I love the Riviera in the summer, but late in the season is when it starts to feel like mine. The yachts sail off, the beach clubs fold up their umbrellas, the light gets softer and the towns go back to the people who live there. The Riviera in October has a calm, golden quality that you simply cannot get in August, and for me, that is exactly when Portofino and Cannes are at their most beautiful.
Here is why I think late October works so well, and how I would plan it.
1. The Riviera in October Is Still Warm
Late October on the Ligurian coast and the Côte d’Azur usually means mild days, cool evenings and water that holds on to some of the summer warmth. It is perfect weather for walking, long lunches outside and a sweater over your shoulders at dinner.
The one thing to plan around is rain. Autumn is the wettest season on the Italian Riviera, so I would always build a little flexibility into the itinerary and save the boat day or hike for the clearest forecast.
2. Portofino Without the Crowds
In July, Portofino’s piazzetta is wall-to-wall day-trippers. In late October, you can sit with a coffee and actually hear the boats knocking in the harbor. The walk up to Castello Brown and the lighthouse is quieter, and the hike over the headland to San Fruttuoso is far more pleasant in cooler weather.
I put together my top 10 Portofino restaurants for your bucket list, and fall is the time to work your way through it. Just check hours before you go, since some places shorten their schedules or close as the season winds down. My guide to Portofino has the rest of my favorites.
3. Where to Stay Around Portofino
This is where timing matters. Some of the most famous hotels on the Portofino peninsula are seasonal, so confirm closing dates before you book flights.
- Splendido, A Belmond Hotel. The icon above the harbor. It closes for winter, so if your heart is set on it, aim for the earliest part of the shoulder season and check this year’s dates directly with Belmond.
- Imperiale Palace Hotel, Santa Margherita Ligure. Built as a villa for the aristocratic Costa family in 1889, with gardens, a seawater pool and views over the bay. Santa Margherita is a real working town, which means more restaurants and shops stay open late in the year.
For me, Santa Margherita is the smarter base in late October. It is a short ride to Portofino, livelier after dark and easier to reach by train. If you want to see how these hotels fared in this year’s awards, take a look at my picks vs. the Condé Nast Readers’ Choice list.
4. Cannes Feels Like a Town Again
I have written before about why I love Cannes in the fall, and late October is when that feeling is strongest. The red carpets are rolled up, the Croisette is for strolling rather than people-watching and you can walk into the Marché Forville in the morning and actually take your time.
One tip on timing: MIPCOM, the big television trade show, takes over the Palais des Festivals from October 12 to 15, 2026. Hotels fill up and rates rise that week, so I would plan my Cannes days for the second half of the month.
I also shared where to get oysters in Cannes, and cooler weather is the perfect excuse to make an afternoon of it.
5. My Favorite Cool-Girl Hotel in Cannes
If I could only recommend one hotel in Cannes for fall, it would be Hôtel & Spa Belle Plage. It is my cool-girl hotel on the Riviera, tucked into the Le Suquet neighborhood near the old town and the sea. It is open all year, has 55 rooms, a rooftop called Bella with views over the bay and a two-floor spa that is perfect for a gray afternoon.
6. What Closes (and What Stays Open) on the Côte d’Azur
Many of the grand seasonal hotels close in October, so check before you plan a day around one:
- Hôtel Belles Rives, Juan-les-Pins. One of the most glamorous hotels on the coast closes for the season on October 25, 2026. If you can get there just before, my insider’s guide to Belles Rives has everything you need.
- The 1932 Hotel & Spa Cap d’Antibes. Open through the end of the year, which makes it a good base on the Cap once the summer hotels close. More in my 1932 Hotel & Spa post.
- Beach clubs. Most close or switch to weekend-only service by late October. Lunch moves indoors or onto sunny terraces in town.
7. How I Would Plan a Late-October Riviera Trip
If I were planning a week this month, I would split it between the two coasts:
- Days 1 to 3: Santa Margherita Ligure, with a morning in Portofino, the hike to San Fruttuoso and a long seafood lunch.
- Day 4: Train or drive west along the coast toward France, stopping for lunch along the way.
- Days 5 to 7: Cannes, with a morning at Marché Forville, an afternoon on the Cap d’Antibes and a final dinner in Le Suquet.
A few practical notes: Nice and Genoa are the easiest airports for this route, rates tend to soften after the summer, and you will need a light coat for the evenings. Most of all, slow down. The best part of the Riviera in October is that nobody is in a hurry, including you.
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