• THE KONA COAST

Kona, the ancient playground of Hawaiian royalty is predictably sunny and always full of playtime activities. The main community is Kailua-Kona, reached by leaving Keahole Airport and turning south for a 15-minute drive on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway. For access to Kailua’s waterfront, go seaward on Palani Road to Ali‘i Drive, which features wooden buildings, a coral church and a stone tower reminiscent of the whaling days in the 1800s.

Kamakahonu is the restored compound where King Kamehameha spent his last years. This National Historic Landmark is at the north end of Ali‘i Drive, adjacent to Kailua Pier. Two other monuments are just south on Ali‘i Drive: Hulihe‘e Palace (photo left; currently under renovation), built in 1838 and Moku‘aikaua Church, the oldest church in Hawai‘i, constructed in the 1830s. With its two-foot thick coral walls, the church is a great place to rest when walking along Ali‘i Drive. On the south end of Kailua is the oldest Catholic church in the outer Hawaiian Islands, St. Michael’s, built in 1848.

Among Kona’s excellent swimming areas is Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area, which can be reached by driving toward the ocean at the north end of Kailua-Kona. Public tennis courts are located nearby.

There are numerous places to swim and snorkel all along Ali‘i Drive beginning with Kamakahonu Lagoon, at the hamlet’s north end, fronting King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Resort.

Adjacent to the resort is Kailua Pier, the water activities headquarters for Kailua, where you can board a boat for visiting Captain Cook’s Monument at Kealakekua Bay, snorkeling, SCUBA, SNUBA, kayaking, fishing, submarine rides, semi-submersible rides, and even an ocean going Polynesian show. For wave-lovers, White Sands Beach Park, just south, provides great waves for the island’s annual bodysurfing contest. At the south end of Ali‘i Drive, north of Keauhou Bay, lies Kahalu‘u Beach Park, with its long white, sandy beach.

When you’re out of the water, you may want to check out the minuscule St. Peter’s Catholic Church and an old heiau, Ku‘emanu, where Hawaiian royalty prayed for surf.

Keauhou, at the end of Ali‘i Drive, is the playground for manta rays that swim in the waters off of the Kona Surf Resort. Keauhou is also where many archeological sites, with remains of native Hawaiians, were found.

Kealakekua and Captain Cook are places where Hawaiian life and western enterprise meet head on. This is coffee country, where roasting houses and roadside eateries offer you a place to rest when driving between Kawaihae and the volcano. The town of Captain Cook is named after the explorer Captain James Cook, who lost his life in nearby Kealakekua Bay. This snorkeling spot is the site of a monument built by England to honor the great explorer.

A must-see on the South Kona Coast is Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. Formerly known as the City of Refuge, this is where the weak, the criminals, and vanquished warriors of Old Hawai’i were given sanctuary. The beautiful, tranquil park is best reached by taking Route 160 at Keokea where it branches of Highway 11 at mile marker 104. Plan to spend several hours exploring the restored temples and other ancient Hawaiian sites. Open: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Mon. through Thur.; 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Fri., Sat., Sun., and holidays; a visitor center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and offers maps for a self-guided tour. Fee. (808) 328-2288.