Skip to content
HawaiiBest
Cattle grazing on green ranch pastures outside Waimea

Big Island region

Waimea (Kamuela)

Cool upcountry ranch country

A green, cool upcountry town at the heart of Hawaiʻi’s paniolo (cowboy) ranching country, sitting between the Kohala Coast and the Hāmākua side.

DiningRanch countryCentral base

Photo: Bonus Onus via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Go if…

You want cooler nights, farm-to-table dining, and a central base between the coasts.

The trade-off

It is often misty and chilly by beach standards, with few hotels.

Where to stay

Hotels in Waimea

Cattle grazing on green ranch pastures outside Waimea (the Waimea area, not the hotel) Good value Waimea area

Waimea Country Lodge

Road-trippers who want a cool, central upcountry base

Waimea is the smart overnight for Maunakea stargazing and the Hāmākua Coast, and this lodge is the practical way to do it. Expect cool upland nights, kitchenettes and a central spot in town.

Prices on Booking.comCheck rates

Things to do

Our picks in Waimea

Cattle grazing on green ranch pastures outside WaimeaRestaurants

Waimea

Merriman's Waimea

The best argument for eating upcountry: the farms are just down the road, and you can taste it.

Read more

Keep exploring

Other regions

All regions
Surfers carrying boards along the seawall in Kailua-Kona

Kona

The sunny, busy base for manta rays and boats

Good base
Aerial view of the South Kohala coast, golf greens and lava fields looking north toward Waimea

Kohala Coast

Resort coast with the island’s best white sand

Good base
Kealakekua Bay’s blue water below its steep green cliffs

South Kona

Coffee farms above the island’s best snorkeling

Good base