Pahoa Recycling and Transfer Station


Although the award-winning, $3.9-million solar-powered transfer station is a solid waste management marvel, trashless travelers flock here to ogle its brush with obliteration. One arm of the June 27 Lava Flow threatened the facility as pahoehoe (smooth-flowing lava) oozed through the fence that was holding the flow at bay. For residents, the near-apocalyptic scene is a daily reminder of how close they came to losing everything. For you, it's a neat photo op.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Makuʻu Farmers Market

3.32 MILES

Follow the line of cars turning off Hwy 130 every Sunday morning for this large, festive and diverse farmers market. Offerings include psychic readings,…

2. Lava Tree State Monument

3.68 MILES

An easy 0.6-mile paved loop takes you past ancient ‘lava trees,’ created in 1790 when pahoehoe (smooth-flowing lava) from Kilauea’s East Rift Zone…

3. Kehena Beach

6.94 MILES

If any place captures the vibe of Puna, it's this beautiful black-sand beach tucked beneath a cliff where all walks of life – hippies, Hawaiians, gays,…

4. MacKenzie State Recreation Area

7.23 MILES

A moody, windswept grove of ironwood trees edge sheer cliffs towering above the ocean. The raw beauty of this powerful landscape makes an unforgettable…

5. Isaac Hale Beach Park

8.07 MILES

This rocky beach park was the local surf spot serving all of the greater Puna area, but where once flowed ocean peppered with local talent battling over…

6. Star of the Sea Church

8.15 MILES

Known locally as the 'Painted Church,' this historic Catholic chapel is noted for its collection of murals including a simple trompe l'oeil cathedral…

7. New Kaimu Beach

9.26 MILES

Kaimu was the most beautiful black-sand beach in Hawaii until the 1990 lava flow that consumed Kalapana torched its stately palms and filled the bay with…

8. Fuku-Bonsai Cultural Center

9.3 MILES

It's as if the ambitions of David Fukumoto have been continually cut back by fate – including an alleged $30 million pesticide disaster and severe…