Konarado Paniolo

In the center of Kailua Kona Village, a new wall to wall renovation has succeeded in bringing beautiful accommodations at a reasonable price to the heart of Kailua Kona Village.

This top floor unit located in the historic Kona Kai complex overlooks the pool area, and has a peek-a-boo view of the coastline, and yet a view of the entire horizon - weird, yes - but true. Any and all cruise ships that arrive in the bay are visible from the lanai.

Inspired by the Hawaiian Paniolo, the owner has 'contracted' unique one-of-a-kind features like herringbone floors, ample use of bead-board in the appropriate places, and a gentle country-like appearance.

Located just two blocks from Kailua Kona pier; now where the Ironman Triathlon begins and ends, and previously where cattle were hoisted aboard waiting ships! My how things change.

Restaurants like Quinns are even closer than the pier. A wide variety of cuisines are available up and down Alii Drive. Shopping from groceries to fine art are all just steps away. Walk to board your snorkel cruise or dive boat. Parasailing, paddle board to see dolphins, or just relax on the beach. Stroll down to the King Kam for the Luau. Kona Brewing Co. is also close by - as well as all the well known fast food restaurants.

Aside from being centrally located, quaint, clean and charming, this condo has air conditioning, satellite TV and internet service. Swimming pool and laundry area.

In the heart of Old Kailua Town downtown section, amidst the many shops and restaurants, lies the old Kailua Pier and Seawall. As you excitedly trek from the pre-contact Hawaiian temple at Ahu’ena Heiau, to Hulihe’e the Hawaii Royal Palace and Moku’aikaua, the first Christian Church in the state of Hawaii, tourists busy shopping, dining and snapping photos often do not even notice the historic construction. But the pier and the seawall have an ancient, complex and fascinating history, the stones recycled from gun-turreted forts and ancient Hawaiian royal palace walls over the centuries.

First constructed in 1900 and then rebuilt in 1950, stones for the pier and the seawall that runs from the pier to the Old Kona Inn were scavenged from the immense stonewall that once surrounded the Ahu’ena Heiau Temple complex and from the massive stone fort erected after the destruction of the heiau during the reign of Kamehameha II. The large stone fort once boasted 18, thirty-two inch naval cannon and was nick-named “The Rock” by passing whalers; today, that appellation is universally applied by locals to the entirety of the Big Island.

The pier originally was built to facilitate loading cattle onto steam freighters bound for Honolulu. Before the advent of the pier, horseback cowboys used to rope and drag individual steers from Kaiakeakua Beach (the minuscule beach just south of the pier), plunge them into the surf and swim them out to waiting whaleboats. There, the cows were lashed to the gunwales of the whaleboat and, with their backs awash, ferried farther out to the steamer offshore. The cows were then, unceremoniously, by means of sling and crane hoisted aboard the steamer.

Even many locals will be surprised to learn that the tiny beach adjacent to, and south of, the pier and the little beach associated with Hulihe’e Palace both have names; respectively they are Kaiakeakua (the god of the sea) and Niumalu (“in the shade of the coconut trees”) Beaches. Snorkeling from Kamakahonu, Kaiakeakua or Niumalu beaches is spectacular and strangely uncommon. A beautiful coral garden and abundant fish are to be seen snorkeling along the shoreline of Ahu’ena Heiau and fish, turtles, moray eels and the occasional sunken boat are abundant in Kailua Bay. Be wary of boat traffic to and from the pier, don’t go in on boat days, when careless lighter pilots ignore the marked swim channels.