St Tropez is one of the most legendary places in the world. There can’t be too many other fishing villages with dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury boutiques, where yachts outnumber cars in the summer months. Brigitte Bardot put the town firmly on the map when she strolled along the beach in her bikini in the 1950s, and it has been a chic holiday destination ever since. The town is constantly changing and reinventing itself, there are new restaurants, shops and clubs to discover every year. The atmosphere is relaxed and leisurely, and the unofficial motto of St Tropez is ‘Anything goes!’.
The port is the heart of town and the place to be seen in St Tropez. The terraces of the restaurants and bars overlook the harbour where superyachts are moored alongside fishing boats, and people-watching is everybody’s favourite occupation. If you’re an early bird, there are two morning markets in the port where many of the town’s restaurants buy their produce. The Place aux Herbes has sold fruit and vegetables to Tropéziennes for hundreds of years, and the Halle aux Poissons can’t be beaten for fresh fish. On the north side of the harbour is the Môle Jean-Réveille jetty with stunning views over the bay of St Tropez and surrounding mountains. The jetty inspired Impressionist painters Matisse and Signac who came to St Tropez for the scenery and stayed for the golden French Riviera light.
Just a short walk away from the port is the beautiful Place des Lice. The rest of St Tropez may be pretty glitzy, but this is still a traditional village square with a twice-weekly food and flower market. The Tropéziennes use the Place to play petanque and to sip espressos at local favourite Le Café. Sit under one of the plane trees with an ice cream or borrow a spare set of boules from the bar and join a game to experience the ambience for yourself.
Round the corner in Place Blanqui, you’ll find a museum dedicated to one of France’s best-known films, ‘Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez’. The film stars Louis de Funès as a policeman reassigned from a small village to St Tropez, and shenanigans quickly ensue when he arrives in town. The film and its sequels are beloved by the French but not very well-known outside of France. The police station where much of it was filmed has now become the Musée de la Gendarmerie et du Cinéma, so if you see people taking selfies outside, you’ll know why.
The Old Town of St Tropez is the prettiest part of the village with its pastel coloured buildings and narrow alleyways. It’s a total shopper’s paradise with a fantastic mix of designer boutiques and regular stores, ideal for picking up couture and croissants. This is also the best place to buy the famous Tropézienne leather sandals which were created right here in the Old Town in the 1920s. Once the shopping is over, take a walk through the shady streets which provide a welcome break from the summer heat and plenty of opportunity for indulging in a cool drink or two. There is a lovely parish church on Rue Gambetta to visit with a statue of St Tropez himself, originally a martyred Roman soldier called Torpetius.
High above the Old Town is St Tropez’s 17th-century Citadel, which sits at the top of the hill overlooking the village and the bay. The view from the top is well worth the climb up, and there is an interesting Museum of Maritime History in the former dungeons. Although it’s not widely publicised, the museum offers guided tours in English upon reservation.
If you’re hoping to soak up the sun while you’re in town, you won’t be disappointed by St Tropez’s numerous beaches.There are three beaches in the centre of town, and miles of golden sand along the Pampelonne and the Sentier du Littoral. Beach clubs like Club 55 and the Tahiti offer live music, food and drinks all day and most of the night served in the comfort and privacy of your sunlounger. Nearer the village, the Plage des Graniers and the Plage des Salins are great for relaxing and enjoying a swim or a seafood lunch in one of the beach restaurants.