chocolate Hills in their "Chocolate" color, you will have to go their during the "Summer".