Kona is a small town on the Big Island of Hawaii. It has become a popular tourist destination. The Kona coast is a great place for surfing, snorkeling, swimming, or sunbathing. The coast has a kind of rugged beauty and is not as crowded with resorts as some areas of the islands are. The town is small enough to get around by foot and has a pleasant atmosphere, though it can get a bit crowded during tourist season.

Kona is most famous for its coffee, not its beaches. This one of the few places in the U.S. where coffee can be grown, and Kona’s coffee is recognized as one of the finest in the world. It is sought after by roasters and bean aficionados from New York to Tokyo to Paris. Many of the area’s coffee plantations have free tours, which include samples of the coffee. There is a local roastery, UCC Hawaii, which offers tours and sips of its caffeinated product. The delicate flavor of the coffee and its slightly sweet aftertaste makes one think more of a good tea than a cup of java. Coffee lovers will find their contentment on Kona.

Kona has some great eateries featuring local dishes like Ahi. There are good bars along the beach as well. In general, things seem a little more laid back here than they do in other parts of Hawaii.

Perhaps the most spectacular bit of geography in the area is Mauna Kea. The mountain rises from under the sea and peaks at nearly 14,000 feet. If you count the 15,000 feet of Mauna Kea that sits under the water, it is the highest mountain, base to peak, in the world. It is no Everest, though. Visitors can drive to the summit of the mountain. It takes some time to do so, but the views are sublime.

Kona is home to some off the world’s finest coffee. It offers visitors a chance to see beyond Hawaii’s resort culture and into the mountainous islands that have so much to offer.