Mile High Skydiving

Kona, Hawaii (Kailua-Kona)

Kailua-Kona, better known as Kona, is a town and region located on the West Coast of the island of Hawaii. With beautiful beaches, world famous coffee farms, and consistently warm weather, it makes a terrific vacation destination and a great base from which to explore the island of Hawaii (the Big Island). The Big Island, known as the most traditionally Hawaiian of the islands, is home to rainforests, waterfalls, volcanoes, and even snow-capped mountain peaks. Where else can you go skiing, scuba diving, and visit an active volcano, all in one day?

Kona, Hawaii (Kailua-Kona)

Kona is an ideal vacation destination. It offers all the wonders of a tropical paradise, from white sand beaches covered with coconut palm trees, luaus with hula dances and mai tai cocktails, and world-class snorkeling, scuba-diving, sailboarding, skydiving, and sport fishing. The Ironman Triathalon World Championship is held in Kona each year in October. For travelers, there are accommodations ranging from five-star hotel resorts on the beach to vacation rental condos to secluded villas nestled in lush tropical fruit tree plantations. If you rent a car at the airport, you can go anywhere on the island in a short time, taking in its incredible variety of sights, including waterfalls, botanical gardens, coffee farms, macadamia nut orchards, ancient Hawaiian cultural and historical sites, rainforests, deserts, white sand beaches, black sand beaches, green sand beaches, lava beaches, and the active volcano Mt. Kilauea in Volcanoes National Park. From Kona, driving to the volcano takes about 2 .5 hours, while you can drive around the entire island in as little as six hours (though it is best to explore the different parts on different days).

Kona is a very unique place geographically. The name Kona means "dry" or "leeward" in the ancient Hawaiian language. But whereas most of the West Coast of the island of Hawaii is dry and warm, Kona itself is lush and warm. Looming high above the Kona coast is the rounded peak of Hualalai, an older volcano that has not been active for many years. Nearly every day, the a small cloud of warm, wet air begins to form on the summit of Hualalai, and in the late afternoon or evening, you usually can expect it to come down the mountain and give Kona a short, tropical shower. It doesn't rain much, but it rains a few minutes almost every day, keeping the Kona area lush and green with tropical vegetation. The rich soil on the slopes of Hualalai, combined with the daily shower from its mists, provides the ideal growing climate for Kona coffee, as well as tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya, banana, guava, and much more. If you drive a few miles north or a few miles south, the land is covered with a lava desert, but Kona itself is pure paradise.

Where to Stay

There are many choices of Kona hotels and accommodations. Among exclusive resorts, you cannot beat the consistently highly rated Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (located on the Kohala coast), Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, and the Kona Village Resort. Great mid-range options include the Kona Tiki Hotel and the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. Centrally located in Kailua-Kona town, and steps from the downtown shops and restaurants (particularly useful if don't have a car), are the lower priced Kona Seaside Hotel and King Kamehameha Hotel. Also check into bed and breakfast (B&B) lodging options and private vacation rentals, of which there are many to choose from.

Shopping and Dining

Things to See and Do

Enjoy the beautiful beaches and warm water! See the next section for a listing of some top beaches, snorkeling, and scuba diving sites.

Visit a Kona coffee farm: You can't leave Kona without some Kona coffee, and it's worthwhile to see where it is grown as well as taste some from the source. The coffee grows at a slight elevation and appreciates the afternoon mists that come down the mountain later in the day. One of the best choices to visit is Greenwell Farms, which has a history in Kona dating back to 1850 and still supplies much of the Kona coffee sold by gourmet retailers like Starbucks and Peet's coffee. They have a great tour of their coffee farm, where you see all stages of the growing and roasting operation (and buy and taste 100% Kona coffee). Greenwell Farms is adjacent to the Kona Historical Society and Museum about 14 miles south of Kailua-Kona town on Highway 11.

Adventure sports: Interested in Parasailing? Sport fishing? Surfing? Kayaking? Scuba diving, including lessons and gear? How about a helicopter tour of an active volcano or of some scenic coastal cliffs? There are numerous options for adventure travel in and around Kona.

Cruises and boat trips: Whether you're in the mood for a romantic sunset or dinner cruise, snorkel tour, or whale and dolphin watching, you can book any of these and more for your vacation in Kona.

Great activities for the kids include a Kailua Bay glass bottom boat trip or a voyage on the Atlantis Submarine.

Travels Beyond Kona

Travels around the island: Beyond Kona, you won't want to miss Volcanoes National Park (A 2 .5 hour drive to the south-southeast). If you have time to head over to the Hilo (wet) side of the island, three must-see attractions are 442-foot tall Akaka Falls (11 miles north of Hilo), the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens (8 .5 miles north of Hilo; lush, tropical beauty, but take some mosquito repellant), and the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Factory (between Hilo and Volcanoes National Park). Looking for a change of pace? Two great inland spots are 150-year old Parker Ranch, where you can go horseback riding, and the 13, 796-foot tall Mauna Kea, which has the world's largest astronomical observatory at its summit (you'll need to book a tour or take a 4WD vehicle to go up the mountain).

The Best Beaches, Snorkeling, and Scuba Diving Sites (incomplete list!)

The ocean water around Kona is ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. It is warm and tropical year-round, and is generally calm with smaller waves than other parts of the island. Some of the top beaches and underwater sites are as follows. A number of these beaches and parks on the Big Island also contain some traditional Hawaiian sacred sites or historical sites on their grounds, so you can enjoy the water and culture at the same time.

Kahaluu Beach Park. Small, family beach located next to the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort on Alii Drive in Kona. Fantastic snorkeling in calm, shallow water that is shielded by lava breakwater. A perfect spot for beginners, families with children, and anyone else. Many colorful tropical fish can be seen just under the surface in shallow water. This is also one of the main spots where the Hawaiian green sea turtles come to feed and rest on the lava rocks.

Kailua-Kona Beach, next to King Kamehameha Hotel. This is a nice little beach that is in the city and next to the main boat pier. It is small and gets overcrowded, given its location, but after visiting the shops and restaurants in town it can be a nice place to cool off. Near the beach is a traditional Hawaiian temple called Ahu'ena Heiau, which was built by King Kamehameha the Great in 1812.

Kealakekua Bay and Captain Cook Memorial. This pristine bay is located about 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona. It is one of the world's top snorkeling and scuba diving sites due to its incredible array of coral and tropical fish. Dolphins are also frequent visitors. This is also the site of the Captain James Cook memorial site, which marks the place where the South Seas explorer was killed in a fight following his trip to Hawaii in 1779. You can drive to Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park by going south from Kailua-Kona on Highway 11, then turning right at Napoopoo Road and right again at Puuhonua Road. However, the best snorkeling spot is a bit offshore, making it accessible only via boat or kayak. You can rent your own kayak nearby and paddle out to the snorkeling spot. Alternatively, you can book a boat trip online or in Kailua-Kona; there are several licensed snorkeling and scuba operators who can take you to the dive site for several hours at a time. Book in advance for best availability.

Honaunau Bay ("Two steps"). This is an offshore site, north of Kailua-Kona town, where the lava has been worn away just enough to make a convenient jump off point for snorkelers and scuba divers. The underwater reef is teeming with tropical fish. This dive site is offshore from Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park, which is an important sacred site for ancient Hawaiians that contains preserved temples and wooden figures. You can also get to the dive site via boat by booking a snorkel tour either online or in Kailua-Kona. The dive operators usually take you to the dive site for a couple of hours and then take the long way back to search for dolphins and whales along the way. Book in advance for best availability.

Hapuna Beach State Park and Mauna Kea (White Sand) Beaches, north of Kailua-Kona on Highway 19. If you renting a car (which you should), then take at least one day to drive up to the Kohala Coast near Waikaloa. While you can find some wonderful beaches elsewhere on the island, if you are searching for that perfect, powdery white sand with glassy clear water and palm trees, then try Hapuna Beach State Park or Mauna Kea Beach on the Kohala coast. The Kohala coast is around 30-45 minutes north of Kailua-Kona town, and a number of five-star resorts are located there. These places have some terrific private beaches, but there are at least two world-class beaches that are open to everyone. Hapuna Beach State Park and Mauna Kea Beach have both been routinely voted as two of the world's top beaches. You won't be disappointed. Make sure you get a good driving map at the airport or in Kailua-Kona town, and you'll be able to find both beaches.

Punaluu (Black Sand) Beach, near Naalehu on the south coast, on the way to Volcanoes National Park. This is another beach you won't want to miss seeing, though you probably will not get in the water. If you drive south from Kona towards the volcanoes, you can stop and take a break at Punaluu. The beach has volcanic black sand that really is jet black. You can also see a lot of Green Sea Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles in the water here. However, the water is normally pretty rough due to the wind on this part of the island, and so it is not a destination beach for enjoying the water yourself. The nearby town of Naalehu is the southernmost town in the United States.

Other beaches: Off the beaten track, if you rent a 4WD vehicle and wish to explore, there are other, less accessible beaches on many areas of the Big Island, including the legendary Green Sand Beach at Ka Lae that is also near Naalehu on the south side. The East Coast (Hilo side) of the island is wetter and has rougher water, but there are some beautiful beaches tucked in and some traditional Hawaiian fish ponds built around the shoreline on the southeast side where you can snorkel and some fish. One or two beaches south of Hilo even have volcanically-warmed water (as if you needed warmer water in Hawaii!). If you are spending more time in Hilo or near the volcanoes, get a good map and ask around about the best beaches.