874km (543 miles) S of Paris; 76km (47 miles) SW of Cannes
While this sun-kissed town has a well-known air of hedonism, Tropezian style is blissfully understated—it’s not in-your-face. St-Tropez attracts artists, musicians, models, writers, and an A-lister movie colony each summer, with a flamboyant parade of humanity trailing behind. In winter it morphs back into a boho fishing village, albeit one with modern art galleries and some of the best restaurants along the coast.
The 1956 Brigitte Bardot movie “And God Created Woman” put St-Tropez on the tourist map. Droves of decadent tourists baring almost all on the peninsula’s white-sand beaches trailed in her wake. Two decades ago, Bardot pronounced St-Tropez dead, “squatted by a lot of no-goods, drugheads, and villains”. But even she returned, followed in recent years by international celebrity A-listers, from David Beckham and Drake to Vanessa Paradis and Kourtney Kardashian.
Beaches — Near the town center, the golden sands and shallow waters of Plage de la Bouillabaisse and Plage des Graniers are ideal for families. The daring Plage des Salins and Plage de Pampelonne are where the?beautiful folk go to burnish their tans under striped parasols. For hedonistic exhibitionism, head to Tahiti Beach, on the north end of Pampelonne. Or step over the scantily clad bronzing bodies on Coco Beach, a favorite with gay men.
Things to Do — St. Tropez's port is a requisite stop, a pretty place where luxury yachts bob rhythmically on the shimmering water. Here, don't miss the tiny fish market behind Porte de la Poissonnerie, resplendent in mosaics and marble; or the Ponche quarters, where fishermen and artists once inhabited narrow, pastel streets. Don't miss the Riviera's best collections of post-Impressionist masters at Musée de l'Annonciade.
Eating & Drinking — Place des Lices, where locals sip pastis and play pétanques in the balmy shade of plane trees, is lined with cafes selling France's ubiquitous steak-frites.
