Positano → Le Sirenuse Still the essential shot for this destination. In October you get the same cascading-cliffside view without shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on the Spiaggia Grande steps. Le Sirenuse is open through the end of October.

Ravello → Belmond Hotel Caruso My personal pick for the best October town — quieter even in August, and the gardens at Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone are at their most beautiful in the softer fall light. I have stayed here myself, and it remains my favorite hotel of all time. Note: the Caruso closes around October 12, so it only works for early-month dates. Palazzo Avino, also in Ravello, stays open through the third week of October if you need a later stay.

Amalfi → Anantara Convento di Amalfi The Duomo steps, the harbor, and a town that stays genuinely walkable once the day-tripper buses thin out. The Anantara operates year-round, no seasonal closure — the lowest-risk hotel booking on this entire list.

Praiano → Casa Angelina Under-the-radar even in peak summer, nearly empty by October, with some of the best Capri views on the whole coast. I have stayed here as well — it is right on the water, but a heads up that the rooms run on the smaller side, at least the one we had. A snug fit rather than a sprawling suite, so set expectations accordingly. Casa Angelina is open April through October.

 Furore → Furore Grand Hotel Home to the Fiordo di Furore, one of the single most striking images on the coast, and it photographs even better without a crowd on the footbridge. A true five-star, right in town, with Michelin-starred dining on site.

Atrani → Palazzo Ferraioli Tiny, two minutes from Amalfi’s harbor, and most visitors never stop here. Palazzo Ferraioli is the best hotel actually in town — charming and boutique rather than ultra-luxe.

Conca dei Marini → Borgo Santandrea The Emerald Grotto plus a dramatically quiet stretch of coastline. Borgo Santandrea is one of the most talked-about new hotels on the coast — confirm current-year October dates directly before booking.

 Cetara → Hotel Cetus The working fishing village. Colorful boats, an anchovy-curing tradition, and almost no tourists. Hotel Cetus is cliffside with a private beach and appears to run through the fall without a seasonal closure.

Vietri sul Mare → Hotel Raito The coast’s ceramics capital, with colorful tiled domes and pottery shopfronts for a different visual texture than the cliffside towns. Hotel Raito is the standout stay, hilltop with panoramic Amalfi Coast views.

Minori → Hotel Minori Palace A quiet lemon-grove beach town with Roman villa ruins right on the main street. Hotel Minori Palace is the best option in town, though it reads more four-star-comfortable than five-star-bougie — Palazzo Avino in Ravello is a short drive away if you want a true luxury base for this stop instead.

A practical note: always confirm current-year opening and closing dates directly with each hotel before booking, since several of the coast’s most beautiful properties close for the season sometime between mid- and late October, and those dates shift slightly year to year.

This is where an October trip actually differs from the one I have shown you before. Summer Amalfi is barely-there linen and bare shoulders. October Amalfi is transitional dressing — the same elevated, coastal palette, but with a layer built in for once the sun drops behind the cliffs. I built these looks around a small, hardworking wardrobe: a few printed sets, a couple of neutral separates, one caftan dress, and pieces that move easily between day, dinner, and swim.

I will always love the version of Amalfi that is champagne at sunset and a boat waiting at the dock. But the October version — quieter towns, kinder prices, a coast that feels like it belongs to the people who actually live there — might be the one I would send a friend to first.