Royal Kona Coffee Center
83-5427 Mamalahoa Highway, Captain Cook, Big Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
If you like coffee, you can get your fill—and learn about coffee production in the process—at the Royal Kona Coffee Center. Here, you can see where Kona coffee cherries are processed and beans are separated from the fruit, and you can also learn how the beans are air-dried after they are hulled.
Other on-site highlights include a museum, where you can learn about the history of Kona coffee farming. Along with tasting an assortment of different types of coffee, there’s chocolate, cake, and even tea. There’s also a gift shop if you want to purchase some coffee to take home with you. The Coffee Center is a popular stop on full-day island tours and shorter shore excursions alike.
- If you’re coming independently with a large group, it’s recommended that you phone ahead.
- Admission and tastings are free.
- Wear comfortable shoes; visitors can walk through a lava tube and take in the views of Kealakekua Bay.
- There’s a wheelchair- and stroller-friendly ramp that leads up to the museum and coffee mill section.
The Royal Kona Coffee Center is open throughout the year, usually from morning until mid-afternoon. It’s a great place to come on a rainy day, though you’ll have to cross through the grounds to get to the lava tube.
The Royal Kona Coffee Center is on Mamalahoa Highway in Captain Cook. It's about 30 minutes by car from Kailua-Kona or 2 hours from Hilo. As public transportation on the island isn’t great, you’re best off renting a car or coming as part of a guided tour.
Right on the coast, about a 15-minute drive from the coffee center, Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park is considered one of the most sacred sites on the island. It once served as a safe place of refuge for those who had broken sacred laws; as long as they made it to this spot, they could not be punished. Today, it’s a beautiful park filled with gardens and traditional statues; many tours to the Coffee Center also stop here.
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