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Off Season Italy: Le Sirenuse's Aldo Sersale's Winter Guide to the Amalfi Coast
06.04.2024 - 10:27 / cntraveler.com
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
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“Tangible tranquility” is how Aldo Sersale, the Resident Manager at Le Sirenuse, describes the winter months at his home on the Amalfi Coast. “You can just gaze out to the sea without boats and umbrellas on the beach. It is the best time to capture the area’s beauty,” he says. That beauty is in part why the young manager at his family’s legendary Le Sirenuse hotel returned for good after stints around the world in places like Switzerland and New York. He continues to travel often, but he believes that Positano, with its tiers of colorful houses perched over the shore, is the perfect starting point for visiting the Amalfi Coast, especially during the off-season, which runs from November to the end of March.
Forget summer—what are the best months to be on the Amalfi?
Definitely April, at the start of the season when the days are long, and late October, when the autumn colors start to emerge. The weather is mild, ideal for exploring cities like Amalfi and Sorrento, but also the smaller villages of Cetara and Vietri, whose ceramic studios stay open year-round.
The interiors at Le Sirenuse, which started off as the Sersale family’s summer villa
Are there other travelers?
There’s always someone visiting during this time of year, including travelers who don’t like hot summers—plus this low season generally costs less, which appeals to international visitors. When the sun comes out, the Neapolitans arrive to spend the day at the sea, especially on the weekends.
Got it. So, when it comes to restaurants, which one is always full—even in the wintertime?
Lido Azzurro is a lovely trattoria on the marina in Amalfi. The atmosphere is family-friendly, and the food is great! The signature arugula and shrimp salad is out of this world, as is the spaghetti with clams, for which owner Antonio Bijou completes the preparation tableside. He’s passionate about our regional cuisine, which is evident in his menu and the locals love him.
Is there anything locals only eat during the colder months?
Eggplant Parmigiana—a staple of Campania’s cuisine. The best places to enjoy it are the family-run trattorias of Positano and Amalfi, where the cooks prepare it according to traditional recipes passed down for generations. There are several variations: with or without eggs, eggplant fried with or without flour, heavy or light on the sauce—the one constant is the stringy
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