Ka Lae Coffee

Top choice in Hawaiʻi the Big Island


Tucked behind a family home and fronting a greenhouse bursting with orchids, the US's southernmost coffee shop is a relaxed place to rejuvenate after a morning at South Point. Along with Waimea Coffee Company in Waimea, this is an island best in show. There's a superbly cozy indoor/outdoor garden and lounge for working/relaxing, too.

Yoga classes (by donation) happen among the blossoms on Monday and Tuesday (5:15pm), Thursday (6am and 7am) and Friday (7am and 9:15am).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Hawaiʻi the Big Island attractions

1. Puʻu o Lokuana

1.94 MILES

High points like this red cinder cone make great lookouts no matter whether you're Kamehameha keeping an eye out for rival chief Keoua in the 1780s,…

3. Kahuku Unit

2.21 MILES

Kahuku Unit's six hiking trails that lead through green pastures to volcanic cinder cones, lava tree molds, rainforests and lava flows come alive during…

4. Mark Twain Monkeypod Tree

3.59 MILES

In 1866 Mark Twain wrote in yet another long letter home that in Waiʻohinu, 'trees and flowers flourish luxuriantly, and three of those trees – two…

5. Kamaoa Wind Farm

3.69 MILES

The rusty carcasses of 37 windmills from the failed Kamaoa wind farm lie next to their foundations along South Point Rd.

6. ROD Quarantine Gate

5.04 MILES

This gate marks the end of the drivable portion of the road through Kahuku Unit as well as the Pali o Kaʻeo trailhead and an alternative starting point…

7. Paliʻokulani Overlook

5.58 MILES

Be sure to get your bearings at the Hwy 11 viewpoint perched on a 1907 lava flow. Commanding views take in Paliʻokulani, the ragged cliff edge jutting out…

8. Honuʻapo Bay Overlook

7.11 MILES

For killer coastal views, pause at the scenic lookout above Honuʻapo Bay northeast of Naʻalehu. This sweep of shoreline and scrub is part of the longest…