In the early 1960’s Brigitte Bardot kicked off the rush, later followed by like of Liz Taylor and Sophia Loren. St Tropez is as popular as ever, for the sun, the sea and the celebrities. Taking an early morning stroll around the pretty port or down the narrow medieval streets with the candied almond hues, you will see how charming this city is.

St Tropez, France by Spencer Wright

Coming ashore

The port in St Tropez is too small to accept nearly all large cruise vessels, so passengers are tendered to a landing dock, but don’t worry; this is only a 5 minute walk to town. There are no passenger facilities portside, which is a bit of a let-down, but do you really need little things like cafes and small shops? You can rent a car for about €75 or rent a taxi for €3 and then €0.80 per mile which is a reasonable charge. The only problem with St Tropez I could find was the traffic, so allow plenty of time to get to places.

What to do in St Tropez

St Tropez has plenty to do, no matter what you like. If you love culture and history then you would love the musée de l’annonciade. Just inland from the southwest corner of vieux port, stands the extraordinary museum, the legacy of the artists that loved St Tropez has been lovely preserved. Signac, Matisse, Braque, Dufy and many more artists have displays here.

Painter in St Tropez, France by FaceMePLS

Ramatuelle is only 7 miles southwest of St Tropez and is a typical hilltop whorl of red clay roofs and dense inner streets, a proper ancient French market town. With awesome little shops and galleries you cannot miss an opportunity to visit here. With pretty vineyards and fields even the drive up to here is a delight. You can visit Moulin de Paillas, a recently restored windmill; the view from here is priceless. Oh and at Ratatouille there is a famous nightclub called club 55, this is where the rich and famous go to play!

The beaches in St Tropez are possibly the best in the whole of Europe. Pampelonne, the most famous beach in St Tropez is a long stretch of fine sand, divided into small sections, with trendy restaurants, bars and clubs on each one.

What to eat in St Tropez

I cannot stress enough how good the food is in St Tropez, just like anywhere in France everything is fresh, cooked to perfection and always tasty! There are two places that you must go to, these are La table du Marche and Le café.

Pampelonne beach, St Tropez, France by David van der Mark

La Table du Marche has an afternoon tea room and a gorgeous summer sushi bar. With mouth-watering regional specialties from Chef Christophe Leroy, sink into one of the oversized armchairs and enjoy a light tomato pistou tart, absolutely perfect.

Le café is a busy terrace restaurant that often doubles as a stadium for local pétanque players (pretty much boules) you too can play. It’s a great way to sink into the local culture; especially on a Saturday night when the games are on, not that the local “beginner” pétanque soirees are on tap, which makes things hilarious. Try the Provençal beef stew or the traditional fish soup.

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