Kailua-Kona is the main tourist town on the Big Island's sunny west coast, a compact strip of shops, restaurants, and historic sites strung along Ali'i Drive with the blue Pacific on one side and the slopes of Hualalai volcano on the other. The weather here is almost absurdly reliable — dry and warm year-round while the east side of the island gets drenched.
The town's waterfront is dominated by Hulihe'e Palace, a 19th-century royal retreat, and Ahu'ena Heiau, the temple where Kamehameha the Great spent his final years. But most visitors come for the water. The snorkeling along the Kona coast is some of the best in Hawaii, with manta ray night dives a particular thrill — operators take you out at dusk to float above giant mantas drawn to the plankton attracted by underwater lights.
Kailua-Kona is also the home of the Ironman World Championship, held here every October since 1978. The race route along the Queen K highway and back through town is part of the local identity. The town is a good base for exploring the Big Island's west coast — Kealakekua Bay for dolphins and Captain Cook's monument, the coffee farms of the Kona coffee belt on the hillside above town, and the black and white sand beaches stretching north and south.