The Big Island is the Place to be in Hawaii

When you think of Hawaii, the most obvious destinations are Waikiki or Pearl Harbor on Oahu, or perhaps LaHaina or Kihei on Maui. For a number of reasons, the largest and most diverse island of them all is often overlooked even though Big Island real estate accounts for a huge percentage of total land area.

The Big Island of Hawaii is larger than all of the other islands put together. It is home to five volcanos of varying levels of activity. Kilauea is often in the news with its near-constant spewing of volcanic lava into the Pacific Ocean. Although it is a big tourist draw, this volcano is many miles away from the main population centers on the island.

The other two best-known volcanos are Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Actually these mountains rise over 30,000 feet from the ocean floor; they are higher than Mount Everest if you consider their true height. The height above sea level is 13,796 feet for Mauna Kea and 13,680 feet for Mauan Loa. The famous Keck telescope is near the top of Mauna Kea. At times, you can see snow at the top of either mountain.

Speaking of snow, the Big Island offers an amazing number of types of terrain, from tropical rain forest to mountain forests to high plains to tree-less mountain slopes and almost a desert in some northerly portions. Don't forget the many square miles of coffee, macadamia nut, plumeria and other tropical orchards to be found driving through the country.

Kona is best known for two things; coffee and the Ironman Triathlon that starts every year at the Kailua harbor beach. By the way, the town of Kailua-Kona is hyphenated because there is also a Kailua on Oahu. Somebody important, like King Kamehameha III must have decided that it is easier to hyphenate the Big-Island Kailua than the Oahu locale.

Kona coffee grows up the slopes of the Hualalai volcano and other places on the island. You'll usually find it above the 1,000 ft elevation or thereabouts. The moist tropical air rises up the mountain slope and condenses into rain, even on the dry side of the island. Also, it cools off nicely at night at the upper elevations. The environment, along with the rich volcanic soil work together to produce this world-famous bean.

The sheer size of the island means that you can drive all day and still not circle back. A resident here is less likely to suffer from "island fever" than on the smaller islands. Some residents of other islands buy second homes on the Big Island. The Big Island offers some advantages to full-time residents in terms of quality of life and atmosphere. Life on the island feels more like a real community, as opposed to living in resort-heavy towns on Maui. You see subdivisions of homes, where people are living pretty regular lives of soccer, work, church and social activities. The old airport was converted into a large park that includes lighted playing fields just north of Kailua harbor.

Big Island real estate includes affordable housing. There are many middle-class residential areas, but there are also some of the most impressive estates to be found anywhere. The Big Island of Hawaii is a very diverse American community, worthy of some attention on your next vacation.

Michael Key has written extensively for 30 years on a wide variety of topics. For more information on Big Island real estate, visit the OomaPlantation.com website.

Big Island real estate at Ooma Plantation
Find much more information about Big Island real estate at the O'oma Plantation website.