Marlboro Hills

Marlboro Hills, locally known as Racuh A Payaman, is a vast communal pastureland in Mahatao on Batan Island, Batanes. Famous for its rolling green hills, grazing cattle and horses, and dramatic cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it offers panoramic views of Mt. Iraya, Diura Beach and the coastline. Often called Marlboro Country for its resemblance to the cigarette advertisement landscape, it is one of Batanes' most photographed natural attractions.

Visitors can expect wide open rolling hills covered in grass used as communal grazing land for cattle, carabaos and horses. The area offers unobstructed 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean, rugged coastline, Diura Beach, and Mt. Iraya in the distance. There are no major structures, only open pasture, dirt trails and cliff edges. The landscape is windswept and treeless, ideal for sightseeing, photography and leisurely walks along the ridges.

Racuh A Payaman has long served as a communal pastureland (payaman) for Ivatan communities in Mahatao. It gained the nickname Marlboro Hills or Marlboro Country after visitors noted its resemblance to the landscapes featured in Marlboro cigarette advertisements.

Represents the traditional Ivatan communal land management system where pasturelands are shared for grazing livestock. The open grassland reflects the pastoral culture of Batanes and remains an active grazing area for cattle and horses owned by local families.