Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [184]
Kona coffee accounts for less than 1% of coffee produced worldwide, and all of it comes from a strip of land just 2 miles wide and 22 miles long on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa – what’S known as the Kona Coffee Belt. This region is patchworked with over 700 independent coffee farms, most covering only 3 to 10 acres. Because of the steep terrain, it’S still necessary to hand-pick the beans, which are often dried the old-fashioned way: in the sun.
Coffee was introduced to the Big Island in 1828 by missionary Samuel Ruggles, who thought it made a pretty garden ornamental. By the 1840s coffee was being grown on plantations as a commercial crop and soon became a vital agricultural industry. In the 19th century, coffee was so important that cash-poor farmers used it as currency for buying groceries, and until 1969 public school ‘vacations’ were timed so that kids could help with the fall coffee harvest.
However the instability of world coffee prices eventually drove all the large plantations out of business, and the industry periodically struggled. Only the extraordinary high quality of Kona coffee allowed increasing numbers of independent, often immigrant farmers to survive, as some have for five generations and counting.
Why is Kona coffee so special? First and foremost, the climate. Sunny mornings usually give way to cloudy or rainy afternoons, while temperatures remain mild and frost-free. Coffea arabica flourishes in these conditions, which occur in Kona at elevations between 800ft and 2800ft. Plus, there’S the rich volcanic soil and a commitment to excellence: only superior beans (called ‘Kona Typica’) are grown, and cultivation and roasting remains a meticulous, handcrafted process.
In recent decades, there’S been a surge in certified coffee estates – which do everything from seed to cup – and increased efforts to preserve Kona’S reputation by protecting its label against deceptive ‘Kona blends,’ which by law need only contain 10% Kona beans. When shopping, look for the Kona Coffee Council (www.kona-coffee-council.com) seal of approval, and for more information, visit www.konacoffeefarmers.org. For a Hualalai coffee tour, Click here.
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Lacking shade and too rocky for good swimming, this black-sand beach is most popular with local fisherman, but its beauty rewards those who make the effort.
MANINI′OWALI BEACH (KUA BAY)
Manini′owali Beach, also called Kua Bay, is another vision of paradise: a crescent-shaped white sand beach with sparkling turquoise waters that makes for first-rate swimming and bodyboarding, and even decent snorkeling when waters are calm. But unlike Makalawena, a paved road (built by the Kukio Bay resorts as a ‘give back’ to the community) leads right to it; the parking area has bathrooms and showers. Thus, Manini′owali draws major crowds, especially on weekends; arrive late, and cars will be parked a half mile or more up the road – meaning you have to hike here, too, but for the wrong reason.
To get here, take the paved access road between the 88- and 89-mile markers (north of the main Kekaha Kai entrance).
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KA′UPULEHU
Once one of a string of fishing villages, Ka′upulehu was destroyed by the 1946 tsunami and abandoned until the Kona Village Resort opened here in 1965. It was joined by the Four Seasons Hualalai in 1996, and these resorts are the poshest on the island. By law the resorts must provide public access to the coast, meaning that anyone can enjoy the beautiful beaches on Kukio Bay for the cost of asking.
Sights & Activities
BEACHES
On the south end of Kukio Bay, Kikaua Beach is accessed through a private country club. Come early, as beach parking is limited to 28 stalls and can fill up. This lovely, quiet, tree-shaded beach contains a protected cove where kids can swim and snorkel in bathtub-calm water; around the kiawe-covered point, sea turtles line up to nap. Both this and Kukio Beach have bathrooms,