What to do in Kona, Hawaii - Olivia Michelle

We flew into Kona on our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. Kona is the second largest city on the island and is home to one of two airports you can fly into. I really enjoyed Kona, which we stayed a few nights at the tail end of our trip. Here are some must do’s in Kona during your trip.

Kona Airport
There are two airports on the Big Island: Kona and Hilo. We chose to fly into Kona simply because it was the cheapest for us. It is a small airport, but we did not have any issues flying in or out. The downtown area is just fifteen minutes from the airport.

Mokuaikaua Church
75-5713 Ali‘i Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
This church was the very first church in Hawaii, built in 1820. It is still operating as a church with weekly services. We just snapped a photo outside but thought it was really cool to see.
Read more info on their website HERE.

Hulihe’e Palace
75-5718 Ali‘i Dr. Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
We were only able to see the palace from the outside, but you can take docent led tours Wednesday – Friday and Self-Guided tours on Saturdays. It is a beautiful and quaint palace (at least from what we saw on the outside).
Read more info and book a tour HERE.

Village Farmer’s Market
Wednesday – Sunday: 7am – 4pm
This cute Farmers Market is a great spot to grab some cheap souvenirs as well as local food. There were baked goods, tons of fruit, fresh flowers, and plenty of tacky tourist items.

Shop around Downtown
There are quite a few small shops in the downtown area. There are also tons of restaurants and snack spots, a rocky beach and a nice view. A few of our favorites were:
Actually Made in Hawaii – artwork & locally handmade items
Sunset Traders – t-shirts, stickers, keychains
Tasty Kona – Macadamia nuts & FREE samples
Bubba & Finns – Dole Whip ice cream & smoothies

The coast in this part of Kona is not really beachfront, but it still has some beautiful views. If you walk through the Kona Inn, you’ll come out to this pretty view. At low tide you can see several tide pools and observe crabs and other sea life. In the below picture you can see a plump sea slug.

Nihilo Night Market
This was by far my favorite thing we did in the town of Kona and I stumbled upon it on accident. The Nihilo Night Market was full of local artists and was in a cute, newer/urban area of Kona. There are also lots of restaurants and breweries here.
Check out more market info and dates on the website HERE.

There are vendors with artwork, jewelry, clothing, and tons more! There was also a live DJ and food trucks.

Target
74-5455 Makala Blvd, Kailua Kona, HI 96740
Okay, hear me out, this is the only Target on the island and they do have some Hawaiian items. If you are looking for macadamia nuts, Hawaiian snacks, lotions or lip balms then make a stop by Target. They will also have the Hawaii exclusive Starbucks merchandise here, which also makes great gifts.

Kona Joe Coffee Farm, Factory & Shop
79-7346 Mamalohoa Highway, Kealakekua, HI 96750
There are quite a few coffee farms on the island, but we decided to stop by Kona Joe which is about twenty minutes south of Kona. It has a beautiful view of the coast, great coffee, and multiple types of tours you can take. There is even an option to roast your own coffee beans!
Read my full post about Kona Joe HERE.

Captain Cook Snorkeling Tour with SeaQuest Hawaii
78-7138 Kaleiopapa St, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
This Monument is a really cool snorkeling spot and underwater marine sanctuary. This place is full of tropical fish, spinner dolphins and sea caves. This spot was part of the inspiration for the movie “Finding Nemo”. I highly suggest snorkeling here, and we loved going with SeaQuest Hawaii.
Read my full post about the tour and our experience HERE.

Night Snorkeling with Manta Rays with SeaQuest Hawaii
78-7138 Kaleiopapa St, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
I’ve saved the best for last, because honestly this is one of the most incredible things I’ve experienced in my life. If you only do ONE THING on the Big Island, then make sure it’s this! We went snorkeling at night with Manta Rays. You will get to experience their learned behavior of swooping up from the ocean floor and scooping plankton into their mouths. This is the only place in the world that Manta Rays do this.
Read my full post about this tour and our experience HERE.

Side Note: We wanted to eat at Broke da mouth Grindz during our time in Kona but they were closed. This is the top rated restaurant and I highly suggest trying it out! We also heard that Kona Brewing was good, but it was closed for remodeling when we were there.