The dreamy Maison Paire enjoys a fabulous, elevated location in walking distance to the fantastic seaside resort of Gigaro. Gigaro is beautiful, natural and home to cicadas in the thousands and a blissful collection of coves, headlands and bays. Super crystal clear waters and fine golden sand make for fantastic beaches, which are served by a wonderful collection of restaurants and bars. Gigaro boasts magnificent sunsets and superb views of the islands, Iles d’Or.
As well as Saint Tropez being within very easy reach, the characterful villages of Ramatuelle, Gassin and Grimaud are must-visits. Ramatuelle boasts a charming central square called Ormeau, around which the village formed. It enjoys a gorgeous, irresistible maze of winding streets sprinkled with fountains, pretty houses and wrought iron decor. Its ochre facades and pastel-toned shutters are adorned with fragrant jasmine, honeysuckle and vibrant bougainvillaea. Close to Ramatuelle are the famous Pampelonne beaches. Gassin is a ‘Plus Beaux Villages de France’ and a destination of culture and walking. Its elevated views extend to the snowy peaks of the Alps as well as the stunning Gulf of Saint Tropez, and from Place des Barri you can enjoy panoramic scenery including the Iles d’Or, Port Cros, Bagaud, Levant and, in the background, Porquerolles. The enchanting Grimaud is also a fantastic place enjoying stepped terraces and an air of calm reflection. Views from its medieval castle captivate visitors, and its warren of narrow streets offer stairways, vaulted arches, art galleries and a mill. In Grimaud, there is also a festival in summer called Les Grimaldines that welcomes musicians from all over the world.
Saint Tropez came to fame in the 1950s with Brigitte Bardot starring in the 1956 ‘And God Created Woman’. Overnight, Saint Tropez became a sizzling jet-set playground. Though in low season, the town still enjoys its mesmerising quaint beauty and visitors meander its cobbled lanes in the old fishing quarter of La Ponche, sip pastis in charming cafes, watch old men playing petanque beneath towering plane trees and walk slowly along the coastal paths. As well as beautiful olive groves and rugged coastal hikes, the pretty peninsula is home to exclusive beach clubs, hipster bars and megabucks yachts. A five-kilometre stretch of picture postcard sand sits between the glistening Mediterranean Sea and dreamy dunes. The Old Town of Saint Tropez, next to the Vieux Port, is a brilliant place to potter. The 18th-century Eglise Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption towers over the terracotta rooftops. The Musee de’Annonciade is the oldest modern art museum in France, dating back to 1922.
The town is also a shopper’s paradise, packed with trendy boutiques. The streets around Rue Gambetta and Rue Allard are sprinkled with shoe shops, chocolate shops, boutiques, antique emporiums and art galleries. If you visit on a Tuesday or Saturday morning, you will be treated to wonderful open-air stalls at Place des Lices where you can stock up on freshly baked bread and delicious local produce. Fine wine is big in Saint Tropez. Chateau Barbeyrolles is one of the best vineyards in the village of Gassin. Red and white wines have been added to their delicious rose wines, and visitors can taste and buy wines every day except Sundays.
Cap Camarat is one of three wild, stunningly beautiful headlands near Saint Tropez. It boasts fantastic sea views, fabulous hiking trails, a distinctive lighthouse and much wildlife, including the native Hermann’s tortoise. If you have plenty of stamina, you can walk from here to the centre of Saint Tropez, taking the coastal path.
If you want to head further into the countryside, you can visit La Garde Freinet, a medieval mountain village in the Massif des Maures, 15 kilometres northwest of Saint Tropez and the charming village of Plan de la Tour. Bormes les Mimosas is a medieval village famous for its pretty flowers and pink houses. La Croix Valmer, in the heart of the St Tropez peninsula, is a beautiful place known for the quality of its swimming waters, its lively Sunday market and its surrounding vineyards. Golf lovers can head for the Gassin Golf Country Club or the Beauvallon Golf Course.
The Region
Once a traditional fishing village, Saint-Tropez is now one of the most glamourous destinations of the Côte d’Azur and welcomes visitors from across the world.
However, there’s more to Saint-Tropez bay than exclusive beach clubs, glitzy boutiques and fine dining restaurants. From the family-friendly beaches of Sainte-Maxime to the vineyards of La Croix Valmer, Oliver’s Travels guests can truly admire this enchanting corner of the French Riviera whilst staying in one of our handpicked villas in and around Saint-Tropez.
Soak up the luxurious yet laidback vibe of Saint-Tropez as you wander around its marina lined with huge yachts contrasting colourful fishermen’s houses overlooking the bay. The old quarter is a warren of winding lanes with French designer boutiques, picturesque cafes and restaurants whilst Place des Lices hosts a vibrant Provençal market on a Tuesday and Saturday morning. Enjoy the most glorious vistas from Saint-Tropez’s 17th century citadel and maritime museum. Boat trips are another superb way to tour this part of the coast and passenger ferries cross the bay.
Just south of the town, follow Brigitte Bardot’s footsteps as you visit one of Plage de Pampelonne’s exclusive beach clubs, the most famous being Le Club 55 (always book well in advance). Stretching over 5km, Pampelonne’s long sandy beach is also loved for its vast range of summer watersports including jet-skiing, windsurfing and paddleboarding.
The picture-perfect villages of Saint-Tropez bay are beautifully located to make the most of the French Riviera scenery. On the hillside overlooking Plage de Pampelonne, Ramatuelle has attracted artists and writers over the years and is full of charm – look out for performances during its theatre and jazz festivals in the summer months. Meanwhile, hilltop Gassin is classified as one of France’s 'Plus Beaux Villages’ whilst flower-filled Grimaud is such a pretty medieval village with yet more stunning views of the coast.
Driving into the Maures hills, discover the characterful villages of La Garde-Freinet and Le Plan-de-la-Tour surrounded by oak and chestnut forests, a paradise for hikers, mountain bikers, horse-riding enthusiasts and other outdoor adventurists.
Back to the coast, take a boat tour of Port Grimaud, known as the ‘little Venice of the Côte d’Azur’, and experience its atmospheric Monday evening summer market. Across the other side of the bay, Sainte-Maxime is a lovely sheltered seaside town with pretty cafes, a daily market and gorgeous beaches. Families adore this area – there are tree-top adventures, tennis, mini-golf, a water park and coastal paths for biking and hiking.
Golf-lovers can appreciate a choice of courses – Golf Blue Green as well as the prestigious Beauvallon Golf Club and Golf Club Saint-Tropez. Wine connoisseurs should head to the wine châteaux of Saint-Tropez and Pampelonne as well as the vineyards of La Croix Valmer.
Not forgetting the idyllic shores of soft sand and crystal-clear sea of La Croix Valmer’s coastline from Plage de Sylvabelle to Plage de Gigaro, also home to a wonderful coastal walking trail with the most incredible flora and fauna alongside sensational views of the Mediterranean as you hike towards Cap Lardier and beyond.
