On this trip through South Kona we will be start by traveling South on Highway 19, also called Mamalahoa Highway. Once you have passed Kailua-Kona, you are officially in South Kona.
The video begins in the town, Kealakekua. In this town you will find numerous coffee farms to stop at to try coffee and tour the farm. Some farms are free and some charge an entrance fee. Two of our favorites is Greenwell Farms and Kona Joe's Coffee.
Also in Kealakekua are many antique shops. Keep an eye out for them. They are all on Mamalahoa Highway.
Once you see the Kealakekua Ranch Center on your left, there will be a large fruit stand on your right. Stop here for fresh, local produce.
Between mile marker 108 and 105 you will pass more coffee farms, the Coffee Shack, a great place to stop for breakfast with a beautiful view of the coast and Super J's, the best Hawaiian food on the island.
At mile marker 104, you make a right onto route 160. This beautiful, scenic road will take you to Pu'uhonua OHonaunau Historic National Park. Stop here for the ranger talk and learn about Hawaiian culture. This park is a great place to sit and relax, learn about Hawaii's history and watch the sunset. This is a historic park, so there is no swimming.
Once you leave the park, make a left at the 2nd street after the park exit to go to Honaunau Bay. On the left you will see an area where most peopel are entering the water, this is called Lae Kele. Sometimes referred to as "Two Step" it was ranked one of the top 10 snorkeling spots in the world and one of the best in Hawaii. Please be warned, the water is deep here. Only go in if you are a strong swimmer. This is also not a state or national park. There are no showers, life guards, places to rent snorkels or flush toilets, just port a potties. There is no food stand place to purchase water. There are some picnic tables and very little shade. Although many people refer to this area as Two Step, please try to use the Hawaiian name for this magical spot. Do not enter or exit the water in locations other than these steps to avoid hurting yourself or the reef!
Once you leave Two Step, turn back onto Route 160 and go back up the way you came until you see Painted Church Road. Make a left onto this windy road. Less than a mile onto this road, on your right, will be Saint Benedict's Church, also known as the painted church. This church was painted by one priest. He only had green brown and white house paint donated by the farmers in the area. He used pigments made by local plants to create the other colors.
Once you leave the painted church, continue on Painted Church Road until you reach a dead end. Make a left onto Middle Keei Road and at the next stop sign another left onto Napoopoo Road. These roads are narrow and windy, but have very little traffic. Drive slow and enjoy the scenery. It is polite to pull over to allow people to pass. Many people live on these roads and may want to drive faster.
Less than one mile down Napoopoo Road, you will see a sign on your right for Big Island Bees. Turn right at the next road to stop at the country's largest organic honey farm. They give beekeeping tours three times a day (we recommend signing up in advance) or you can stop in to sample their honeys and browse their free bee museum and honey store anytime.
Once you leave Big Island Bees, make a right onto Napoopoo Road to continue down toward the ocean. Once you hit the dead end, make another right and park in the lot. This bay is where Captain Cook first landed and where he was killed. You can see his monument on the opposite side. The beach is rocky, making it not an ideal swimming spot.
For a nice place to swim, Make a U-turn in the parking lot and go straight less than one mile (this road is called Pu'uhonua). Turn right onto Manini Beach Road. Follow this road until you see a parking lot. Park here and take a break at this beautiful beach in the bay. You can also snorkel here, but there is not much of a reef. This is a popular spot for people to kayak or stand up paddle board. You will often see dolphins in the water in the morning.
That is the end of your South Kona trip! The fastest way back to the highway is to go back up Napoopoo Road and make a left onto the highway.
Drive slow, stop along the way and explore! There's lots of farm stands, coffee farms and other fun things to see.
