St Tropez is a small fishing village on the coast of France, truly similar to plenty of others back in the 1930s. After the second world war, when the Americans debarked in St Tropez to reinforce the troops already in Normandy, the small city slowly became the world icon that it is today. Far from Monaco and the glamour of the Riviera, the city didn’t start on the right foot.
Located in Provence, far from the major hot spot of the French Riviera, like Cannes, Nice or Monaco, St Tropez remain pretty untouched for a very long time, retaining its original charm and picturesque architecture. With the rise of the train, most of the Riviera started flooding with cheaper tourists, pushing the super-rich to find more remote options to enjoy their privacy. The city of St Tropez is only accessible by car, which back in the 1960s was still a luxury good. Far from the eyes of the crowds the rich and famous could indulge in the utmost luxury.
Unlike most of the Riviera, St Tropez remained pretty untouched by the 1970’s architecture and the large towers that now pave the streets of Cannes and Monte Carlo. Most of the accommodations are large luxury villas or traditional buildings. St Tropez kept its unique charm and remarkable architecture. Unlike the fishing villa of old, most of the interiors of the old apartments have been redone to the utmost modernity.
The city of St Tropez benefits from an ideal positioning along the riviera, offering a large and deep bay, where both large superyachts and smaller crafts can easily anchor. The well-protected bay isn’t the only option to spend the night on a boat, the harbour offers plenty of berths for vessels up to 50m. There’s nothing like a St Tropez boat party in the vibrant port. The large beach of Pampelonne located just across the cap also offers miles of pristine sandy beach with crystal clear waters. Paved with iconic beach clubs, the beach of Pampelonne is one of the finest spots to anchor a superyacht.
The city of St Tropez is a truly unique spot that deserves to be visited. While the warm summer attracts more and more of the elites of this world, visiting slightly off-season or during Les Voiles is a truly different experience from the champagne party of Nikki Beach.
