I have now visited the same stretch of shoreline in all four seasons, and I am ready to commit to a controversial opinion: the best month is not July. July is lovely, but October — grey light, empty sand, soup at the harbour café — is when the coast feels like it belongs to the people who love it most.
Spring: the waking-up coast
Beach cafés sweep the winter sand off their terraces, fishermen mend nets in the sun, and the first swimmers appear — always locals, always unbothered by water that would stop your heart. Walk far, claim your bench, watch the season switch on.
Summer, then the secret months
Summer needs no selling: long light, warm shallows, night swims. But September keeps the warmth and loses the crowds, and winter brings storms worth travelling for — book the room with the window seat and watch the weather do its theatre.
A season-by-season packing note
Spring wants layers and a windproof; summer wants shade and patience; autumn wants a thermos; winter wants good boots and a better book. The full seasonal guide, with monthly water temperatures, is in The Seas collection.
Wren Aldana
Travel writer behind Lantern Trails. Walks far, packs light, always carries a spare notebook.
