Coffee, chocolate, and the farms behind them
You’re in the heart of the world’s most celebrated coffee-growing region. The volcanic slopes of Hualālai and Mauna Loa produce beans with a smooth, low-acid character that can’t be replicated anywhere else. Several farms welcome visitors for guided tours, tastings, and a deeper understanding of what makes "100% Kona" so exceptional.
Hawaiʻi is the only U.S. state that grows cacao, and the Big Island’s tropical microclimates produce beans with complex, fruity notes prized by craft chocolatiers worldwide. Farm tours walk you from tree to bar — you’ll crack pods, taste fermenting nibs, and sample finished chocolate still warm.
A small research facility and educational attraction where visitors can observe octopuses up close, learn about cephalopod intelligence and behavior, and even interact with these remarkably curious creatures during guided tours.
The only seahorse farm in the United States, breeding and conserving these delicate creatures in the warm Kona sunshine. The guided tour reveals the full lifecycle — from courtship dances to live births — and you’ll hold a seahorse in your palm.
The Big Island produces the vast majority of Hawaiʻi’s macadamia nuts, and several farms offer visitors a chance to see the orchards, learn the processing, and sample everything from roasted nuts to macadamia-nut butter and brittle.