Kissed by the Sun
      Caressed by the Sea

Imagine your perfect Hawaiian vacation. Beautiful beaches with no crowds and quaint historic towns with little traffic. Warm sunny days and tropical nights with seldom a shower. Time honored resorts that are reasonably priced and affordable Inns that are uncommonly elegant. If you think this vacation is a thing of the past, lost to the one-size-fits-all vacation packages, you haven’t been to Kona. Kissed by the sun caressed by the sea.

   Kailua-Kona: Gateway
   to the Big Island

The center of activity on the Kona Coast is the historic seaside town of Kailua-Kona.

A visitor delight, the town offers shops of every description and restaurants catering to any taste. Take a stroll along Alii Drive and pick up some gifts for the folks back home, or something special for yourself. Relax over a cup of world famous Kona Coffee or dine on fresh Ahi-tuna while overlooking lava shores and crashing waves. Kailua-Kona is alive with the history preserved and a hospitality never lost. You'll be enchanted with the safe, uncrowded streets, the easy pace and the friendly people.

If you thought places like this didn’t exist anymore, then you haven't been to Kailua-Kona. Visit a genuine Hawaiian village, with all its charm intact!

   The Island of Hawaii:
   Bigger is Better!

The State of Hawaii is made up of eight principal islands, of which the Island of Hawaii, also known as The Big Island, is the largest. In fact, The Big Island is nearly twice the size of all the other islands combined. Yet with a population of less than 150,000, there is more unspoiled wilderness and untouched paradise here than anywhere else in the State.

• From Arctic tundra to tropical rain forest, The Big Island has 11 of the earth’s 13 climatic zones.
• With an average of 350 dry days a year and our famous temperate climate, the weather along the Kona Coast is perfect nearly all the time.
• Over 50% of the visitors to The Big Island have been here before. Visit Kona once and chances are you’ll want to come back too!

   Warm With Aloha...

Our goal is to make your stay here so pleasant that you will want to return again and again.

Most people do.
Kona has the highest percentage of return visitors of any of the Hawaiian destinations, and that is because there is something special here. We call it aloha, and while the entire state is blessed with this spirit, in Kona it's a way of life. You encounter it when a resident offers to help with information or directions, or when cars stop to let you cross the street. You smell it when someone is there to greet you with a lei, taste it in the local cuisine and in every cup of Kona coffee and feel it in the warm trade winds. You see it in the movements of children practicing hula at the Hulihe'e Palace, learning the graceful and beautiful art-form of their ancestors. You can even touch it in the graceful lines and muted tones of gifts and crafts by talented local craftsmen.

Aloha is not simply people being nice to people, it is a state of mind and it can be experienced with all the senses. Certainly, all of Hawaii has aloha, Kona just has more!

   Steeped In History...

The Big Island has more historical and cultural sites than all the other Islands combined.

The Big Island of Hawaii was for many years the center of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Here in Kona you will find history at every turn, often literally across the street!

From Pu'uhonua O Honaunau (a place of refuge for lawbreakers) to the Ahu’ena Heiau (the center of power for the Hawaiian kingdom and home of King Ka-mehameha), there are reminders of the fascinating pre-contact world of ancient Hawaii. Captain James Cook, the famed British Explorer then “discovered” the Hawaiian Islands and was later killed at Kealakekua Bay, marked by a monument. Shortly after, the first Christian church in the Hawaiian Islands was established on the site of the present-day Mokuaikaua Church. This is just across the street from the Hulihe’e Palace, one of only three royal palaces in the United States, and a favorite vacation spot of the Ali’i (royalty).

An ancient refuge, the cultural center and playground of Hawaiian royalty, the gateway to Cook's discoveries and the birthplace of Island Christianity, are all in Kona. Visitors to the Big Island can bring home more than just a suntan, they can be forever enriched by our unique Hawaiian history and culture.

Mokuaikaua Church

Hulihe’e Palace

Pu'uhonua O Honaunau

   Rich In Ecology...

An intimate relationship between the land, the sea and the people has been a way of life for generations.

Hawaii is a wonderful place to study the relationships and contrasts between life, the land and the sea. No place in the world offers a more unique or diverse ecosystem in such a small area as the Big Island of Hawaii.

Hawaii’s ecology is a lesson in diversity and adaptation. In one afternoon, within a few short miles, you can glimpse rare birds in the lush tropical rain forests of Hualala’i, discover ancient rock carvings in the lava deserts of Kohala, then just minutes later hike through the wide open ranch lands of Waimea. In fact, you can literally watch the Island of Hawaii erode at one end and grow at the other! Jump in to the warm, inviting ocean and commune with thousands of brightly colored fish over spectacular coral gardens, suddenly noticing that you’ve been joined by an endangered Green Sea Turtle.

“Eco-Tourism” has become a popular catch phrase in the travel industry but in Hawaii, respect for the ecology has been a way of life since the arrival of the first Hawaiians. As a result, those who visit today can experience and explore an unmatched ecological wonderland unlike any other on earth.

Sperm Whale Breach

Green Sea Turtle

Lava Enters The Sea

   Ready for Fun...

On the land, on the sea or in the air, there are activities for everyone, from quiet relaxation to pulse pounding excitement.

Kona is well known for its laid-back life style, but if you want a little action in your vacation, we have activities for all ages and every interest.

Get off the beaten path and hike to remote locations with a renowned naturalist, bike down a volcano or ride horseback through open ranch lands. Fly through deep valleys lined with waterfalls, or circle over an active volcano churning with molten lava. Explore abundant coral reefs on a snorkel or SCUBA dive cruise, in a glass bottom boat or on a submarine. What about the thrill of reeling in a 1000 lb. marlin? You’ll work up an appetite then want to feast on Hawaiian delicacies and join the excitement of an authentic Hawaiian Luau.

Kona is ready to have some fun so come on over ready to play. Or... just sit on the beach and do absolutely nothing at all!