Holualoa town is located above Kailua-Kona and Holualoa Bay on the western slopes of Hualalai volcano about 1,400 feet (427 m) above sea level in an area known as Kona Coffee Country. The town is home to coffee farms, art galleries, cafes and local shops that are housed in more than two dozen historic buildings.
Named after the holua (wooden sled) which Hawaiians rode down the loa (mountain slopes) in ancient times, Holualoa is also known for its rich and fertile volcanic soils which produced one of the world’s top gourmet coffees.
Holualoa was a sugarcane town for the first quarter of the 20th century. Before that Holualoa was a major agricultural area of the North Kona district beginning with taro, sweet potatoes and breadfruit followed by oranges, Isabella grapes, and cotton. Today there are more than 600 Kona coffee farms throughout the region and many are located near Holualoa.
The scenic mountainside coffee town of Holualoa is steeped in tradition and cooled by mountain breezes. You can sip the famous Kona coffee in a cafe or tour a coffee farm and coffee mill to learn about growing, harvesting, processing and roasting the revered bean.
Every November Holualoa hosts a popular Coffee & Art Stroll as part of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. In June the town hosts the Summer Farm Fest & Ukulele Jam.
Holualoa is located north of Keauhou and south of Kailua-Kona and Historic Kailua Village, about three miles up Hualalai Road from Queen Kaahumanu Hwy. (Hwy. 190). Schools in Holualoa include Holualoa Elementary School and Innovations Public Charter School. Holualoa is home to about 6,200 people.