Seaside town known for its historic landmarks, oceanfront shopping and dining, sunny weather, and world-famous coffee farms.

How to Get There

From Hilo (78 mi): Take HI-19 north along the Hamakua Coast, continue through Waimea, then follow HI-190 south to reach Kailua-Kona.

Overview

Kailua, also known by its post office designation Kailua-Kona (to differentiate it from Kailua located on the windward side of O'ahu island. "Kona" means "leeward" in Hawaiian.), is an town in Hawai'i County, Hawaii, in the North Kona District of the Island of Hawai'i. It is the center of commerce and of the tourist industry on West Hawai'i.

History

The community was established by King Kamehameha I to be his seat of government when he was chief of Kona before he consolidated rule of the archipelago in 1795. It was later designated as the capital of the newly unified Kingdom of Hawai'i. The capital was later moved to Lāhainā, and then to Honolulu.

Royal fishponds at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park were the hub of unified Hawaiian culture. The town later functioned as a retreat of the Hawaiian royal family. Up until the late 1900s, Kailua-Kona was primarily a small fishing village. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the region has undergone a real estate and construction boom fueled by tourism and investment.

Geography

Kailua-Kona is located along the shoreline of Kailua Bay and up the southern slope of Hualālai volcano. There are no major rivers or streams in Kailua-Kona or on the Kona side of Hawaii.

Attractions and events

Kailua-Kona is the start and finish of the annual Ironman World Championship triathlon, the annual Kona Coffee Festival, and the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament.

Kona coffee is the variety of Coffea arabica cultivated on the slopes of Hualālai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts. The Kona Historical Society manages two coffee related historical sites: the Kona Coffee Living History Farm and the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum just south of Kailua-Kona.

Ali'i Drive along Kailua Bay

Ali'i Drive, Kailua's oceanfront downtown street, starts at Kailua-Kona Pier. It has also been given the designation as a Hawaii Scenic Byway called the "Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast". This byway features archaeological sites that have survived for hundreds of years.

North of the pier is the Kamakahonu royal residence and Ahu'ena Heiau, and nearby now stands the King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. Another royal residence is Hulihe'e Palace, used by members of the Hawaiian royal family until 1914. The Historic Kona Inn and other shops are on the street.

Churches on the drive include Mokuaikaua Church, Hawai'i's first Christian church built in 1820, Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, and Living Stones Church, a historical structure built after Mokuaikaua and used as a Christian Missionary landing location in the 1800-1900. Parks include La'aloa Bay (also known as Magic Sands or White Sands Beach) and Kahalu'u Bay, which is a popular snorkeling location.

Old Airport Beach, north of Kailua

Boat tours which allow tourists to swim with dolphins, watch whales, and fish in the ocean usually depart from Honokohau Harbor.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0