Kona airport to the coffee belt
From Kona airport (KOA), drive south toward Kailua-Kona, then uphill to Mamalahoa Highway, which runs through the coffee belt from Holualoa south to Kealakekua and Captain Cook. The farms are spread out, so most visitors drive.
| Airport | Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) |
|---|---|
| Main road through the belt | Mamalahoa Highway |
| Towns | Holualoa, Kealakekua, Captain Cook |
| At the airport | Car rentals, taxis, SpeediShuttle, pre-arranged transport, rideshare pickup |
| Distances and drive times | Not listed here |
The roads
Queen Kaahumanu Highway runs from the airport south toward Kailua-Kona; Mountain Thunder's directions turn uphill on Kaiminani Drive just past the airport for farms above town.
From the Palani Road intersection in Kailua-Kona, Highway 11 runs south. The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory's directions follow it 4.8 miles to Kamehameha III Road.
The coffee farms sit on or near Mamalahoa Highway: Holualoa on the slopes above Kailua-Kona, then Kealakekua and Captain Cook to the south, as their addresses show.
Distances and drive times are not listed here because we could not cite an official source for them.
Rental car or tour
Car rentals, taxis, SpeediShuttle, pre-arranged ground transport and rideshare pickup zones are at the airport, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
A car lets you combine several farms in a day. Free tours at Greenwell Farms and Mountain Thunder need no reservation; UCC Hawaii and the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory need one.
Check each farm's days before you go: the Kona Coffee Living History Farm opens Tuesdays and Fridays, the chocolate factory tours run Wednesdays and Fridays.
Farms along the way
North to south, by address.
Mountain Thunder Coffee PlantationCoffee
Kailua-Kona
A Kona coffee farm above Kailua-Kona with free 20-minute guided tours of the trees, milling, drying and roasting, plus a self-guided walk through three lava tubes.
Heavenly Hawaiian Kona Coffee FarmCoffee
Holualoa
A Kona coffee farm in Holualoa that grows, processes and roasts its own coffee.
Original Hawaiian Chocolate FactoryChocolate
Kailua-Kona
A cacao plantation and chocolate factory in the Keauhou area of Kona.
Greenwell FarmsCoffee
Kealakekua
A Kona coffee farm in Kealakekua with free guided farm tours every half hour and coffee tasting before and after the tour.
Kona Coffee Living History FarmCoffee
Captain Cook
A historic coffee farm run by the Kona Historical Society that shows Kona coffee farming in the early 20th century.
