Discover Holualoa-where
the climate is perfect for java, art and you!
Java is the juice that powers
Holualoa, the little village beating in the heart of Kona coffee country, but you won’t
find a Starbucks in Holualoa. This small town right above Kona is all
about privately owned coffee plantations.
Visit a coffee farm and see the bright red berries on the bush. You’ll
sip gourmet grinds outdoors as you kick back in the shade of lush foliage
and trees on a coffee-shop lanai. You’ll taste exotic, aromatic Kona
coffee blends and meet local farmers and artists. Be sure and check out the artisan woodwork,
handmade gifts, and fresh cut flowers, then pick up a bag of Holualoa’s
best beans for your trip home.
Your next stop finds you tucked amid
the rampant foliage and upland farms on the slopes of dormant Hualalai
Volcano. This spot in Holualoa is art central for the Kona-Kohala resort
coast. As you meander the main road, you’ll shop the galleries
and boutiques. Many of the galleries were once coffee shacks, and some
were even made by renovating old garages. Visit Holualoa Gallery and
prepare to be impressed. One of eight galleries in the area, Holualoa
Gallery features artwork in various mediums, including original paintings,
ceramic sculptures, and limited edition glicee prints. Walk to
the other galleries nearby and meet local artists. Buy a print or take
home a postcard to preserve the moment, and be sure to enroll in a hands-on workshop
and create a masterpiece of your own. Sign up for a class at the Kona Art Center in the picturesque old coffee
mill. While you are there, be sure to try on a traditional Hawaiian lauhala hat and “talk story”
at the island’s oldest hat shop. In Holualoa, the shop ladies know
all the latest gossip and Hawaiian folk tales.
But that’s
not all. Step back into the early 1900s and visit the Kona Hotel, a
landmark of Holualoa. Little has changed about the hotel’s fluorescent
pink appearance since it first opened in 1926. Explore
the two-story building and its funky interior. Benches out front encourage
quiet conversation. Take advantage of this inviting photo opportunity
and take a picture with the pink hotel as a backdrop.
By Connie
Werner Reichert