Savonet Museum

Savonet was one of the island's largest plantations and its landhuis, at the gate of what is now Christoffel Park, holds a museum covering the long history of the land: the Amerindian presence, the Dutch acquisition, the plantation economy and the people enslaved to run it, and the shift to conservation. The building itself was gutted by fire and rebuilt, so the interior is modern, with the exhibition designed rather than improvised.

Background

Plantation Savonet counts among the earliest plantations founded on Curaçao, and its irrigation system was still reasonably intact in 2011. Its land now lies within Christoffelpark, which also takes in the former plantations of Zorgvlied and Zevenbergen, the Newton mine complex and Christoffelberg, at 1,239 feet (378 m) the highest point on the island. The park covers 1,860 hectares, 1,040 of them nature reserve, and joined Curaçao's national park system in 1978. The Carmabi Foundation has run it since 2001. Visitors can explore by car, bike, horse or on foot, using eight hiking trails and four sealed roads, and the mountain climb may not be started after 10am.

Source: Wikipedia, "Christoffelpark"

What to look for

• The layered history - Amerindian, plantation and conservation periods in sequence.
• The plantation account - the working of the estate and the people enslaved on it.
• The rebuilt landhuis - a modern interior in the shell of the plantation house.
• The park gate - the museum's position at the entrance to Christoffel.

When to go

Year round on park hours, which start early and finish mid-afternoon. Mornings are cooler for combining with the park. It closes some days.

Things to know

The museum closes in the mid-afternoon along with the park. It is small and an hour or two is enough. Entry is tied to park admission whether or not you use the park.

Nearby

Christoffel Park is behind it, and Grote Knip is northwest.