For a Sensory Experience, Take a Tour of Kona Sea Salt Farm

My family and I stand steps from the ocean, just south of Kona’s airport. Salt is everywhere—we smell it in the air, even taste it, and soon we’ll soak our feet in the briny water. We are on a tour of Kona Sea Salt Farm, a small operation that harvests salt made from the deep-ocean water that stretches before us. The farm is owned and operated by Sea Salts of Hawai‘i, which, among other things, creates locally sourced Hawaiian gourmet sea salts.

Honestly, I’ve never given much thought to salt. It’s so simple, almost a given, and appears in every recipe. However, after a few minutes on the farm, I gain a better understanding of the mineral’s importance. Our tour guide, Ipolani Morgan, shares that salt is significant in Hawaiian culture, both spiritually and practically. It is used traditionally in ceremonial blessings and to preserve foods. We learn that the Hawaiian word for salt is pa‘akai.

Here at the ancient Hawaiian settlement of Ho‘ona, where pa‘akai has long been harvested, the sunny warm climate is just right for salt-making. The 7-acre Kona Sea Salt Farm is located at the Hawai‘i Ocean Science and Technology Park, a hub of innovative companies focused on sustainable aquaculture, renewable energy and conservation.

Chief salt-maker Melanie Kelekolio started producing salt at this site 20 years ago as part of a scientific side project. Today Sea Salts of Hawai‘i crafts gourmet salts, produces wellness products and hosts weddings and events on its picturesque perch along the Kona Coast.

Chief salt-maker Melanie Kelekolio has been producing salt at this site for 20 years.
Photo: Courtesy of Kona Sea Salt Farm

Sea Salts of Hawai‘i is committed to conservation and donates 1% of all proceeds to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project, created to protect sensitive wildlife and critical habitats in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

As our tour continues, we head over to the salt-making area to learn about the process. Morgan explains that seawater is pumped from a depth of 2,200 feet through a 6,284-foot-long pipeline into the long, shallow troughs we’re standing next to. Over the course of a month the water evaporates, leaving behind white, sparkling salt crystals.

A salt master then harvests the salt by sweeping the crystals into piles, a process that’s part of today’s tour. Then, the salt is scooped into wooden hoppers for a final drying stage; after that, it’s inspected and packaged for sale.

Ocean water is pumped from a depth of 2,200 feet into long, shallow troughs and allowed to dry, leaving behind salt crystals.
Photo: Courtesy of Kona Sea Salt Farm

This is not your ordinary salt. We discover that deep-ocean water is rich in nutrients and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc and iodine, and has 33% less sodium than ordinary table salt. Also, because it’s sourced from such depths, it is not impacted by surface contaminants and microplastics.

It’s no surprise that the high-quality salt is coveted by chefs near and far. In fact, Kona Sea Salt was recently featured at a James Beard Foundation dinner at Istanbul Hawai‘i in Honolulu and was showcased in chef, restaurateur and television host Guy Fieri’s series, “Guy! Hawaiian Style.”

We finally reach the much-anticipated part of the tour: the tasting. With a whopping 14 flavors, there’s something for everyone—spicy, sweet and savory. I pour little piles of the salts onto my plate, which now resembles an artist’s palette. The salts will be sprinkled on grape tomatoes, cut cucumbers and fresh pineapple, served up special for the tasting.

My favorite, the lemon rosemary salt, pairs perfectly with the tomato and my husband loves the heat of the hot Hawaiian chile pepper salt balanced with the sweet pineapple. Another standout is the bold flavor of the Kona kiawe smoked salt.

Taste 14 salt flavor varieties, from spicy to savory to fruity.
Photo: Courtesy of Kona Sea Salt Farm

Our final stop on the tour is the foot-soak cabana outfitted with 12 spalike basins filled with deep-sea water from the same pipeline described earlier. As we dip our toes in, the 47-degree water takes our breath away and I can only keep my feet underwater for short increments before they start to go numb.

We’re told that the frigid magnesium-rich water helps reduce inflammation, improves circulation and eases soreness, among other things. I admit, I do feel more energized after the foot-soak, especially after standing in the midday Kona heat.

Feeling like salt experts, we leave with tingling toes, several bottles of our favorite salt flavors to take home and a new appreciation for the simple mineral that doesn’t often get much love. A T-shirt in the retail shop sends us off with an appropriate parting mantra: “Salty All Day.”

Demystifying Magnesium

Sea Salts of Hawai‘i also harvests magnesium from the deep-ocean water and sells several wellness products containing the vital mineral including drops, mists, bath additives and supplements. Magnesium plays an essential role in numerous bodily functions and has been found to improve:

• Brain health
• Circulation
• Inflammation
• Jet lag
• Muscle cramps and soreness
• Sleep

Daily tours at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., sunset tours offered on select dates (times vary), $27 adults, $17 children, $20 foot-soak, 73-907 Makako Bay Drive, Kailua-Kona, (808) 326-9301, konaseasalt.com.

This story was originally published in our SPRING/SUMMER 2025 issue, which you can buy here. Better yet, subscribe and get HAWAIʻI Magazine delivered to right to your mailbox.

Laura Dornbush is a contributor to HAWAIʻI Magazine.