Back to Saint Tropez contents

A not so kind introduction

Ancient history and
musée de l'Annonciade

Modern history and stars

Up to the beaches now!
West of town centre is plage BOUILLABAISSE, coming back into trend after years of declining. It’s a simple local beach, more favourite to the native St. Tropeziens.
The PLAGE DES GRANIERS is the nearest to the cemetery. JUST BELOW THE Citadel. A little further the baie des Canebiers attracts also the same crowds, but has a few creeks.
The plage des CANEBIERS is slightly larger and overlooked by Brigitte Bardot’s villa, La Madrague. The eastern edge of the peninsula is the plage des Salins, 4 km east. Empty in  low season.
But where the real action is taking place is the PLAGE DE PAMPELONNE, a long golden sweep with concessions. From north to south we have:
Tropezina, Tabou-plage, Tahiti plage which is a long established showbiz favourite including a hotel and shops, Bora Bora and the very chic Moorea, La Voile Rouge home of the topless nymphets and a rock-star Hollywood ambience, the new Sun 77 with its teenage offshoot Hysteria, the quiet Force 7 and the Club du Planteur, the naturist Le Blouch, Club 55 (the oldest founded in 1955 by the Colmont family), Nioulargo with it’s traditional Indo-Chinese restaurants, La Plage des Jumeaux noted for excellent Provencal cuisine, fashionable Epi Plage, La Cabane Bambou, Tropicana, another showbiz favourite with excellent local cooking and La Bastide Blanche which is accessible only by boat and therefore relatively quiet and exclusive. 

Beach dining

More south, and with much less people is the plage de l'Escalet. Small sand stripes alternate with creeks. Still more south, at the cap Taillat is a well-known beach to the initiated Tropezians: la plage de la Bastide-Blanche. At the end of a bad road, make an effort, and you will be rewarded. Or leave your car at the Escalet beach and walk the 30 minutes path to the other beach.
At anchor off the shore of Pampelonne are the dozens of yachts and smaller craft used for the very Tropezien snobbish custom of sailing out for lunch to yet another exclusive restaurant like the mas du Langoustier on the island of Porquerolles.
And what about nightlife? Around midnight, queues start to form outside St.Tropez nightclubs, which range from the exclusive and glamorous Caves du Roy at the hotel Byblos, with its ancient Egyptian theme décor, and the classic 1960s favourite Papagayo, to the Pirate’s Studio, a sort of VIP French Karaoke joint, and Le Bal, a favourite on the gay and supermodel circuit.
After a heavy night at one of these establishments, it is worth remembering that the most revivifying of hangover cures is a gentle sea excursion, and not only available for the oat owners. Indeed, regular ferries that leave the old port for Port Grimaud, Ste Maxime and St. Raphael offer a delightful and relaxing run across the bay.

Bibliography: 

Mary Blume, "Cote d'Azur. Inventing the French Riviera" (Thames and Hudson, London 1982), Stephen Liégeard, "La Cote d'Azur" (Ed.Serre, Nice 1988 a reprint), " Roman remains of southern France ", by James Bromwich (Routledge London 1993, "Guide du Routard 1999",(ed.Hachette), "Dorpjes rond het St.Tropez schiereiland", by J. Helperszoon (Alk 1996), Calvin Tomkins, “Living well is the best revenge” (E.P.Dutton)-“Les Pointillistes en Méditerrannée”, by Ger.Dumortier ed. Livres Bruxelles 1998), “St. Tropez baai and hinterland », by Joop van Nieuwenhuizen (ed. Hansma, Maastricht 1995)

Back to Cote d'Azur contents

A charming walk through
the city

Up to the beaches