WILLEMSTAD - On November 11, Hòfi Mango will once again open its doors to the public. After the flooding on May 4, the park was forced to close temporarily as its entire infrastructure was wiped out. Over the past few months, Hòfi Mango has been working on restoring the park and rebuilding its infrastructure.
"The past weeks have been overwhelming, and we are grateful for all the support we've received, which has confirmed how valuable Hòfi Mango is to Curaçao. This has also given us the strength to rebuild the park on our own," said Jandino Asporaat.
Hòfi Mango was purchased five years ago with the vision of becoming a national park for and with the people of Curaçao. It is an important site in Banda'bou, and the responsibility of giving back to Curaçao and helping to build its future remains the park's primary goal.
Out of this sense of responsibility for the island, it was decided to rebuild the park—just as it was developed from the start—without financial aid from the government. The reconstruction is being undertaken without external support as well.
However, Jandino and his brother Kenneth have initiated discussions with the governments of Curaçao and the Netherlands to find ways to use this incident as an example to develop a solution for the entire island. The water management issue is not just local to Hòfi Mango but affects the entire island. The Asporaat brothers have engaged a team of experts to tackle the problem on a broader scale, focusing on three main areas: dam restoration, cleaning of the water channels (rooien), and reforestation, all aimed at preventing future disasters like the one on May 4.
Despite their efforts, the Dutch government ultimately stated that the responsibility lies with Curaçao itself, and they will not provide knowledge or expertise. The Curaçao government acknowledged that it currently lacks the infrastructure and resources to create or implement an island-wide plan.
The Asporaat brothers remain committed to keeping this issue high on the agenda, but they will continue with the park’s restoration. The team is working hard to restore the park, with the ongoing goal of making it the most beautiful visitor park in the Caribbean. All paths, bridges, and plants that were washed away in May are being rebuilt in such a way as to reduce the risk of damage in the event of future floods in the valley.
More information about the reopening on November 11 will follow. In the meantime, the restaurant Kultura Kòrsou, the cactus garden, the love garden, and the distillery are already open to visitors and will remain open in the coming months. The restaurant operates daily, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, and from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekends. Chef Willy Balentina serves traditional Caribbean dishes. The park will also continue to offer the "Nature, Culture, and Cocktail" tasting experience for groups.
