Last updated on .
Christoffel National Park (Christoffelpark) is the largest of two national parks on the island of Curaçao. It features hiking trails, wildlife, and Mount Christoffel.
Introduction to Christoffel National Park
The land making up Christoffel National Park was acquired by the government in 1965 and the park was established in 1978. It’s the most biodiverse area of all the ABC islands. The park is a habitat for about 50 rare plant species, birds that can only be found within its boundaries, and three species of pillar cacti. There are also mammals such as white-tailed deer and bats as well as reptiles and insects. The park covers 1,860 hectares and includes 3 former plantations and the Newtown mining complex.
Visiting Christoffel National Park
The park is open daily from 6am to 2pm, with the last admission at 1:30pm. Admissions for foreigners is US$15 for adults, US$2 for kids age 6-12, and free for kids under 6 (as of February 2025). To visit the Savonet Museum, which is near the visitor center, it’s US$3 per person and free for kids under 6 (as of February 2025). You can pay the admission fee at the visitor center.
There are eight hiking trails at the park ranging from easy to difficult. Six of them are open to the public, including the popular trail up Mount Christoffel, and one is available on a guided hike only. If you’re short on time or not into hiking, you can reach most highlights of the park by car along the two driving routes. In addition, there are organized tours including jeep safaris and guided hikes. Check the official website for more information.
Climbing Mount Christoffel
The most popular activity by far, and probably why you’re visiting this post, is climbing Mount Christoffel (Christoffelberg). At 372 meters (1,220 feet), it’s the highest point on Curaçao.
Preparing for the Climb
First of all, before you start hiking, go to the visitor center to pay your entrance fee. You’re also required to sign a waiver. The out-and-back trail is moderate to difficult and you have two options – hike from the visitor center or start at the parking lot at the base of the mountain. From the visitor center, the round-trip distance is roughly 4 miles while it’s only about 1.7 miles from the parking lot. It takes about 10-15 minutes to drive from the visitor center to the parking lot.
Before setting out to climb, there are a few pieces of advice you should follow:
- Start your climb as early as possible, preferably when the park opens at 6am. The heat and humidity are brutal as the day heats up, and starting your hike after 10am is forbidden.
- Take at least 2 liters of water per person and plenty of snacks.
- Wear good shoes. On my way down, I saw a few people in flip-flops and I thought to myself there’s no way they’ll make it over the rocks near the top.
- Wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen.
- Take your time, especially if you have heart, knee, or back problems.
- Don’t litter and take all trash back with you. There’s a trash can at the trailhead.
About the Climb
How difficult is the climb? It’s relatively flat at the beginning, but you’ll eventually have to scramble over some big rocks along the trail. Near the top, it gets quite difficult with some real climbing.
How long should it take? It all depends on your physical ability. With our 4-year-old, we made it all the way from the parking lot to the top in 90 minutes. It took about 2 hours to go back down. If it was just us adults, I think we could’ve done it in about 2 ½ hours round-trip. If his little legs could do it, most people in decent physical condition can make it as well.
Once you make it to the top, you’ll be rewarded with fantastic 360° views from the highest point on Curaçao. Enjoy your hard work, take a rest, and get plenty of photos before heading back down.
Landhuis Savonet
Near the visitor center are the buildings of Landhuis Savonet. Built between 1662 and 1664 by Willem Beck, it’s one of the oldest plantation houses on Curaçao and also the best-preserved. The current house was built between 1815 and 1834, and features the original Dutch roof tiles. It was restored and opened as the Savonet Museum in 2010.
The Savonet plantation, which was the most productive on the island, initially produced millet and later switched to peanuts. Sometime between 1827 and 1834, it merged with Landhuis Zorgvlied under Matthias van der Dijs. This expanded it to 1574 hectares, making Savonet the largest plantation on Curaçao. After the merger, the owners experimented with indigo, cotton, coffee, coconut, aloe, and corn. Only 10% of the land was used for crops while other sections were used for cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, and pigs. It operated until 1963 and was inhabited until 1965.
Savonet Museum
The majority of exhibits are inside the main plantation house. They cover the nature, human history, and culture of Curaçao.
History and Nature Exhibits
First, just inside the entrance in the south gallery, is an exhibit about the indigenous inhabitants of Curaçao. In a kitchen off to the west side is an oven as well as porcelain plates and serving dishes original to the house.
In the center of the house is the sala, or sitting room. Inside and in the two rooms off to the sides are exhibits on the history of Landhuis Savonet, including artifacts and information about its owners. You can also see an original section of the hard lime mortar floor laid in the 19th century. The entire floor was replaced during restoration.
In the north gallery, you’ll find exhibits on nature. There are skeletons of animals found in the park, including white-tailed deer, and whale bones. You’ll also see an example of a sea turtle’s nest.
Ethnographic Exhibit
A steep stairway leads to the attic, which is divided into three rooms dedicated to the life cycle of slaves and locals. The highest number of slaves to work on the plantation at one time was 242. After emancipation on July 1, 1863, freed slaves continued to work there in exchange for a piece of land.
Pregnancy and Birth
The first room covers pregnancy and birth, including superstitions practiced during pregnancy. Mothers gave birth in the presence of a midwife or older family member. The midwife would wash and examine the newborn child. The mother and child were not allowed to leave the delivery room for eight days to promote healing and to protect the baby from an èze, a vampire-like creature. On the ninth day, a hot brick wrapped in cloth was placed on the navel to remove the umbilical cord, which was buried near the house. This was to assure longevity and for the child to never forget its birthplace.
Marriage
The large room in the center focuses on marriage. Marriages were conducted at a registry office in the morning and in a church in the evening. After the wedding night, the mother of the groom would check the bedsheet to see if it was stained with the Lagrima Birginal, literally Virgin Tears. She would take it to the mother of the bride, who would wash and hang it to dry on the clothesline for others to see that her daughter entered marriage as a virgin. Marriage was forbidden for slaves until 1828. A case off to the side includes religious items.
Death
The third room covers death. If a person was on their death bed, the family and neighbors would hold a vigil. The death was announced by blowing a kachu, which is a wind instrument made from a cow’s horn. The person preparing the body kept a clove of garlic in their mouth and took sips of rum to protect from the air coming from the mouth and nose of the deceased. A mixture of lime and aloe was used to close off all orifices.
Because of the heat, most burials took place the same day at the Roman Catholic cemetery at Westpunt. Only men were allowed to go to the cemetery. After the burial, the men would visit house of the next-of-kin to rinse off the dust of the cemetery. People would then meet at the house of the deceased at sunset for eight days to pray for their repose. Prayers were said in a mixture of Latin, Spanish, and Papiamento, and the ritual was called ocho dia.
Wash House
The wash house is behind the plantation house. Clothes were washed at Boca Grandi near the plantation. They were soaped with habon blou (blue soap) and laid on a flat stone in the water. They were then washed with a coral stone or beaten using a palu di bati paña (stick to hit clothes). The stick was made by a carpenter using wood from a karawara tree. The clothes were rinsed at the pos di mulina (mill well) and hung on a cactus fence to dry.
Northern Car Route at Christoffel National Park
The entrance to the northern car route is near Landhuis Savonet. You can ask one of the attendants to open the gate for you. There are a few stops along the loop.
North Viewpoint
The first stop is the North Viewpoint. You climb some steps and walk around the top of a hill until you reach a wooden platform. From there, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of the park’s coastline. If you look inland, you can see Mount Christoffel. There’s a picnic table on the platform, so it’s a great place to stop and have a snack as well.
Boka Grandi
The next stop is a viewpoint overlooking Boka Grandi. This natural bay formed due to thousands of years of wind eroding the sand dunes behind it. The water is crystal-clear and it’s possible to spot fish and corals if you get up close. White herons and American oystercatchers also like to spend time there. Don’t stand too close to the edge because waves sometimes wash over the cliffs.
Kueba Bosá
A short road off the main route leads to a parking lot where you can walk to Kueba Bosá. The cave is only about 45 meters deep and you can walk all the way to the end. It was formed by rain falling through cracks in the limestone above, slowly dissolving to form bigger holes that eventually became a cave. Four bat species, barn owls, and cave spiders live inside.
A second cave is on a slightly higher level but is not accessible to the public due to bat conservation. The fungi growing on the bat droppings may pose risks to human health.
Indian Cave Drawings
Follow the path to the right of Kueba Bosá and you’ll come to a fenced area. Behind it are a series of cave drawings created by the indigenous people of the island. Just be careful because there are several bees in the area.
The first indigenous group came to the island around 2900 BC. They eventually disappeared and were replaced by the Caquetío people, who originated in what is now Venezuela. It’s unknown which group created the drawings, but most scientists believe they were made by the first group. The significance of the drawings is also unknown.
Viewpoint
A final stop on the Northern Car Route allows for more great views of the coastline at Christoffel National Park.
Mountain Car Route at Christoffel National Park
The Mountain Car Route begins across the street from the visitor center. It’s a one-way road that also leads to the parking lot for the Mount Christoffel trail. Show your receipt to the guard for access to the road.
Landhuis Zorgvlied
The first stop is a short trail through the ruins of Landhuis Zorgvlied. It was founded by Jonathan van Beuningen around 1716 but there’s almost no historical information about it. The name translates to a place where worry flees. Sometime between 1827 and 1834, it was annexed by Landhuis Savonet under Matthias van der Dijs.
The first section you’ll reach is the threshing floor. Millet was threshed there with long crooked sticks to separate the grains from the husks. The grains were made into funchi (polenta), and the stalks were used for roofing, fuel, and manure.
Next are the ruins of the mansion. It was destroyed during the Slave Revolt of 1795. There are just a couple walls standing while the rest is in ruins. You’ll find great views of the sea from there.
Continuing along the trail is a large limestone pole. According to local legend, it was a slave pole to which slaves were tied and tortured with whips. It was more likely used as a beacon to either lead smuggling ships ashore or to warn ships of the treacherous coastline.
Finally, you’ll walk past the ruins of the kas di bomba (bomb house) where the slave master lived. From there, the trail winds back past more ruins to the threshing floor and the parking lot.
North Coast Viewpoint
The North Coast Viewpoint is at the northernmost point of the Mountain Car Route. A short trail leads to an open area with a bench. From there, you’ll get sweeping views of the north coast of Curaçao.
Landhuis Knip Viewpoint
The final stop before the Mount Christoffel parking lot is the Landhuis Knip Viewpoint. From there, you can see Landhuis Knip, where the Slave Revolt of 1795 began.
Copper Mine
The final stop along the Mountain Car Route are the remains of an old copper mine. A group of Americans discovered copper in the area in 1877. Jacob Bennebroek van der Linde Schotborgh bought a plot of land to mine in the 1880s. The project was halted after his death in 1903. Engineer Wopke Aurelius Knol made another attempt in 1921 but he concluded mining wasn’t feasible. We didn’t get to it, but a short trail leads to the shaft.
