The quiet season: why we love October

By October the sea has had all summer to warm up, the paths are empty and the light turns gold by four in the afternoon. My grandparents always said it was the best month of the year, and after a lifetime on this cliff I have stopped arguing with them.

The crowds of July and August have gone home. The ferries run a little less often, the restaurants have time to talk, and the whole coast seems to exhale. If you can choose when to come, this is my case for choosing now.

Fewer people, better days

In summer the Path of the Gods can feel like a queue. In October you can walk from Bomerano to Nocelle in three hours and meet more goats than hikers. The beach clubs begin to fold away their umbrellas, but the water stays warm enough to swim until the end of the month, often warmer than in June.

The villages change, too. Positano’s boutiques start to close for the winter, but the bakeries, the fishmongers and the bars where the locals drink their coffee are busier than ever. It is the best time to see how people here actually live.

By October the coast belongs to the people who live here again, and to the few guests lucky enough to join us.

The harvest season

October is when the grapes come in from the terraced vineyards above Furore and Tramonti. Chiara, our sommelier, spends half the month visiting the winemakers she buys from, and she often takes guests with her. In the woods above Ravello, chestnuts start to fall, and they find their way onto Marco’s menu roasted, in soups and folded into fresh pasta.

• Grape harvest in Furore and Tramonti: early to mid October

• Chestnut festival in Scala: usually the third weekend

• Last aperitivo cruise of the season: the final Saturday

What to pack

Swimwear, a light sweater for the evenings and good walking shoes. Bring a rain jacket just in case: an October storm is short, dramatic and wonderful to watch from the terrace with a glass of wine. The days are still long enough for a swim before lunch and a walk before dinner.

Why we stay open

Many hotels on the coast close when the summer ends. We stay open through the winter, because the quiet months are the ones we love most. The saltwater pool is still warm in October, the Salt Grotto is at its most peaceful and the kitchen cooks for a handful of tables instead of a full terrace. Our Three nights of quiet offer makes the third night free and adds dinner for two at La Terrazza, and if you ask at reception, someone in the family will happily tell you how my grandparents opened six rooms above the sea in 1962.