On the Big Island’s sunny west side, the coastal city of Kailua-Kona reigns as the center of commercial activity, so tourists gravitate there. Every day of the week, swarms of visitors dressed in shorts and T-shirts stroll along Alii Drive, the main drag on the waterfront, roaming in and out of shop after shop in search of gifts and souvenirs. When not store-hopping, they’re usually dining in one of the many restaurants, partying at a lively nightclub after sunset, or, on a more cultural note, checking out historical attractions. For example, two of the city’s must-sees are the Hulihee Palace, where Hawaiian monarchs came to vacation in the 1800s; and the Mokuaikaua Church, the first house of worship built by Christians in Hawaii in the early 1800s.

Kailua-Kona is the anchor for the Kona Coast, which stretches for about 70 miles north and south of the city. This larger area includes other smaller seaside villages not driven by commerce; some moderate to expensive hotels and condominiums, especially in Keauhou; a few good beaches; and Kealakekua Bay, one of the island’s best snorkeling spots and, for history buffs, where Captain James Cook died in the 1700s.

When you’ve seen one corner of this coastal region, don’t think you’ve seen it all. The landscape varies from dry and barren in some parts to verdant slopes in others where plantation owners grow rich Kona coffee and macadamia nuts, two crops for which the Big Island is known around the world. The Kona Coast itself also has quite a reputation for what lurks in the waters offshore. Anglers rate its deep-sea fishing among the best anywhere. Charter-boat captains leave the Honokohau Marina in Kailua-Kona every day with visitors eagerly hoping to reel in jumbo-size marlin and other big catches from the deep blue sea—and they often do.