What to wear in Timanfaya: shoes, sun and wind on black rock

Volcanic rock is not like other rock. When lava cools it sets into surfaces that are either loose grit and clinker or a jagged crust full of edges, and both of them are underfoot at every stop out here. Two things follow from that, and they are the reason we are spending a whole section on footwear.

It is sharp. A thin sole transmits every edge, and a flexible sole lets the rock press through where it finds a gap. What you want is a stiff sole with some depth to it — a trainer with a proper tread is enough for the roadside stops and the viewpoints, and a walking shoe or light boot is better for the three-hour listings. Open sandals are the one genuinely bad choice: loose volcanic grit gets in immediately, and it is grit with edges.

It holds the sun. Dark stone absorbs heat all morning and gives it back through whatever is touching it. In summer that is felt through a thin sole on a long stop, and it is one more reason the guided walks here run early rather than at midday. A thicker sole is simply more comfortable in July, and it costs you nothing in January.

Ankles. The walking listings — $48, $50 and $54 — are three hours or so over uneven ground, not a climb. You do not need mountaineering boots. But ground that shifts slightly under each step is exactly where an ankle gets turned, so if you own something with a bit of support, this is the trip to bring it on. Socks that cover the ankle also keep the grit out.

And afterwards. Fine black dust gets into everything and it is not kind to pale fabric. Bring the shoes you do not mind dusting off, not the white ones you bought for the holiday.

You will have spent the rest of the week on a beach or by a pool, where there is shade if you want it and the air sits still between the buildings. The volcanic south is neither of those things, and the adjustment catches people out.

The light is doubled. Sun comes down on you and comes back up off pale grit and off the light-coloured surfaces at the viewpoints. Skin that was fine at the hotel gets more than it expected out here, and the back of the neck and the tops of the ears are the places people forget. If you burn easily, a long thin sleeve does more for you than repeated applications.

The wind is constant. This is an island the trade winds work all year. On an exposed flow that means moving air across you at every stop, which is a genuine relief in August and a reason to have a shell in January. It also means anything light — a map, a hat, a plastic bag — is gone the moment you let go of it, and it is gone across protected ground you are not going to walk out onto to retrieve it.

On the coast it is stronger still. The days that include the west coast — the cliffs where the sea works into the rock, and the green lagoon at El Golfo on $70 and $56 — are the windiest stops of the lot, because there is nothing between you and the Atlantic. Wear the layer rather than carry it.

And the evening. Open volcanic ground gives its heat up quickly once the sun is off it. A day that felt hot at three can feel cool at seven, particularly out on the water. One warm layer at the bottom of the bag covers it; nothing heavier is needed.