Luxury Villas in Saint-Tropez – Pampelonne, the Peninsula and the Art of the Long Lunch

The old port and La Ponche

The harbour at seven in the morning, before the crowds, is Saint-Tropez at its most beautiful: fishermen, the pastel facades, and the smell of the bakeries. Walk around to La Ponche, the old fishermen's quarter with its small beach, and up to the Citadelle for the view across the Gulf.

Place des Lices and the market

The town's plane-shaded square holds a market every Tuesday and Saturday morning – Provençal produce, linen, antiques – and games of pétanque every afternoon. It is the most local part of Saint-Tropez.

Musée de l'Annonciade

A small museum in a sixteenth-century chapel on the port, with an exceptional collection of the painters who discovered Saint-Tropez: Signac, Matisse, Bonnard, Derain. An hour well spent on a hot afternoon.

The coastal path to Cap Taillat

The sentier du littoral runs around the whole peninsula. The stretch from Pampelonne to Cap Camarat and Cap Taillat is the finest: wild coves, pines and clear water, with no development in sight.

Ramatuelle and Gassin

Two hill villages, ten minutes apart, each with a handful of excellent restaurants and a view that justifies the drive. Go for dinner rather than lunch.

Pampelonne into the evening

The beach restaurants that serve lunch from one o'clock often keep going until sunset and beyond. For many guests, this is the evening.

The port and the town

Dinner in the lanes behind the harbour, a drink on the quay, and the town's clubs if you want them. A driver or a boat taxi makes the return straightforward.

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

Every year at the turn of September and October, the Gulf fills with classic and modern yachts for one of the most beautiful regattas in the Mediterranean. The town is lively, the weather usually perfect, and it is a wonderful reason to come in the shoulder season.

Provençal, simple and very good

Fish grilled over vine cuttings, bouillabaisse in the port, vegetables from the market, and the local tarte tropézienne – a brioche filled with cream that has been made here since the 1950s. The rosé is local, pale and dry, and the peninsula drinks little else in summer.

The vineyards

The Côtes de Provence estates around Ramatuelle and Gassin open for tastings, and several have restaurants among the vines. A long lunch at one of them is a quieter alternative to Pampelonne.

Dining at the villa

On a peninsula where a good table in August is a negotiation and the roads are slow, a private chef at the villa is often the better evening – and the one guests describe afterwards.

Boutiques and the port

Saint-Tropez has been dressed by the people who come here since Bardot arrived in the 1950s, and the town still takes it seriously. The lanes behind the harbour — rue Gambetta, rue Sibilli, rue François Sibilli and the narrow streets running down to the quay — hold the international houses in a density unusual for a town this size, with the vitrines lit late into the evening and the doors open past dinner in July and August.

Around Place des Lices the register changes. Here you find the French designers, the concept stores and the small independents that give the town its particular look: resort pieces made for the peninsula rather than for a city, linen and cotton in the pale colours that survive a summer of sun and salt, straw, jewellery, and the occasional gallery. The best of them are family businesses that have held their corner for decades and open only for the season.

Shopping here is unhurried by design. The town wakes late, the boutiques open accordingly, and the afternoon belongs to the beach. The good hours are the end of the morning, before lunch, and again from six, when the light softens and the port fills for the evening.

Sandals and the things worth taking home

The handmade leather sandals the town has been known for since the 1920s, made to measure while you wait. Linen from the market, Provence rosé from the estates, olive oil and lavender.

The peninsula enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate, with long dry summers and mild, bright winters. The swimming season runs from June to October, and a heated pool makes May and October entirely comfortable.

June and September are the months we recommend first: warm water, long light, the beach restaurants open and the roads manageable. July and August are the peak in every sense – the most social, the most expensive, and the busiest roads. Late September and early October bring the Voiles de Saint-Tropez and some of the year's best weather. May is lovely and quiet, with a cooler sea.

The mistral can blow hard for a few days at a time, clearing the sky and cooling the air. It affects which beaches are sheltered, and we take it into account.

By air

Nice (NCE) is the main international airport, around an hour and a half by road. Toulon-Hyères (TLN) is closer, at around an hour. La Môle, a small airfield fifteen minutes from the town, receives private aircraft. A helicopter from Nice takes around twenty-five minutes and is the way many guests arrive in high season. We arrange all of these, including private arrivals through Firstclass Jets.

On the peninsula

One main road runs onto the peninsula, and in July and August it is notoriously slow. A car is useful for the villages and vineyards; a driver is better for evenings; a boat is best for Pampelonne and the town. We arrange a car through Firstclass Cars, a driver, or a boat through Firstclass Yachts.

Which area around Saint-Tropez should we choose?

Ramatuelle for larger estates and Pampelonne close by. Gassin for hilltop views. Grimaud and La Croix-Valmer for a quieter, more family-friendly week. The town and Les Parcs for walking to the port. Tell us how you picture the days and we will match the area first.

How bad is the traffic, really?

In July and August the road onto the peninsula can be very slow, especially on Saturdays and in the early evening. It is the one thing guests underestimate. Choosing the right area, and using a boat or a driver, removes most of the problem.

Is the pool heated?

Most of our houses here have heated pools, typically from spring to autumn.

Villas with Heated Pools in Saint-Tropez

How close is the villa to Pampelonne?

We distinguish carefully between walking distance, a short drive and a longer drive, because on this peninsula it makes a real difference. We will always tell you which.

Can you arrange tables at the beach restaurants?

Yes, and in high season it is worth doing before you arrive. We book lunch tables, loungers and dinner reservations as part of the stay.

Is there a minimum stay?

In high season, yes: most villas are let by the week, and a few of the larger estates ask for ten or fourteen nights in July and August. Outside those months it is far more flexible. In May, June, late September and October many owners accept shorter stays. It varies from house to house rather than following a rule, so it is always worth asking.

Ask About Your Dates

Is Saint-Tropez suitable for families?

Very much so, particularly in Grimaud, La Croix-Valmer and the quieter parts of Ramatuelle, and in June and September. The beaches are sandy and shallow and the villas have the space.

How far in advance should we book?

For July and August, as early as possible – the best estates are often taken nine to twelve months ahead. June, September and the Voiles week allow a little more time.

How does Saint-Tropez compare to Cap Ferrat or Cannes?

Saint-Tropez is about the beach, the long lunch and a relaxed Provençal rhythm. Cap Ferrat is about privacy and landscape; Cannes about restaurants and shopping.