Kailua Kona

Kailua Kona is a small, vibrant oceanside town at the center of the Kona district, but Kailua Kona, the zip code, covers a much broader area.  This famous little town was more than just the home to Kamehameha the Great (I).  It’s the birthplace of Christianity in the islands.  Mokuaikaua Church, at the center of Kailua Kona, is the oldest Christian church in Hawaii.  Directly across the street from Mokuaikaua is Hulihe’e Palace, the vacation palace of the royal Hawaiian monarchy.  Even now, centuries later, Kailua Kona has a kind of magnetic energy that draws people from around the world.  Perhaps that is why Ironman chose it as the headquarters of their World Championship race:  a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and marathon 26.2-mile run.  Since 1978, the very best of the best triathletes compete in Kailua Kona for not only world’s best titles, but for many, the bragging rights of simply finishing this brutal race.  Of all the places in the world, they too chose Kailua Kona.  But they aren’t the only ones - out of the same bay where this race begins, another race also launches:  the Queen Lili’uokalani Long Distance Outrigger Canoe Race, the largest long distance outrigger race in the world.  With around 2,500 paddlers, teams travel from around the globe for a chance to show what they’re made of in four days of events, most significantly a grueling 18-mile race from Kailua Kona to Honaunau.  But none of these distinguished events holds a candle to what Kona is MOST well-known for…its coffee.  Kona Coffee is arguably the most valued variety of coffee in the world.  You will be hard pressed to find any true coffee aficionado who doesn’t love Kona Coffee.  All that said, what do these accolades mean when considering real estate?