Montaña Roja Special Nature Reserve

The wind meets you before the path does, and it carries sand so fine that it ends up in shoes, bags and ears. Out of the flat ground rises Montaña Roja, a rust-red cone roughly 171 m high, standing on its own between two stretches of beach.

The signed path to the top is steep and slippery in places. From the summit the coast runs away in both directions: pale sand, dark volcanic rock and a sea that rarely lies still. Below, a web of trails crosses the sandy plain, flat enough for a run, a bike ride or an easy walk with children. Crowds stay thin.

• There are no toilets and no drinking water in the reserve or nearby. Fill up before you come.
• The wind is strong and the sand is fine. Keep phones and cameras bagged.
• The climb is slippery: wear shoes with grip, and bring walking poles if you have them.
• The ground is bare, with no shade at midday. Bring a hat and sun cream.
• The flat trails work for a wheelchair with help. The summit path does not.

Two free car parks lie about 640 m and 670 m from the reserve in a straight line, one of them on unpaved ground, and there is usually room to spare. From either one, the rest is on foot across the sandy flats.

By bus, the nearest stop is La Tejita, about 1 km away.

If you are heading for the summit, look for the signed path. Other routes up the slope are treacherous, and the signed one is the only way up worth taking.

Best: early morning or late afternoon, on a calmer day.

Avoid: the middle of the day, and the climb on the windiest days.

The cone and the plain offer no shade, the slope is slippery even in still air, and low evening light turns the red rock a deeper colour.

Montaña Roja is a Special Nature Reserve, protected land under Canary Islands law. Keep to the paths: the reserve has planting areas set aside for vegetation, and walking through them is off-limits. On the climb, use the signed path only and leave the other tracks up the slope alone.