Vacationers can save money by visiting Montauk on the east end of Long Island in the off-season. Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.

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Montauk is often called the "anti-Hamptons" for its kickback vibe and affordability factor. Both those attributes increase as the summer wanes and it becomes the East End’s best-kept secret.

Visitors will get the most bang for their buck on a midweek stay. A traveler can have the beach practically to oneself at the Panoramic View Resort, which is still renting out no-frills studios while they turn a good portion of their inventory into million-dollar condos.

It will be a while before the hotel rooms get into the renovation pool, so visitors will have to overlook some deficiencies such as aging pipes and throwback interiors.

The usual studio rate of $245 a night at this time of year is being discounted by $40 for "Travel With Val" fans, who can check in for $205 a night, until it drops to $150 a night after Columbus Day. More information is at www.panoramicview.com.

Right next door to Panoramic is the classic Gurney’s Inn, where unlimited fitness classes from now through October 15 are offered for $50. Individual classes are usually $16 each. Visit
gurneysinn.com for details.

A breakfast at Anthony’s in Montauk village keeps visitors full until early evening, when they can head to East Hampton and the Boathouse for a $25 lobster bake. For more information on the Boathouse, visit their website at http://boathouseeh.com

What better way to mark the shift in seasons than to transition with a mile-long loop around the Walking Sand Dunes, a self-guided nature trail where winds move the dunes in a southeast direction about three and half feet each year. Visit www.onmontauk.com for more information.

Finally, for a listing of free community events, take a drive by the Montauk Library for their performance calendar.