Kona, Big Island Hawaii
Hilo - Kailua Kona - Kealakekua Bay
Kailua Kona, also known by many as simply Kona, is very much a resort orientated area located on the western part of the Big Island. The village itself conveniently hosts a range of shopping opportunities and visitors are not short of places to eat out. Culturally the town is alive with numerous hula and live music shows, luaus are also a regular occurrences delighting visitors from all over the Island.
Kailua Kona: Doorway to the Past
The strong cultural presence in Kaiua Kona is to some extent due to the area’s strong historical significance. The village lies at the base of the Hualalai Volcano, and back in the day this was deemed thee place to live - especially considering it is also the final resting place to one of Hawaii’s greatest kings - King Kamehameha the Great.
Speaking of the great king, in Komakahonu bay you will find the Ahuena Heiau which looks like a typical grass hut from the period of Kamehameha. A very holey place, the Ahuena Heiau was rebuilt by the king as a tribute to the Hawaiian god of peace and agriculture – Lono. Over the bay you can make out the Hulihee Palace which is over a century old and was once a place of refuge to King Kalakaua. Decades on it has become a sort of museum home to some of the past’s greatest treasures. While you are in the area you may as well visit the Mokuaikaua Church – a building made completely from solidified lava and coral and a building that also has the title of Hawaii’s “first Christian church.”
Walking the streets of Kailua Kona you will immediately pick up the rich aroma of coffee, something for which the area has become renowned for the world over (Kona Coffee.) Alii Drive is the village’s main street and it runs right the way through - from the coast, past the centre to the outskirts where visitors will come across the Kuamoo Battlefield. It was on this field that a war was fought to abolish the once revered kapu system. This system was basically used to separate the various classes and outlined what actions were appropriate and inappropriate for people of different ranks.
Today’s Kailua Kona
History is not all that is on offer to those visiting the area. Kailua Kona successfully attracts sports fisherman from around the world and is also the stage for the acclaimed Ironman Trialthlon which sees athletes from all over the world competing for this prestigious title. For those who are prepared to travel we strongly recommend taking a short trip to Kealakekua Bay and visiting the Captain Cook Monument the City of Refuge.
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