The Kona Coast - Travel

Back to Big IslandThe Kona Coast

Guided Walking Tours -- The Kona Historical Society (tel. 808/323-2005; www.konahistorical.org) hosts two historical walking tours in the Kona region. All walks must be booked in advance; call for reservations and departure locations. The 75-minute Historic Kailua Village Walking Tour (tel. 808/323-3222; www.konahistorical.org/tours/walking.shtml) is the most comprehensive tour of the Kona Coast. It takes you all around Kailua-Kona, from King Kamehameha's last seat of government to the summer palace of the Hawaiian royal family and beyond, with lots of Hawaiian history along the way. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 5 to 12.

The 1-hour Living History Tour takes you through the everyday life of a Japanese family on the Uchida Coffee Farm during the 1920s to 1940s. Interact with costumed interpreters as they go about life on a coffee farm. The tour is offered Monday through Friday on the hour from 9am to 3pm, for $15 adults and $7.50 kids ages 5 to 12. Meet at the Kona Historical Society office, 81-6551 Mamalahoa Hwy. (next to Kona Specialty Meats), across from mile marker 110, Kealakekua. Call ahead for reservations (tel. 808/323-2006).

Self-Guided Driving Tours -- Big Island Audio Tour (tel. 808/896-4275; www.bigislandaudiotour.com), a self-guided audio tour on CD, features 36 tracks of information, including directions to the well-known sites plus tracks on beaches, short hikes, side trips, and information on Hawaiian language, history, and culture. The cost is $20 plus $2 for shipping.

If you're interested in seeing how your morning cup of joe goes from beans to brew, get a copy of the Coffee Country Driving Tour. This self-guided drive will take you farm by farm through Kona's famous coffee country; it also features a fascinating history of the area, the lowdown on coffee-making lingo, some insider tips on how to make a great cup, and even a recipe for Kona coffee macadamia-nut chocolate-chunk pie (goes great with a cup of java). The free brochure is available at the Big Island Visitors Bureau, 250 Waikoloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa, HI 96738 (tel. 808/886-1655; www.gohawaii.com/bigisland).

Upcountry Kona: Holualoa -- On the slope of Hualalai volcano above Kailua-Kona sits the small village of Holualoa, which attracts travelers weary of super-resorts. Here you'll find a little art and culture -- and shade.

This funky upcountry town, centered on two-lane Mamalahoa Highway, is nestled amid a lush, tropical landscape where avocados grow as big as footballs. Little more than a wide spot in the road, Holualoa is a cluster of brightly painted, tin-roofed plantation shacks enjoying a revival as B&Bs, art galleries, and quaint shops. In 2 blocks, it manages to pack in two first-rate galleries, a frame shop, a potter, a glassworks, a goldsmith, an old-fashioned general store, a vintage 1930s gas station, a tiny post office, a Catholic church, and the Kona Hotel, a hot-pink clapboard structure that looks like a Western movie set -- you're welcome to peek in, and you should.

The cool up-slope village is the best place in Hawaii for a coffee break. That's because Holualoa is in the heart of the coffee belt, a 20-mile-long strip at an elevation of between 1,000 and 1,400 feet, where all the Kona coffee in the world is grown in the rich volcanic soil of the cool uplands. Everyone's backyard seems to teem with glossy green leaves and ruby-red cherries (which contain the seeds, or beans, used to make coffee), and the air smells like an espresso bar. The Holuakoa Cafe, on Mamalahoa Highway (Hwy. 180) in Holualoa (tel. 808/322-2233), is a great place to get a freshly brewed cup.

To reach Holualoa, follow narrow, winding Hualalai Road up the hill from Highway 19; it's about a 15-minute drive.