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Big Island of Hawaii - Kailua-KonaBig Island of Hawaii 
What to See - Introduction
Kona is the heart of the sunny side of the Big Island. It’s a historic
region
Nearby Hulihe`e Palace was a retreat for generations of Hawaiian royalty, or ali`i, and in honor of this legacy, the main street in Kailua-Kona is named Alii Drive. Today, Alii Drive is an oceanfront boulevard teeming with tourists visiting the strip’s lively restaurants, shops and art galleries. Kailua Pier is another link between the past and the present, situated alongside Hawaii’s Plymouth Rock, where the first missionaries set foot on the Big Island in 1820. Now it is the departure point for many boat trips,such as parasailing, glassbottom boat rides, and snorkel tours. It is also the starting point for the annual Ironman Triathlon, a grueling endurance race combining swimming, running and cycling that floods downtown with over 25,000 spectators each October. The rest of Kona has a much slower pace. The artistic community of Holualoa is perched above Kailua-Kona at 1,500 feet, offering visitors the chance to browse its galleries while gazing at the expanse of shoreline and ocean below. It’s an ideal place to begin a tour of the coffee farms in Kona Coffee Country, a belt of land that runs 20 miles between 1,000 and 2,500 feet, where the rich volcanic soil, sunshine and moisture create perfect growing conditions for the acclaimed coffee beans. In addition to the Kona coffee belt, South Kona has small towns, lush surroundings, waters frequented by spinner dolphins, and two of the best snorkeling sites on the island. The spectacular coral gardens and underwater life at Kealakekua Bay are particularly good in front of the monument to explorer James Cook, who was killed here by Hawaiians in 1779. Farther south, Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, or “Place of Refuge,” offers a chance to snorkel with honu (turtles), and to explore a fascinating cultural park that was once a royal residence for ancient Hawaiians. North Kona has some of the island’s best beaches, sometimes requiring
a hike but always worth the extra effort for the powdery white sand and
lack of crowds. Turtles cluster at beautiful Kiholo Bay, while surfers
flock to Pine Trees, one of the most popular surf spots on the Big Island.
Kaloko- Honokohau Harbor is the jumping-off point for all sorts of boating adventures, such as fishing, diving, sunset sails and whale-watching. Some boats head to Pawai Bay, a dramatic snorkel site accessible only by boat. Others are full of fishermen hoping to land a thousand-pound marlin; the annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, the “Grandfather of All Big Game Fishing Tournaments,” takes place here each July. Dolphins, turtles and whales are often in the vicinity of the harbor, the icing on the cake for a day spent on the water. Two ultra-deluxe resorts cap the district in the north, the “Fantasy Island”-esque Kona Village Resort, and the Four Seasons Hualalai, consistently rated as one of the best resorts in the world. The waters of the entire Kona Coast are renowned as a mecca for scuba divers. With incredible visibility at about 75 dive sites that have underwater features like lava caves, arches, pinnacles and canyons and a diversity of marine life, most divers consider this the best in Hawaii. The manta ray night dive, the ultimate adventure on the island, erases any doubt – it is the experience of a lifetime. You haven’t really seen the Big Island until you’ve seen
its underwater world, and Kona is the place to do it. Its beauty both
above and below the ocean is breathtaking. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm
and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only
we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru
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