When I first moved to Hawaii, I thought all Hawaii coffee came from Kona on the Big Island. But, turns out, I was wrong — REALLY wrong! There’s actually a coffee plantation on Oahu, Kauai, and Maui. Some offer tours, while others are a great chance to taste truly fresh coffee.
Here’s a look at some of our favorite coffee farms in Hawaii located OUTSIDE of Kona on the Big Island:
Oahu Coffee Plantations
Waialua Estate Coffee and Chocolate
Waialua Estate is a great coffee plantation on Oahu, and it’s owned and operated by Dole Food Company Hawaii.
It started in the early 1990s with the variety ‘Kona Typica.’ Today, the farm encompasses 155 acres. Trees are planted in hedge rows so that the coffee can be mechanically harvested.
The farm overlooks Oahu’s North Shore and is situated on former sugarcane lands at an elevation of 700 feet (300 m). It is bordered on two sides by Oahu’s two main mountain ranges, the Koolau Mountains to the east and the Wai’anae Mountains to the west. In addition to producing coffee, Waialua Estate also has a 20-acre cacao orchard.
They don’t offer farm tours, but you can buy their farm-fresh coffee at Island X Hawaii, a store located at the Old Sugar Mill in Waialua. Visitors can sample and purchase Waialua Coffee and chocolate here!
Green World Coffee Farm
Green World Coffee is another coffee plantation on Oahu, and it offers free farm tours! You can visit their Wahiwa locale during business hours for a free tour and free samples. You can taste coffee, tea, and chocolate, and purchase some fresh from the source.
They roast their coffee on site and sell it on their online store too. You can learn more about Green World Coffee here.
Kauai Coffee Plantation
Kauai Coffee Co.
If you’re visiting Kauai, take an afternoon tour of the Kauai Coffee Plantation. It’s located about 20 minutes from Poipu, home of the Sheraton Kauai Resort, the Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa, and the Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort and Spa.
At the farm, you’ll have the opportunity to stroll through the coffee orchard, talk to the friendly guides, shop for gifts to take home, and of course sample their exclusive line of estate-grown Hawaiian coffees.
I didn’t know this, but the Kauai Coffee Estate is the largest coffee farm in the U.S. Definitely interesting to know after you tour a coffee plantation on Oahu or the Big Island.
You can take a self-guided tour around the farm at no charge, or you can pay for a guided walking or trolley tour.
During the tour, you’ll learn all about how the coffee is grown, harvested and roasted right here on the island. After the tour, you can relax on the lanai and take in the beautiful panoramic views of our plantation full of coffee trees that line picturesque fields leading down to the sea.
Maui Coffee Plantation
Kupa’a Farm
Kupa’a Farm in upcountry Maui grows a range of crops, but their main focus is cacao and coffee. In fact, they grow eight varieties of coffee, all on the scenic slopes of Haleakala.
Their chocolate & coffee tour allows you to see how these unique crops are grown. These are private tours that you can reserve for a group. They are quite pricy but offer a really unique insight into the growing process. Plus, its beautiful location can’t be beat.
Discovering Coffee Plantation Oahu and Beyond
The most famous coffee farms in Hawaii ARE located in Kona on the Big Island. But, if you’re elsewhere, you can still taste freshly harvested coffee. So, consider visiting one of these coffee plantations on Oahu, Kauai, or Maui and get your fresh coffee fix!
And, if you are on Hawaii Island, learn more about the history of Kona coffee here!
