Hotspots > Kohala Coast & Waimea > Sightseeing >

Upcountry Waimea or Kamuela town rests in the lush Kohala mountains, 3000 feet above the dry and sunny Kohala coast. About an hour’s drive from Hilo, Waimea with its high altitude gets cool and misty at times in the winter and warm, pleasant in the summer. A cowboy town, Waimea was born as a shopping and services area for ranch workers. Now new homes, shopping centers, gourmet restaurants and art galleries are overwhelming this quiet upcountry town. Outside the Waimea town, you still can enjoy watching cattle and horses grazing in green meadows or roaming on the slopes of forested green hills. Rainbows often span its verdant fields, framing churches that stand peacefully before the lush rugged mountain background.