You know that we love all things Hawaii around here. Walk in the footsteps of Hawaiian royalty, sip on some of the world's richest coffee, and enjoy all that the Big Island's Kona coast has to offer. The Kona region is a 60-mile stretch along the western coast of Hawaii's Big Island that features some of the island's more unique offerings. We hope this Kona Coast Hawaii post inspires you.
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Kona has a rich history. The area, including Kailua-Kona Town, was once home to Hawaiian royalty, including King Kamehameha, and visitors can tour historic sites such as Hulihee Palace and Mokuaikaua Church. Captain James Cook first landed in Hawaii at Kealakekua Bay and was later killed at that same location. There are three national historic parks in the Kona region, including Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park, which features a monument to Cook. Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park is a 180-acre park that was once a sacred place of refuge for ancient Hawaiians, and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park covers 1,160 acres with historic temples and centuries-old petroglyphs.
The waters of the Pacific Ocean that lap at the Kona coast's white-sand beaches are calm and clear, offering excellent conditions for snorkeling and scuba diving. View marine life in its natural habitat, including green sea turtles and fish. To get up close and personal with whales, dolphins, and manta rays, join a boat tour, and go after a big catch, charter a sport fishing boat. Kona is also a great place to learn to surf since the waves that break just off its shore are relatively calm.
Kona is probably best known for its coffee. Pure, 100 percent Kona coffee can be difficult to come by elsewhere in the world because it only grows in this particular region of Hawaii's Big Island, where rich volcanic soil, constant cloud cover, and high elevation combine to provide ideal conditions for growing coffee beans. There are hundreds of coffee farms in the area that produce the rich Kona coffee, and many of the farms offer daily tours and free samples. To learn more about Kona coffee and the history of coffee farming on the Big Island, visit the Kona Coffee Living History Farm.
Kona is near Mauna Kea, a 14,000-foot summit that provides sweeping views by day and stargazing from several observatories at night. Kailua-Kona is the starting point for the annual Ironman World Championship, an exclusive long-distance triathlon held each fall, usually in October, that attracts some of the best athletes in the world.
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Kona is also home to a wide variety of restaurants, shops, and galleries, and there are several hotels in the area, such as Royal Kona Resort, that put on nightly luaus. We hope this Kona Coast Hawaii post inspires you. Happy travels!
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