Kona’s town centre isn’t much to rave about, but the expansive Kona District is pretty awesome in its range of activities.
Kona is the Big Island’s most popular tourist spot – it receives a hefty number of cruise ship passengers each year as they island hop around Hawaii. But there are plenty of other people, like me, who enter the Big Island by flight and are keen to explore the Kailua-Kona region in more than just a day.
Getting away from the souvenir stores and tourist bars in the town centre to see the foothills of the massive Mauna Loa and discover how the locals make use of their volcanic surroundings is a fantastic way to spend time in and around Kona, in my opinion.
I recently spent 3 days/4 nights exploring Kona and Captain Cook before moving on to complete a one week itinerary around Hawaii’s Big Island. Here’s what I think you should do if you’re planning to visit this awesome destination!
Quick summary:
This guide shares the best things to do in Kona and Captain Cook on Hawaii’s Big Island. You’ll find top tips for where to stay and places to eat, and personal recommendations to make the most of your time in Hawaii’s Kailua-Kona District.
Recommended tours:
🛥️ Captain Cook Snorkel Boat Tour – An easy, fun way to reach the monument and enjoy the bay.
☕ Coffee Tasting and Farm Tour – Sample local brews and explore the volcanic hillside farms.
🧂 Kona Salt Farm Tour – Learn how Hawaiian sea salt is traditionally harvested from the ocean.
🌋 Volcano National Park Adventure – A daytime guided tour to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
How to get to Kona, Hawaii
Kona has its own airport that receives frequent flights from Honolulu, as well as occasional flights from other Hawaiian islands and from east coast US cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, plus a handful of others. We flew in from Honolulu as it allowed us to connect to our international flight from Australia.
I was amazed by the epic landscape that could be seen out the window as our flight descended into Kona Airport. The runway literally sits on top of an old lava flow – what a great sight to welcome visitors to the Big Island.
Things to do in Kona and Captain Cook, Hawaii
Snorkel at the Captain Cook Monument
This monument is placed in the spot where Captain James Cook died in 1779. The obelisk itself is not that exciting, but it’s one of the best Kona snorkelling spots – the corals in the shallows in front of the monument are fantastic! We saw an array of colourful fish (but watch out for the sea urchins – there are many). There are three ways to access this monument:
By hike: You can hike downhill from the Captain Cook Monument trailhead on Napoopoo Road, which should take about 30 minutes each way. I’ve heard that this trail can be brutally hot when the sun is beating down, so choose to do this a cloudy day if you can.
By kayak: You can kayak across Kealakekua Bay to the monument, which is what we chose to do. We called Bayside Adventures in the morning and were able to rent a double kayak that same day. It cost $65 USD for a day-long rental, which was great as we didn’t feel like we needed to rush back within a certain timeframe. Paddling across the bay took approx 30 minutes each way, and when we arrived we jumped straight off the kayak into the water for snorkelling. Apparently there’s a chance of seeing dolphins and manta rays in the bay (which is a marine life conservation district), but unfortunately we didn’t see any. If you do see dolphins, be sure to keep your distance as you could be fined for chasing the marine life.
🛥️ By boat: The easiest and most convenient option is to reach the monument on a Captain Cook Snorkel Boat Tour. There were plenty of people doing this on various Captain Cook snorkelling tours when we were there. It looked like a lot of fun, they jumped directly off the boats into the water.
Magic Sands Beach
I had no idea why it was called Magic Sands until after I visited this spot, but apparently the sands at this beach will sometimes disappear! There were black rocks poking out of the sand at various points, but still plenty of white sand to relax on while we were there.
The waves here were decent, which we Aussies are pretty comfortable with but it was clear that some people were intimidated by the surf (this justified the lifeguard on duty). It was also a good spot for body boarding – lots of people were taking advantage of the waves for some fun in the water. Magic Sands is definitely considered one of the best beaches in Kona for swimming.
P.S. There’s a good kombucha spot at the beach shack next door, and free parking in a lot across the road.
Visit a farm (coffee, macadamia, or salt)
Hawaii’s Big Island is covered in rich and fertile volcanic soil, and combined with the subtropical climate, it’s perfect for growing delicious things such as coffee beans and macadamias.
☕ There are plenty of plantations to choose from in the area around Captain Cook. Coffee farms such as Rooster Farms offer a pre-paid Coffee Tasting Experience, which includes a farm tour and coffee samples.
We turned up unannounced at Hala Tree Organic Coffee Farm and luckily we were able to jump on a farm tour 5 minutes after it had started. The tours run as needed so best to let them know you’re coming beforehand. The tour is free, but you’ll be presented with the opportunity to purchase coffee tastings at the end. We each went with a set of three for $15 which allowed us to try some unique coffee samples, as well as a tea made from the discarded coffee cherry shell.
🧂 Another option is to visit a Salt Farm Tour from Kona where you can learn about the process of harvesting salt from the ocean. I didn’t get to do this activity, but it looks really interesting and is well reviewed!
Step inside the Painted Church
This is a quick stop, but a pretty one! The Painted Church is actually named the St Benedict Catholic Church, and it was moved from location closer to the shore to its current spot in 1899. A self taught painter decorated the inside with murals which are mostly religious themed but also incorporate the Hawaiian spirit by including palm trees and tropical colours. I’ve visited a lot of churches on my travels but can definitely say this this small chapel is quite unique.
Swimming and sunbaking at Two Step
At Two Step, volcanic rocks lead into the water with naturally formed steps in the rocks to assist swimmers entering the ocean to admire the surrounding coral. The waves were rougher here than at Captain Cook which made it a little challenging to get in and out of the water, and the visibility beneath the surface was also not quite as good. Our favourite activity at this spot was actually sunbaking on the black rock as it radiated heat, making it feel somewhat like an open air sauna.
There’s paid parking at the entrance to the Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park–a historic monument across the bay from Two Step–but you can also park along the road outside of this lot for a free option if you see a spot available.
Day trip to Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a crazy awesome place to visit. We drove there and stayed for a few nights to get the most out of our volcano experience, however, it’s quite possible to see the volcano in a day trip from Kona.
Your options are to rent a vehicle and do the drive yourself, or to hop on a guided Full-Day Volcano Tour from Kona.
Where to eat and drink in Kona and Captain Cook, Hawaii
Kona Brewing Co
I found Kona town centre to be somewhat underwhelming with the shops and restaurants mostly focused on drawing in cruise ship visitors, however, Kona Brewing Co was a pleasant surprise. It had a very lively atmosphere, decent food including vegetarian pizza options, and a wide variety of drinks made locally. It was so busy that we couldn’t get a table outside in the garden but the indoor seating area was plenty comfortable.
Shaka Tacos
I can’t decide whether the name of this casual eatery is tacky or awesome, but the food at Shaka Tacos was definitely amazing. The veggie tacos here were like a Mexican-Hawaiian-Asian fusion, with pickled onion adding a Korean element and the mango chili sauce reminding us that we are still in Hawaii. All of the ingredients were super fresh. The tacos were served in a diner-style venue with the kitchen housed in a food truck outside.
Honaunau Poke Shop
Eating poke is an essential Hawaii experience! This Japanese-inspired seafood dish is not meant to be vegetarian, however, I discovered that this highly-rated poke place offers a veggie bowl. A serving of warm rice sprinkled with seaweed flakes, served with your choice of three sides. It had the vibe of a simple meal done exceptionally well with the flavours light & tasty. The venue is a mere hole in the wall with a counter and outdoor seats for diners, true to the Hawaiian-style of enjoying a meal out in the open.
Black Rock Pizza
Let me start by saying that I really enjoy a pizza with a thin crust and sparse toppings, and Black Rock Pizza served the opposite of that–a thick crust with loads of veggies stacked on top–but considering this, it was done well. The red sauce base added a great flavour, which is not something that all pizzerias can get right. The lanai (balcony) was also great with a fab view of the sunset!
Where to stay in Kona, Hawaii
We stayed in a privately owned B&B just outside of Kona in an area called Captain Cook (named for the famous explorer who died nearby). We had views over the ocean that were perfect for admiring evening sunsets.
There was a coffee from a farm just up the road, and it was easy to access all the sights in and around Kona. If you want to choose an affordable area away from all the usual tourist spots, this is it!
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