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Saint Tropez is probably the most well known holiday town on the South coast of France. It has been a star studded celebrity favourite for many decades made world famous in the sixties by sex siren Brigitte Bardot. More recently Pamela Anderson chose to tie the knot again in this beautiful location and many a Hollywood superstar like Eva Longoria and George Clooney has been spotted strolling through its Port. These may or may not be reasons that endear you to a location but you have to remember that the reason that it became so popular with the glitterati is that it is pure and simply, a beautiful location. The French powers that be understand tourism very well. It understands the beauty of what it has and how to preserve, protect and present it in the best possible way without compromising too much on the demands of the average tourist. It's a tricky balance but Saint Tropez is a showcase for coping with demand and retaining its natural charm. Ancient HistoryAncient Saint Tropez is thought to have been first established by the Phoenicians as they opened up their commercial trading routes along this coast. Undoubtedly the Greeks and Romans followed suit as they all swept through these valuable regions both economicaly and geographicaly important. To the Romans it was known as Heraclea, a name it briefly reverted to during the the French Revolution. Troubled TimesThe Rulers of Provence knew that something had to be done, the situation was becoming drastic and this part of the coast was still too important to ignore. The coastline was becoming increasingly exposed and vulnerable with fewer and fewer inhabitants to protect it. They needed to bring stability to the area and in doing so rebuild Provence. It became a mission. Future StabilityThe King of Provence struck a deal with a prominent Genoese nobleman in 1470. In return for protecting and populating the wild and strategically weak Peninsula, Raffaelo de Garezzio, would be granted tax and levy free status and permission to build a small army.
This mini state, not unlike Monaco at the time, was habitated by other wealthy Genoese families. It rapidly flourished and continued to do so for generations. In 1637 the Tropeziene army had even gathered enough strength and momentum to see off an attack by the Spanish.
However, in 1672 King Louis XIV, withdrew St Tropez's privileges in a move to bring it back under total French control. A Royal garrison was moved into the Citadelle and so began it's links with the French navy. Industries such as fishing, boat building and agriculture grew up around this garrison town perhaps reaching a zenith during the Napoleonic era when, in 1870, a 750 ton Navy flagship was built there.
|  |  | | Pink Sky | Old Buildings |  |  | | ST Tropez Port | Fishing Village |
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St Tropez's military connections drew to a close during WWII when it was at the centre of beach landing Operation during the Allied invasion into Southern France.
Since then it has reverted to a tiny fishing port, the preserve of artists, intellectuals and celebrities. It's history is still visible and very much in evidence but now the turbulence is evident only in the ruffled seas from the wake of the motorboats. |
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So now you know a little of the history and culture of Saint Tropez, as you can see, there is a lot to explore and discover. To get some ideas on what to do in St Tropez during your holiday continue on into the next section where we have some suggestions. If you want to go straight to browsing St Tropez holiday apartments then simply use the menu system below or 'Browse Rentals' to view all the holiday rentals available through this site from luxury villas to inexpensive apartments in St Tropez.
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| French Riviera » St Tropez » Ramatuelle |
520 sq.m. Villa 0119 |
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| »Holiday rental villa |
| »Bedrooms | : | 5 |
| »Sleeps | : | 14 |
| »Price per night | : | $1,931.28 |
| »Per person (x14) | : | $137.95 |
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This villa is a beautiful 5 bedroom 5 bathroom villa in St Tropez. Just a few minutes from the town of St Tropez and the village of Ramatuelle, this is the perfect vacation villa rental for the beaches of St. Tropez.
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| French Riviera » St Tropez |
250 sq.m. Villa 0634 |
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| »Holiday rental villa |
| »Bedrooms | : | 5 |
| »Sleeps | : | 10 |
| »Price per night | : | $1,489.03 |
| »Per person (x10) | : | $148.90 |
Swimming Pool, City Centre
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Attractive villa with views of St Tropez’s iconic church tower, featuring a heated pool, very large garden, 5-bedrooms, and all just 5-minutes walk from the heart of the old town.
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| French Riviera » St Tropez » Pampelonne |
400 sq.m. Villa 0635 |
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| »Holiday rental villa |
| »Bedrooms | : | 5 |
| »Sleeps | : | 12 |
| »Price per night | : | $1,290.97 |
| »Per person (x12) | : | $107.58 |
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Family Villa Pampelonne is an elegant property set amongst expansive manicured gardens, offering luxurious accommodation with sea views, a swimming pool, and gazebo.
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Why visit Port Grimaud |
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"This place is like Venice and is 100 times cheaper than St Tropez. You can rent a boat and just buzz into St Tropez when you feel like it."
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Why visit Port Grimaud |
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"Port Grimaud is an exceptional place. When you first arrive you almost can't believe it's real. It's so perfect and well maintained that you look around for signs that Disney have made a copy of Venice and behind every wall is lots of chipboard and paint cans.
But it's not so. When I looked carefully at the docksides, I commented to my wife that those huge granite blocks that form the dock were definitely NOT fake, and the paving slabs on the streets were clearly solid and very real and not made yesterday.
That's why Port Grimaud is such a lovely surprise, it's a Venice that you didn't know existed. It's one of the best kept secrets of the French Riviera and one I'm so glad we discovered. When the kids figured out that in order to get from the little villa to anywhere, we needed to take a boat, their eyes just lit up in astonishment.
We rented a little semi-rigid for the week and were able to explore all the little canals, go all around the Golfe of St Tropez and basically tie up just about anywhere. We even got to tie up onto a giant pro sailing yacht in St Tropez next yacht along from Nicole Kidmans party. I don't think you can do this with a bigger boat though.
Port Grimaud is small, but it's small size makes it manageable with a group. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and St Raphael and St Tropez and only minutes away either by sea if you have hired a boat or by road if terra firma is the choice of transport."
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Why visit Port Grimaud |
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"Port Grimaud is an exceptional place. When you first arrive you almost can't believe it's real. It's so perfect and well maintained that you look around for signs that Disney have made a copy of Venice and behind every wall is lots of chipboard and paint cans.
But it's not so. When I looked carefully at the docksides, I commented to my wife that those huge granite blocks that form the dock were definitely NOT fake, and the paving slabs on the streets were clearly solid and very real and not made yesterday.
That's why Port Grimaud is such a lovely surprise, it's a Venice that you didn't know existed. It's one of the best kept secrets of the French Riviera and one I'm so glad we discovered. When the kids figured out that in order to get from the little villa to anywhere, we needed to take a boat, their eyes just lit up in astonishment.
We rented a little semi-rigid for the week and were able to explore all the little canals, go all around the Golfe of St Tropez and basically tie up just about anywhere. We even got to tie up onto a giant pro sailing yacht in St Tropez next yacht along from Nicole Kidmans party. I don't think you can do this with a bigger boat though.
Port Grimaud is small, but it's small size makes it manageable with a group. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and St Raphael and St Tropez and only minutes away either by sea if you have hired a boat or by road if terra firma is the choice of transport."
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Why visit Port Grimaud |
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"Port Grimaud is an exceptional place. When you first arrive you almost can't believe it's real. It's so perfect and well maintained that you look around for signs that Disney have made a copy of Venice and behind every wall is lots of chipboard and paint cans.
But it's not so. When I looked carefully at the docksides, I commented to my wife that those huge granite blocks that form the dock were definitely NOT fake, and the paving slabs on the streets were clearly solid and very real and not made yesterday.
That's why Port Grimaud is such a lovely surprise, it's a Venice that you didn't know existed. It's one of the best kept secrets of the French Riviera and one I'm so glad we discovered. When the kids figured out that in order to get from the little villa to anywhere, we needed to take a boat, their eyes just lit up in astonishment.
We rented a little semi-rigid for the week and were able to explore all the little canals, go all around the Golfe of St Tropez and basically tie up just about anywhere. We even got to tie up onto a giant pro sailing yacht in St Tropez next yacht along from Nicole Kidmans party. I don't think you can do this with a bigger boat though.
Port Grimaud is small, but it's small size makes it manageable with a group. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and St Raphael and St Tropez and only minutes away either by sea if you have hired a boat or by road if terra firma is the choice of transport."
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