Walking Tour of Historic Kailua Village

Hulihe‘e Palace
Hulihe‘e Palace

The essence of Kona can be found in its historic downtown village along the shores of Ali‘i Drive. Visitors to the Big Island will surely want to spend some time exploring the many landmarks, shops and sights of this relaxing, seaside destination.

The town’s most historically significant site,  Ahu‘ena Heiau at Kamakahonu, is located near the Kailua Pier by King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. This centuries-old temple and royal complex once served as Hawaiian Kingdom’s first capital under King Kamehameha the Great. The restored temple stands sentry over Kailua Bay, and is an iconic site in Historic Kailua Village.

Mokuaikaua Church
Mokuaikaua Church

A short walk down the street leads to Mokauikaua Church, the oldest Christian church in the state of Hawai‘i. You can still see the lava rock and coral/limestone mortar used to build the church in 1837. Directly across the street, Huluhe‘e Palace is one of only three royal palaces in the United States; the other two are located on O‘ahu.

Built in 1938 by the second governor of the Island of Hawai‘i, John Kuakini, the Palace was remodeled by King Kalakaua in the style of royal palaces he’d seen during his travels in Europe. Visitors can take guided tours of the Palace, which showcases beautiful koa antique furnishings, artifacts, paintings, sculptures and priceless objects belonging to Hawaiian royalty.

Holualoa Inn is located just a five minute drive above downtown Kailua-Kona. Our Holualoa Inn ohana will treat you like royalty from the moment you enter our stately tropical retreat.

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