Fast Facts
- Population
- 19,713 (2020 census), up from 11,975 in 2010
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- Best Season
- April–June or September–November; October is Ironman
- Getting here
- Fly into Kona, then drive — this is the island's dry, leeward side
What to Know Before You Arrive
Kailua-Kona is on the western, leeward side of the Big Island; Hilo is on the eastern, windward side, about 59 miles east in a straight line. The U.S. Geological Survey describes a rain shadow (dry area) on the leeward side of Hawaiʻi Island and a large disparity in rainfall rates between its east and west sides. If the volcano is the reason for the trip, note that it is on the other coast; if the water and the coffee are, this is the side to be on.
The royal history here is substantial and under-visited. Huliĥeʻe Palace on the seafront was “used by members of the Hawaiian royal family until 1914,” and Mokuaikaua Church nearby is Hawaiʻi's first Christian church, with a congregation dating to 1820. Both sit within a short walk of the main shopping street.
The town's calendar is dominated by events rather than seasons. Alongside the Ironman World Championship it hosts the Kona Coffee Festival and the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament. Each event publishes its own dates: Ironman lists the next World Championship in Kona for October 9, 2027 and posts race-week road restrictions on its site, the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival lists November 6–15, 2026, and the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament’s site listed August 1–9 for its 2026 tournament. Check each event’s own site for current dates before booking.
The Road Trip Stop
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park south along the coast is the anchor. “The park gates are open daily from 8:15am until sunset.” It is one of the three parks covered by the Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass, alongside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Haleakalā.
Open to sunset, which is the time to use
- Gates open at 8:15 a.m. and close at sunset. A sunset closing is unusual among park units and it is the best hour to be on this coast.
- If you have been to Volcanoes, your pass may already cover this. The $55* Tri-Park pass covers Haleakalā, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau for twelve months from the month of purchase.
- The single-visit entrance fee is $20* for a private vehicle, $15* for a motorcycle and $10* per person on foot or by bicycle. Education and academic groups enter free.
- Treat it as a cultural site rather than a scenic one. The park describes the puʻuhonua as the place “where breakers of kapu (religious law) sought forgiveness and people found refuge during war”, set beside royal grounds once reserved for the chiefdom of Kona. Park staff and cultural practitioners demonstrate weaving, carving and lei making on site, usually between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., at no charge beyond the entrance fee.
*Fees subject to change, please check nps.gov for updated information.
From the Park Service
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
- Entrance fee
- $30 private vehicle · $25 motorcycle (7-day) · $15 per person. 3 commercial and tour-operator rates are listed separately by the park.
- Park hours
- Open around the clock, every day. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day including holidays.
- Reservations
- Permits must be reserved through the Backcountry Office, 808-985-6178
- Visitor centres
- Welcome Center · Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Open 9:00AM - 4:45PM daily.
- Campgrounds
- 2 in the park, about 25 sites in total. Fees from $10 to $15.
- Parking
- 10 mapped car parks and trailhead pull-offs
- Passport stamp
- Kahuku Visitor Contact Station · Kīlauea Visitor Center · Welcome Center
- Webcams
- 20 live views on the park’s own site
National Park Service Data API, pulled 2026-10-12
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
- Entrance fee
- $20 private vehicle · $15 motorcycle (7-day) · $10 per person · $0 education/academic groups. 2 commercial and tour-operator rates are listed separately by the park.
- Park hours
- Every day 8:15AM - Sunset. Sunset times vary throughout the year.
- Visitor centre
- Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park Visitor Center. Open 8:30AM - 4:30PM daily.
- Passport stamp
- Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park Visitor Center
National Park Service Data API, pulled 2026-10-12
Neighborhoods
Aliʻi Drive
The seafront street through the middle of town, carrying the shops, the restaurants and the palace.
Kamakahonu
The bay at the north end of the town front, beside which Huliĥeʻe Palace stands.
The coffee belt
Upslope in the North and South Kona districts on the flanks of Hualālai and Mauna Loa, where the farms are.
The resort coast north
Up the Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway toward the Kohala Coast. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has described the lava flows and volcanic landscapes along the highway, and the National Park Service says the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail connects Puʻukoholā Heiau with many of the major resorts along the Kohala Coast.
The Food Stop
Kailua-Kona's eating runs along Aliʻi Drive on the seafront, which is convenient and priced accordingly, with the independent places further back from the water. We were unable to confirm a specific Kailua-Kona restaurant for this guide, and this guide does not name a business without checking that business's own site. The thing genuinely worth seeking out here is coffee bought at a farm in the hills rather than in a shop on the front.
Been here a while
Places that have been serving a long time. We could not confirm this one as still trading in 2026 — ring ahead. Each name links to its source.
- 1917Manago Hotel restaurantDescribed as Hawaii's longest continually running restaurant, known for pork chops; James Beard America's Classic 2023 (about 12 mi from Kailua-Kona)still trading? unconfirmed
2 breweries within 10 miles of Kailua-Kona, one of them a brewpub with a kitchen.
See all 2
- Kona Brewing Co - Kona Pub74-5612 Pawai Pl, Kailua Kona
- Kona Brewing Co - Kona Brewery74-5588 Pawai Pl, Kailua Konaproduction site*
*Check before you go. This list says what the source records as open and where it is — nothing more. Opening hours, whether a kitchen is serving, and whether anywhere suits your family are not in this data and change without notice. A production site may have no public room at all. Please confirm with the venue.
Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)
The Home Teams
No MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL or MLS team plays in Kailua-Kona. The town's sporting identity is the Ironman World Championship, held here annually, which is a larger event than most minor-league seasons.
Day Trips
| Destination | Time | Distance | How we got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau | 54 min | 24 mi | routed |
| South down the coast to the place of refuge, open to sunset. | |||
| The Kona coffee belt | 34 min | 17 mi | routed |
| Upslope through Holualoa and Captain Cook, among the farms on the volcano flanks. | |||
| Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Parkguide | 2 hr 40 min | 105 mi | routed |
| Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is about 55 miles east of Kailua-Kona in a straight line, on the other side of the island. | |||
| The Kohala coast | 40 min | 30 mi | estimated |
| North along the Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway to the Kohala Coast. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has described lava flows and volcanic landscapes along the highway, and the National Park Service describes many major resorts along the Kohala Coast. Waimea is about 33 miles north-east of Kailua-Kona in a straight line. | |||
| Kealakekua Bay | 39 min | 18 mi | routed |
| South, about 13 miles from Kailua-Kona in a straight line: Kealakekua Bay, a Marine Life Conservation District with the Captain Cook Monument on the far shore at Kaʻawaloa Flats. State Parks says visitors reach the flats by hiking the historic Kaʻawaloa Trail from the uplands or on a guided kayak tour with a permitted operator, and that permitted vessels may not land at Kaʻawaloa. | |||
1 of these is a place the Hub has its own guide to — marked guide and linked from the name.
Routed figures are computed over map data at free-flowing speeds, between map points rather than street addresses, so a real drive runs longer. Rows marked estimated are this guide’s own figure and have not been routed.
Distances routed by OSRM and places geocoded by Nominatim, over map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Worth a Weekend
4 more Highway Heads places lie within about 180 miles of Kailua-Kona in a straight line — far enough that most are a night away rather than an afternoon.
- HiloHawaiiabout 60 mi
- Kahului (Maui)Hawaiiabout 90 mi
- HonoluluHawaiiabout 170 mi
- Pearl Harbor National MemorialHawaiiabout 170 mi
Annual Events Nearby
Within 60 miles of Kailua-Kona, nearest first.
What is on, and when
Ironman World Championshipsports-motorsportKailua-Kona
- Usually
- October (fall), over several days
- Held at
- Kailua-Kona race course
- Since
- 1978 (Kona since 1981)
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.
Practical Road Trip Info
This is the dry side. Kona weather bears no relation to Hilo's on the same island, and a forecast for one is not a forecast for the other.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is about 55 miles east of Kailua-Kona in a straight line. Basing here and visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes means a long day each way; splitting nights between the coasts is the better plan.
Check the event calendar. The Ironman, the coffee festival and the billfish tournament each reshape the town's lodging and traffic.
Buy coffee upslope. The farms are on the flanks of Hualālai and Mauna Loa, half an hour above the seafront shops.
The Local Debate
Family-Friendly
The puʻuhonua grounds
Open coastal ground with carved figures and the sea on three sides, reachable without a hike.
Kamakahonu beach
Kamakahonu is at the north end of Kailua Bay, according to the National Park Service. We were unable to confirm swimming conditions here from an official source; check the signs posted on site and the Hawaii Department of Health’s Hawaii Ocean Safety site before entering the water.
A coffee farm tour
Seeing a crop grown, picked and roasted in one place is a clear process for children to follow.
Watching the Ironman finish
If your dates coincide, the finish line is a free public spectacle. Ironman’s site lists the next World Championship in Kona for October 9, 2027, with the course finishing on Aliʻi Drive; its 2026 race day was October 10. Check ironman.com for current dates and spectator information before planning around it.
Plan Your Visit
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
- Hours
- Park gates open daily from 8:15am until sunset
- Covered by
- The $55 Hawaii Tri-Park Annual Pass, alongside Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala, valid 12 months from the purchase month*
- Single-visit fee
- $20 private vehicle, $15 motorcycle, $10 per person; education and academic groups free*
- What it is
- A puʻuhonua — in the park's words, where “breakers of kapu (religious law) sought forgiveness and people found refuge during war”
- Link
- nps.gov/puho
*Fees subject to change, please check nps.gov for updated information.
We checked fees, opening hours, seasonal opening, operating status and reservations on 2026-10-12. These change without notice — confirm with nps.gov, daughtersofhawaii.org, ironman.com, konacoffeefest.com, hibtfishing.com, konacoffeefarmers.org and dlnr.hawaii.gov the week you travel.
Sources — 33 claims, 29 checked against the source on 2026-10-12
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| “The park gates are open daily from 8:15am until sunset” at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park; the page was last updated 8 January 2023 and does not state an entrance fee | Hours — Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park (NPS) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-12 |
| The Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass is $55.00 and covers Haleakalā, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, valid 12 months from the purchase month | Fees & Passes — Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (NPS) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-12 |
| “The population was 19,713 at the 2020 census”, up from 11,975 in 2010; elevation 7 ft | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| “Kona coffee is the variety of Coffea arabica cultivated on the slopes of Hualālai and Mauna Loa”, with farms in the North and South Kona Districts | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| “Kailua-Kona is the host of the annual Ironman World Championship triathlon”; other annual events include the Kona Coffee Festival and the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| “Another royal residence is Huliheʻe Palace, used by members of the Hawaiian royal family until 1914”, near Kamakahonu; Mokuaikaua Church is Hawaiʻi's first Christian church with a congregation dating to 1820 | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau entrance fees: $20.00 private vehicle, $15.00 motorcycle, $10.00 per person, $0.00 education and academic groups; open 8:15AM to sunset every day | National Park Service Data API — parks/puho (entranceFees, operatingHours), pulled 2026-10-12 | Checked monitored · 2026-10-12 |
| The park describes the puʻuhonua as where "breakers of kapu (religious law) sought forgiveness and people found refuge during war", beside Royal Grounds "once reserved for the chiefdom of Kona"; cultural demonstrations of weaving, carving, lei making and games "usually take place between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm" with "no additional charge"; the park "closes 15 minutes after sunset" | National Park Service Data API — thingstodo/puho, pulled 2026-10-12 | Checked monitored · 2026-10-12 |
| Mokuaikaua Church visiting | No source accepted yet | Not confirmed |
| The labelling rules on Kona blends | No source accepted yet | Not confirmed |
| A named, verified Kailua-Kona restaurant or coffee farm for the food stop | No source accepted yet | Not confirmed |
| The race page lists the next IRONMAN World Championship in Kona for October 9, 2027, and describes the run course as finishing on Aliʻi Drive (checked 2026-10-15) | IRONMAN World Championship — race page (ironman.com) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Direct-mile distances for Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau and the Kona coffee belt (the remaining day trips) | No source accepted yet | Not confirmed |
| The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory describes precipitation on the windward side of Hawaiʻi Island and a rain shadow (dry area) on the leeward side, with a large disparity in rainfall rates between the east and west sides of the island (checked 2026-10-15) | Volcano Watch — Complex interactions between air and land help shape Hawaiʻi Island (USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory) | Checked |
| Hilo is on the eastern and windward side of the island; its published coordinates give the straight-line distance from Kailua-Kona (checked 2026-10-15) | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Kailua-Kona is located on the leeward side of the Hualalai Volcano, sheltering the town from wind and rain; its published coordinates are used for the straight-line distances (checked 2026-10-15) | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The race page carries a 2026 Road Restrictions page with a traffic-impact map and race-day traffic-flow downloads for the Kailua-Kona area (checked 2026-10-15) | Road Restrictions — IRONMAN World Championship (ironman.com) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The festival site lists the 55th Kona Coffee Cultural Festival for November 6-15, 2026, with multi-day farm tours at several farms on its schedule (checked 2026-10-15) | Kona Coffee Cultural Festival — 2026 festival and event schedule | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The tournament's 2026 hotel page lists dates of August 1-9, 2026; the site does not list later dates (checked 2026-10-15) | Hotel 2026 — Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| A January 2014 USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory release refers to the lava flows and volcanic landscapes along the Mamalahoa and Queen Kaʻahumanu Highways, from Kaʻū to North Kona (checked 2026-10-15) | USGS HVO press release — lava flows and volcanic landscapes from Kaʻū to North Kona | Checked |
| The park service says the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail connects Puʻukoholā Heiau with many of the major resorts along the Kohala Coast (checked 2026-10-15) | Directions — Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (NPS) | Checked |
| The Daughters of Hawaiʻi, which operates Huliheʻe Palace, lists hours of Wednesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 3:00 PM, closed Sunday to Tuesday and on major holidays (checked 2026-10-15) | Huliheʻe Palace — Daughters of Hawaiʻi (hours) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Self-guided admission for non-resident visitors is $16.00 for ages 18-64 and $14.00 for ages 6-17, free for ages 5 and under; $12.00 for kamaʻāina with valid ID, seniors 65+ and military with valid ID; guided Moʻolelo tours are $20.00 for all ages with reservations required (checked 2026-10-15) | Huliheʻe Palace — Daughters of Hawaiʻi (admission) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The association says the entire Kona crop is produced by 600 farmers, whose farms average between 1 and 5 acres (checked 2026-10-15) | 100% Kona — Kona Coffee Farmers Association | Checked |
| The association's site has a Visits & Farm Tours page for member farms; tour availability is set by each farm (checked 2026-10-15) | Kona Coffee Farmers Association — home page (Visits & Farm Tours) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is located on the island of Hawaiʻi; its published coordinates give the straight-line distance from Kailua-Kona (checked 2026-10-15) | Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Waimea is a landlocked community in Hawaiʻi County; its published coordinates give the straight-line distance from Kailua-Kona (checked 2026-10-15) | Waimea, Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| State Parks says visitors reach Kaʻawaloa Flats, where the Captain Cook Monument stands, by hiking the historic Kaʻawaloa Trail from the uplands or on a guided kayak tour with a permitted operator, and that permitted vessels are prohibited from landing at Kaʻawaloa (checked 2026-10-15) | Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park — Hawaiʻi State Parks (DLNR) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District lies offshore of the Kealakekua Bay Historical State Park on the western coast of Hawaiʻi Island (checked 2026-10-15) | Kealakekua Bay MLCD — Division of Aquatic Resources (DLNR) | Checked |
| Kealakekua Bay is on the Kona coast of Hawaiʻi Island south of Kailua-Kona; its published coordinates give the straight-line distance (checked 2026-10-15) | Kealakekua Bay — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The National Park Service places Kamakahonu at the north end of Kailua Bay in Kailua-Kona and describes Kona as on the western side of the Island of Hawaiʻi (checked 2026-10-15) | Kamakahonu, HI — National Park Service | Checked |
| The Hawaii Department of Health's Hawaii Ocean Safety site carries guidance on beach warning signs, safety in the ocean and snorkeling safety (checked 2026-10-15) | Respect Our Ocean & Stay Beach Safe — Hawaii Ocean Safety (Hawaii Department of Health) | Checked |
| The 2026 event schedule lists race day as Saturday, October 10, 2026 (checked 2026-10-15) | Event Schedule — IRONMAN World Championship (ironman.com) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
Road Trippin’ with the Harts
The Highway Heads books turn the miles between stops into a game the whole car can play.
See the booksLive Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Kailua-Kona, not drive time.
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) — 7 miles
- Waimea Kohala (MUE) — 33 miles
- Hilo International (ITO) — 62 miles
Explore the Full Road Trip
Return to the Highway Heads map and discover the next family-ready stop.
Explore the Map