Things to Do in Honokaʻa: The Big Island’s Charming Plantation Town
Honokaʻa is the Big Island’s most charming small town, and it sits at the crossroads of everything worth seeing on the Hāmākua Coast. Most visitors know it for one thing, the legendary hot malasadas at Tex Drive-In, but this former sugar plantation town rewards a longer look: a historic main street, a century old theater, a misty native forest park, and the gateway to Waipiʻo Valley. Here are the best things to do in Honokaʻa, Hawaii.
This is the single complete guide to Honokaʻa. It covers what Honokaʻa is known for, where it is, the top things to do in town, the best nearby sights on the Hāmākua Coast, where to eat, where to stay, when to visit, how to get there, and answers to the most common questions. Everything about visiting Honokaʻa is on this one page.
Things to Do in Honokaʻa at a Glance
| Eat hot malasadas | Tex Drive-In on Highway 19, plain or filled |
| Walk the town | Historic Māmane Street shops, galleries, and cafés |
| See a show | Honokaʻa People’s Theatre, films and live events |
| Hike native forest | Kalōpā State Recreation Area, free entry |
| Sunday market | Hāmākua Harvest Farmers Market, 9 AM to 2 PM |
| Best day trip | Waipiʻo Valley Lookout, about 15 minutes east |
Where Is Honokaʻa?
Honokaʻa sits on the Hāmākua Coast of the Big Island, about 40 minutes north of Hilo and 45 minutes east of Waimea on Highway 19. It was once a booming sugar plantation town; when the Hāmākua Sugar Company closed in the 1990s, the town reinvented itself as an artsy ranch country hub. Today its plantation era storefronts house galleries, boutiques, and some of the best casual food on the island. It makes an ideal lunch stop on a Hilo to Waimea drive, or a quiet overnight base for exploring the north coast.
Honokaʻa’s Sugar Plantation History
Understanding Honokaʻa starts with sugar. In the late 1800s, the Hāmākua Coast became one of Hawaiʻi’s great sugar regions, and Honokaʻa grew as a plantation town housing workers from Japan, China, Portugal, the Philippines, and Hawaiʻi itself. That mix is still visible in the town’s food, festivals, and family names. When the Hāmākua Sugar Company shut down in the 1990s, the town could have faded. Instead, artists, farmers, and ranchers moved in, and the old storefronts filled back up. The result is a town that feels lived in rather than preserved, which is exactly why travelers love it.
1. Eat Hot Malasadas at Tex Drive-In
Tex Drive-In is the reason half the Big Island’s visitors stop in Honokaʻa. This beloved roadside drive in on Highway 19 serves hot malasadas, Portuguese fried doughnuts, made fresh all day. Order them plain with a dusting of sugar or filled with guava, chocolate, mango, Bavarian cream, and other rotating flavors. They cost just a few dollars each, and locals will tell you the filled ones are the move. Tex also serves solid plate lunch classics like loco moco and saimin, so it works for a full cheap lunch. Go early in the day for the shortest lines.
2. Stroll Historic Māmane Street
Māmane Street is Honokaʻa’s main drag, lined with wooden plantation era buildings that now hold art galleries, antique shops, boutiques, and cafés. It is a short, walkable strip, and half the pleasure is simply wandering it. Pop into the galleries showcasing local artists, browse the vintage stores, and grab a coffee. The street looks much as it did in the sugar days, which is exactly the point: Honokaʻa wears its history instead of hiding it. Look for the old theater marquee, the colorful murals, and the small plaques that tell the street’s story.
3. Catch a Show at Honokaʻa People’s Theatre
The Honokaʻa People’s Theatre has anchored Māmane Street since 1930. This family run historic theater shows current films alongside indie and foreign titles, and its stage hosts live music, dance, and community performances. Tickets are famously cheap, which keeps it a genuine community gathering place rather than a tourist attraction. Check honokaapeople.com for what is playing; an evening show here is one of the most local experiences you can have on the Big Island.
4. Visit the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout
Honokaʻa is the gateway to Waipiʻo Valley, the Valley of the Kings. The Waipiʻo Valley Lookout sits at the end of Highway 240, about 15 minutes east of town, and the view into the valley is one of the great vistas in Hawaiʻi: a black sand beach, thousand foot waterfalls, and taro fields far below. The lookout is free and takes as little as 20 minutes. Do not attempt the valley road: it has been closed to visitors since 2022, and only residents and permitted tours may descend. For the wider island picture, see our guide to the best things to do on the Big Island.
5. Hike Kalōpā State Recreation Area
Just 3 miles west of Honokaʻa, Kalōpā State Recreation Area is a 100 acre park set in native ʻōhiʻa forest at 2,000 feet elevation. Entry is free, and the easy 0.7 mile nature loop is perfect for families, with signs identifying native plants. Longer trails wind through the adjoining forest reserve, including a perimeter trail with occasional views of Mauna Kea. The park is open daily from 7 AM to 8 PM. Note that the cabins are closed through the end of 2026; camping is by permit only through the state’s Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi system.
6. Shop the Hāmākua Harvest Farmers Market
If you are in town on a Sunday, do not miss the Hāmākua Harvest Farmers Market, held every Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM just east of town on Māmalahoa Highway. Local farmers sell tropical fruit, vegetables, honey, baked goods, and ready to eat local food, with live music and a festive community atmosphere. It is the best place on the Hāmākua Coast to taste what the region grows, and an easy stop to combine with Tex Drive-In on the same morning.
Best Nearby Day Trips from Honokaʻa
Honokaʻa sits in the middle of the Hāmākua Coast’s best sights. ʻAkaka Falls State Park is about 25 minutes south, with its 442 foot waterfall on an easy rainforest loop. Pololū Valley Lookout is about 40 minutes north at the end of Highway 270, with a steep hike down to a black sand beach for the fit. Waimea’s ranch country and the Hāmākua Heritage Corridor towns of Honomū and Laupāhoehoe Point are all easy additions. Heading to the resort side afterward? Our Waikoloa Village guide covers the sunny west.
Half Day Honokaʻa Itinerary
Short on time? Here is the perfect half day. Start at Tex Drive-In for malasadas and coffee, then walk Māmane Street for an hour, browsing the galleries and the theater marquee. Drive 15 minutes east to the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout for the view, then loop back through town. If it is Sunday, slot the Hāmākua Harvest Farmers Market in before Tex. With a full day, add Kalōpā’s nature loop in the afternoon and a film at the People’s Theatre in the evening. That is Honokaʻa done right.
Where to Eat in Honokaʻa
Tex Drive-In covers breakfast and lunch, but Māmane Street has more. The town’s small restaurants and cafés serve plate lunches, poke, and locally grown coffee, and the Sunday farmers market is a meal in itself. Look for Filipino and Portuguese influenced dishes, a direct legacy of the plantation era workforce. For dinner, options are limited but genuine: this is a town of a few thousand people, so expect local spots rather than resort dining. Stock up on snacks and fruit at the market if you are heading on to Waipiʻo or Pololū, since food options thin out past Honokaʻa.
Where to Stay in Honokaʻa
Honokaʻa has a handful of small inns, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals rather than hotels. Staying here puts you 15 minutes from Waipiʻo Valley and central to the Hāmākua Coast, with far lower prices than the Kona resorts. Most visitors pair a Honokaʻa day with the west side; our Kona things to do guide covers that half of the island. It is quiet at night, which is either the appeal or the warning depending on your travel style.
Best Time to Visit Honokaʻa
Honokaʻa is pleasant year round, with temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit most days. The Hāmākua Coast is the wet side of the island, so brief rain showers are normal any month; mornings tend to be clearest. May through September is the driest stretch. If waterfalls are your priority, the wetter winter months make Waipiʻo’s falls most dramatic. The town’s small festivals and the Sunday market run year round.
Honokaʻa with Kids
Honokaʻa is an easy family stop. Kids love the malasadas at Tex Drive-In, the short walkable main street, and the Sunday farmers market with its live music and snacks. Kalōpā’s 0.7 mile nature loop is manageable for young hikers, and the Waipiʻo Lookout delivers a huge payoff for zero hiking. The People’s Theatre’s low ticket prices make a family movie night genuinely affordable. There are no big resorts or theme park attractions here, which is precisely the appeal for families wanting a taste of real Hawaiʻi.
Getting to Honokaʻa
You need a rental car. From Hilo, take Highway 19 north for about 40 minutes. From Waimea, take Highway 19 east for about 45 minutes. From Kona, allow about 1 hour 15 minutes via Waimea. There is no public transit that makes a practical day of sightseeing here. Parking in town is easy and free; the Waipiʻo Lookout has a dedicated lot that fills by midday, so go early.
Video: Honokaʻa Town and the Hāmākua Coast
A scenic drive through Honokaʻa town and the surrounding Big Island coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Honokaʻa known for?
Honokaʻa is best known for Tex Drive-In’s hot malasadas, its historic plantation era Māmane Street, the Honokaʻa People’s Theatre, and its position as the gateway to Waipiʻo Valley on the Hāmākua Coast.
Is Honokaʻa worth visiting?
Yes, especially as a stop on a Hāmākua Coast drive. The malasadas alone justify the detour, and the town, Kalōpā forest, and Waipiʻo Lookout together make a full half day or more.
How far is Honokaʻa from Waipiʻo Valley?
The Waipiʻo Valley Lookout is about 15 minutes east of Honokaʻa via Highway 240. It is the closest town of any size to the lookout.
Can you walk into Waipiʻo Valley from Honokaʻa?
No. The Waipiʻo Valley road has been closed to visitors since 2022. You can enjoy the valley from the lookout; only residents and permitted tours may go down.
What day is the Honokaʻa farmers market?
The Hāmākua Harvest Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM just east of town on Māmalahoa Highway.
How long should I spend in Honokaʻa?
Two to three hours covers the town and Tex Drive-In. Add the Waipiʻo Lookout and Kalōpā for a full day, or stay overnight to use Honokaʻa as a Hāmākua Coast base.
What food is Honokaʻa famous for?
Malasadas. Tex Drive-In’s hot Portuguese doughnuts are the town’s signature food, drawing lines of locals and visitors daily. The town’s plantation heritage also shows in its Filipino, Portuguese, and Japanese influenced plate lunches.
Is there a beach near Honokaʻa?
Not directly in town. The nearest swimmable beaches are back toward Waimea and the Kohala coast, about 45 minutes west. The Hāmākua Coast near Honokaʻa is dramatic cliffs and valleys rather than beaches; Waipiʻo’s black sand beach is visible from the lookout but not accessible to visitors.
Honokaʻa is the Big Island at its most human scale: a real town with real history, famous doughnuts, and the island’s greatest valley view fifteen minutes away. Stop for the malasadas, stay for the main street, and leave with a fuller picture of Hawaiʻi than the resort coast ever shows.
