Holoholo: Day Trips

Pull Over & Park It in Puna

Deep, untamed jungle. Black sand coastlines. Lava-heated sea pools. Countless flowers. The district of Puna is Hawaii ‘s wildest outpost with a reputation for free spirits, hippies and other nonconformists. Plan at least one full day to revel in Puna’s wild side, or consider staying at a local B&B for a longer look at a more leisurely pace.

To begin understanding Puna’s multifaceted magnificence, head towards a place that’s no longer there: Kalapana, a community that’s been mostly covered by lava. If it’s a weekend, detour at the roadside Makuu Farmers Market and stock up on Puna road-trip rations like fresh apple bananas, roasted macadamia nuts, Kapoho strawberry papayas, sweet rambutan, and coconut juice.

View Larger Map

Stop off at Pahoa town, where what you see is what you get: the funky appeal of an old mill town in the midst of an evolution. A row of quaint clapboard shops that invite browsing are connected by a boardwalk. Check out the local color from a table at Luquin’s, a Mexican joint that mixes up an excellent sweet-and-sour lilikoi (passionfruit) margarita. Ask the bartender to dust the rim in li hing mui (preserved sweet and salty plum) powder for local flair. The owner raises his own beef, chicken and pork for the menu.

Beyond Pahoa, down on the coast, the end of the road is covered by lava. In 1990, lava from Kilauea engulfed the historic Hawaiian fishing village at Kalapana and the famous black sand beach at Kaimu. Pele, the volcano goddess, also destroyed Hawaii’s oldest heiau (temple), two residential subdivisions, several miles of public highway and a black sand beach. No lives were lost, but 182 homes were swallowed by lava. Now there’s an entirely new coastline here, and on clear days, a good view of Kilauea’s Puu Oo (Poo-oo Oh-oh) active volcanic vent chugging out clouds just upland, reminding everyone of Pele’s creative powers.

Kehena Beach is the sandiest spot around, but you can’t see it from the road. Perhaps this is why “outlaw” nudists find it so appealing (nude sunbathing is illegal in Hawaii). After Kehena is a scenic 12-mile string of beach parks and camp sites, each offering something worth exploring: MacKenzie State Park (heiau, ironwood forest, local fishing spot), Isaac Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki Bay (snorkeling, surf spot, boat launch), Ahalanui Park (large seaside pond warmed courtesy of Pele), and Waiopae Ponds (incredible snorkeling among connecting tidepools).

The Cape Kumukahi area offers scenic hiking along our island’s easternmost coastline, and what scientists insist is the world’s freshest air. Park at the Cape Kumukahi light tower. The original lighthouse here was spared by the lava flow of 1960, which also created new land seaward. Make like the locals, and hike a little over a mile south to the Kapoho Bay Sea Pool, another coastal bath geothermally heated by Kilauea volcano.

Make time to visit Pele’s sculpture garden, the 17-acre Lava Trees State Monument. In the 1700s, the fiery sculptress sent rivers of fast-flowing lava through the area, coating the trunks of ohia trees in deep, deadly batter. Some of the lava clung to the moist tree trunks, leaving rock molds around the trunks.

Warrior Alert: A few miles Hilo-side of the Pahoa Bypass and Highway 11 junction is the nation’s only rainforest zoo, the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo. Check out their collection of tropical plants and exotic animals, including Namaste, a regal white Bengal tiger. Best of all, it’s free!