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The area north of the Kona International Airport is known as the Kohala Coast, the location for most of the newer resorts
in Hawaii.
Hualalai is the third youngest and third-most historically active volcano on the Island of Hawaii,
and gives name to the first area you come to driving
north through the Kohala Coast.
Where the slope of Hualalai meets the ocean, you'll
find one of the best resorts in the
world--the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
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Photo courtesy Joe Solem.
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Moving just north along the coast, you'll find lava flows on both sides of the road, as far as you can see...it looks like somebody
crumbled up the world's biggest brownie!
Watch for rock graffiti along the road: defacing the rock is forbidden,
so teens proclaim their love with messages written in white coral rock, arranged upon the lava.
No paint here--teens proclaim their love with Rock Graffiti. Photo courtesy Hawaii Tourism Japan.
Soon you'll come to the Polynesian-style
Kona Village Resort, consisting
of 125 thatched-roof Polyesian cottages. Kona Village is one of the very few all-inclusive resorts in Hawaii.
Photo courtesy Kirk Lee Aeder.
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Not far to the east is Waimea: it's cattle country, where the paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) still work. If you're
staying on the Kohala coast, it's definitely worth a drive up to
Parker Ranch,
a 175,000 acre working ranch with horseback rides, wagon rides, and a Visitor Center.
Petroglyphs (ancient rock carving used for communication) are often found on the Kohala Coast.
The Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve is about a mile walk from Holoholokai Beach Park, near the Mauna Lani Resort.
Just north of this area is the birthplace of King Kamehameha, and long ago, royal runners were sent along a trail down
this coastline to fetch fresh fish from the ponds in Mauna Lani and Waikoloa, bringing dinner back for the royal family
down in Kailua-Kona.
The remaining resorts in this area are relatively close together on Waikoloa Beach, Mauna Kea Beach, and Hapuna Beach.
"Close together" is a relative term, however--they're still spaced much, much further apart than properties on the other islands.
Typically the big hotels here will each sit on 30 to 100 acres.
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Resorts we'd recommend in this area include
the Fairmont Orchid,
the Mauna Lani Resort,
the Hapuna Beach Prince, and
the Mauna Kea Beach hotel.
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