Christoffelpark

Christoffelpark
Coordinates: 12 ° 20 ′ 0 ″  N , 69 ° 7 ′ 0 ″  W.
Location:	Curacao
Surface:	2300 ha
Founding:	1978
Map of Curaçao with the Christoffelpark in the northwest (marked in green)

The Christoffel Park is a national park on the Caribbean island of Curaçao within the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The park, established in 1978, protects the flora and fauna around the eponymous Sint-Christoffelberg , which at 372 meters is the highest point on the island.

geography

View over the park area with the Sint-Christoffelberg in the background

The approximately 2300 hectare national park consists mainly of the area of ​​the three former plantations Zorgvliet , Savonet and Zevenbergen , all of which were located in the northwestern foothills of the island and came under government ownership in 1969. In 1972 this area was handed over to the administrative organization Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI for short) in preparation for the establishment of the park . In addition to the surrounding nature reserves and the Sint-Christoffelberg, the former Newtown mine complex is also part of the park area. In the past, manganese was extracted here in an open-cast mine . In the north of the Christoffelpark, the much smaller Shete Boka National Park is immediately adjacent .

Flora and fauna

The biodiversity of the Christoffelpark is considered to be the highest on the entire ABC Islands . The national park is home to a varied landscape, with 21 of the 22 vegetation types found on the island. Among other things, one of the last larger contiguous areas with light forest is within the park boundaries. Around 50 of the plant species found here are locally considered rare, with four of them being endemic to Curaçao and the neighboring island of Bonaire . In addition to the cacti , some several meters high , the orchids that occur here are particularly noteworthy: In addition to various other species, the species Brassavola nodosa and Myrmecophila humboldtii, which are very rare, grow here .

About 170 of the total of 250 specimens of a subspecies of the white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus curassavicus ) found only on the island live within the national park as well as the rare species Calomys hummelincki , which belongs to the Vesper mice . Furthermore, the Christoffelpark, together with the Shete Boka National Park, was designated as a so-called “ Important Bird Area ” and is therefore considered to be important for the protection of the bird species that occur here. The white-chin olive tyrant and the naked -eyed pigeon are particularly protected species with a restricted distribution area . A population of the Cuban flamingo with around 300 individuals is also present in the national park.

Tourism and sightseeing

The former country house Savonet in the national park now houses a museum

The Christoffelpark is popular with tourists as a destination for day trips and hikes. It offers a total of eight designated hiking trails of varying difficulty, including a route to the summit of the Sint-Christoffelberg, which is considered to be particularly demanding. In addition, various guided tours through the park are offered, on which the flora and fauna can be observed. A fee must be paid to access the national park.

Within the boundaries of the national park is the Savonet Museum Curaçao , which was set up in the country house of the former plantation, which was restored in 2010. The museum gives visitors an insight into the history of the Arawak - the indigenous people of Curaçao - and also thematizes the history of slavery on the island's former plantations. The Savonet plantation is the oldest plantation on the island and originally dates back to 1640.

Web links

Commons : Christoffelpark  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the national park

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Dirk Schwenecke: Curaçao - The 75 most beautiful sights . 1st edition. BoD, Norderstedt 2017, ISBN 978-3-7448-2179-7 , p. 57 .
2. ↑ Mangaan mijnbouw - Newtown en de Seru Francisco Jobo. In: curacaopictures.com. Curaçao Pictures, April 5, 2016, accessed May 8, 2019 (Dutch). 
3. ↑ Amandine Vaslet, Romain Renoux: Regional ecosystem profile Caribbean Region 2016. EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories . Ed .: BEST / European Commission. 2016, p. 8-12 .
4. ↑ Christoffel Park. In: christoffelpark.org. CARMABI, accessed on May 9, 2019 . 
5. ↑ Savonet Museum. In: inyourpocket.com. Retrieved May 8, 2019 .