Must-see attractions in Kailua-Kona

  • United States, Hawaii, Big Island,

    Magic Sands Beach

    Kailua-Kona

    About 4 miles south of central Kailua-Kona, this small beach (also called White Sands and, officially, Laʻaloa Beach) has turquoise water, great sunsets,…

  • Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary

    Kailua-Kona

    Dr Ann Goody runs this animal sanctuary on five lovely acres in upland Kona. This isn't a zoo, or even a conventional sanctuary; instead, Dr Goody cares…

  • Hulihe'e Palace in Kona Kilauea. Thsi is a view of the back of the palace which has an ocean view. One of three palacesin the United States.
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    Huliheʻe Palace

    Kailua-Kona

    This palace is a fascinating study in the rapid shift the Hawaiian royal family made from Polynesian god-kings to Westernized monarchs. Here’s the skinny:…

  • Historic Ahu' ena Heiau Temple in Kamakahou Bay Kona, Hawaii
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    Ahuʻena Heiau

    Kailua-Kona

    After uniting the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, Kamehameha the Great established the kingdom's royal court in Lahaina on Maui, but he continued to return to…

  • Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area

    Kailua-Kona

    Visitors often overlook this quiet park, located a mile from downtown. It's a grand spot for picnicking, jogging and fishing. The beach area is studded…

  • Mokuʻaikaua Church

    Kailua-Kona

    Completed in 1836, this church is a handsome building with walls of lava rock held together by sand and coral-lime mortar. The posts and beams, hewn with…

  • Herb Kane Paintings

    Kailua-Kona

    Step inside King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel, just next to to Ahuʻena Heiau, to view historical paintings and a mural by legendary artist and Hawaiian…

  • Honl's Beach

    Kailua-Kona

    If you're an avid bodyboarder, Honl's, also known as Waiʻaha ('Gathering Water'), may feel like a historical pilgrimage. It was here, in 1971, that Tom…

  • Keolonahihi State Historical Park

    Kailua-Kona

    While largely overgrown with jungle and scrub brush today, this was once a major religious complex for Native Hawaiians. A heiau (temple) here was once…

  • Kamakahonu Beach

    Kailua-Kona

    Kailua-Kona's only swimmable in-town beach is this teeny-tiny strand between Kailua Pier and Ahuʻena Heiau, where ocean waters are calm and usually safe…

  • Kailua Pier

    Kailua-Kona

    Kailua Bay was once a major cattle-shipping area, where animals were stampeded into the water and forced to swim to steamers waiting to transport them to…

  • Pahoehoe Beach Park

    Kailua-Kona

    This little beach park is about seven parts 'park' and three parts 'beach'; the beach itself is small and studded with more coral rubble than sand. With…

  • Hale Halawai Park

    Kailua-Kona

    This county park serves as a very minor green lung breathing a little bit of oxygen into an adjacent three-way intersection on Ali'i Drive. Beyond a nice…