Spending a week in St Tropez? Read our guide to the best things to do in St Tropez, including culture, restaurants, bars, spas, shops and beaches.
There’s nowhere quite like St Tropez. One of the world’s most luxurious towns – though in reality more like a village, with less than 5,000 people living there – it is where the world’s elite come to spend the summer. So if you only have a week in St Tropez, you’ll really want to make the most of it. That’s why we have compiled a list of the best things to do in St Tropez – sun hats at the ready!
The chicest things to do in St Tropez
See
If you’ve come to St Tropez for yacht-spotting, begin at Quai Jean Jaurès and take a sun-filled stroll around the harbour, keeping your eyes peeled for celebrities. Culture-vultures will love Musée de l’Annonciade, where a fascinating array of modern art is on display, meanwhile history buffs should take in the Church of Notre Dame de l’Assomption in the old town, noting its extraordinary baroque architecture.
For those who don’t mind walking a little further for their artifacts, the 17th-century Citadel on the hillside has the additional benefit of providing stunning views of St Tropez to the east. Meanwhile if being out on the water is your raison d’etre – and you seem to have misplaced your superyacht! – why not take one of the many boat trips from the harbour, allowing you to explore more of the French Riviera in style.
Eat
For some of the best pastries on the Cote d’Azur, look no further than La Tarte Tropezienne, a charming boulangerie and patisserie dating back to 1955. A firm favourite with locals and credited with creating the town’s most famous dessert (also named La Tarte Tropezienne), a week in St Tropez won’t be long enough to sample all their delights. However, it’s a good start!
If fresh seafood and chilled rosé are what you crave, Chez Madeleine on the Places aux Herbes is perfect for a truly French – and truly delicious – eating experience.
Go for an early lunch or dinner (this eaterie is open from 8am-1pm and 5pm-8pm) and be sure to get the oysters. Meanwhile for a romantic, beachfront meal, La Ponche offers seasonal menus that cater to everyone from carnivores to vegans. Soak up the sea breeze at one of the best restaurant terraces in St Tropez and feel all your stresses melt away. Another one of the most highly recommended things to do in St Tropez is visit the local vineyards, and at La Verdoyante you can combine this with gourmet dining at an elegant, family-run restaurant. Enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding greenery at this Gassin establishment, just a couple miles from St. Tropez.
Drink
On Plage de Pampelonne alone there are several excellent beach clubs – Club 55 is a must-visit, brought to life by the cast and crew of Bridget Bardot’s And God Created Woman. Book months in advance to secure a table. Meanwhile laid-back Moorea is the perfect place for anything from drinking and dancing under the stars to a pre-lunch massage – this beach club has a wellness area on site!
In the town of St Tropez itself, tucked just behind the port, the quirky Chez Maggy is renowned for its wild nightlife. With a mix of live bands, international DJs and dancing go-go girls dominating its schedule, it’s easy to see why Chez Maggy is a popular choice. To feel like a true A-Lister, Senequier on the harbour is a St Tropez institution, offering the chance to hobnob with stars and sip on a delicious cocktail or two as you watch the yachts. (Insider tip: to feel even more elite, do like the celebrities do and rent a villa in St Tropez for your stay. Hotels are so last year…)
If nightclubs are your priority for a week in St Tropez, try VIP Room at the Nouveau Port for unmatched opulence or L’Esquinade to party until the sun comes up.
Spa
Of course, one of the best things to do in St Tropez is to relax, and what better place to do this than at a spa. Five-Star hotel La Resérve Ramatuelle has a spa that will put you on cloud nine, with 11 treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a steam room and fitness room, and offering views of the glittering Mediterranean sea.
If you crave a truly opulent experience, the Reserve Chateau de la Messadière offers luxury like no other, with an exclusive range of La Prairie and Cinq Mondes products including a moisturizer made of pure gold. Enjoy indulgent face and body massages in the majestic decor of mosaics, carved stone vaults and columns, stained-glass windows and a terrace opening onto a fragrant Italian-style garden. L’Hotel Villa Belrose is another excellent choice, where beauty professionals with unmatched knowledge of wellness advise on the best treatments for you.
Shop
A week in St Tropez spells a lot of retail therapy – luckily, the town’s shop-ortunities are out of this world. Designer stores meet chic boutiques on St Tropez’s cobbled streets. From Dior to Hermes, you’ll be spoilt for choice, and when it’s time for some R&R the Dior des Lices cafe provides chic sustenance; tuck into choux buns with elegant Dior lettering.
For boutiques, Gas Bijoux at Place De la Garonne is the place to find those bright, summer purchases that never fail to make you smile. Take in the colourful necklaces, earrings and bracelets before hopping over to quirky French label Manoush. Head to ERES for chic beachwear or the Alberto Moretti Arfango boutique to get ready for a big night out on the town. Au Soleil de Saint-Tropez is where the celebrities shop, so if you want to copy anyone’s style this is the place to go.
Beach
Pampelonne Beach is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in St Tropez – a true must-visit spot, despite the fact that it is actually in Ramatuelle! Five kilometres of white sand stretches out next to the turquoise sea, with glamorous people everywhere you look and enough beach bars to keep you busy all day long.
For a slightly more tranquil seaside experience, take a short walk along the Sentier du Littoral to Plage des Graniers. Surrounded by lush greenery and without the distraction of hordes of people, this is the perfect place to settle down with a good book. Or for complete seclusion, drive up to Ramatuelle and park at the lighthouse, strolling down to the deserted, rocky beaches and basking in the relaxing sounds of the sea. Whatever your beachy preference, St Tropez has the answer.
Those are our top tips for how to spend a week in St Tropez, but let us know your ideas in the comments below!
Author: Colette Kincaid-Flowerdew