HOW TO SPEND SEVEN DAYS ON THE PENINSULA, DONE PROPERLY
A week in St Tropez rewards a loose plan rather than a tight one. The best holidays here are built around a villa as a home base, with days that drift between the beach, the town and the surrounding countryside, and evenings that rarely need to be rushed. Here is one way to shape seven days on the peninsula, done properly.
Day One and Two: Settle In
Resist the urge to rush out on arrival. Spend the first day exploring your villa, the garden, the pool, the view, and let the week begin at its own pace. On the second morning, walk or drive into town for the Place des Lices market, still one of the great sensory pleasures of Provence, before returning for a long lunch on the terrace.
Day Three: Pampelonne
No week here is complete without a day on Pampelonne beach, whether at a storied beach club or simply a quiet stretch of sand with your own parasol and a picnic from the market. The light along this coastline in the late afternoon is one of the true pleasures of a St Tropez summer.
Day Four: The Water
Charter a boat, even for a half-day, and see the coastline the way it is meant to be seen. Cruise past the calanques towards Cap Camarat, anchor for a swim in a quiet cove, and watch the town recede into a postcard version of itself from the water.
Day Five: Into the Hills
Trade the coast for the countryside with a day exploring Ramatuelle and Gassin, two of the prettiest hilltop villages in the Var, followed by a wine tasting at one of the peninsula’s vineyards. It is a reminder that St Tropez is as much about Provence as it is about the sea.
Day Six: The Old Town, After Dark
Spend an evening properly in town: a stroll along the port to admire the yachts, dinner at a table overlooking the water, and perhaps a nightcap somewhere with a view back towards the villa lights scattered across the hills.
Throughout the week, the real luxury is having a base to return to that suits exactly this kind of rhythm. The right st tropez villa rentals give you the flexibility to spend a day entirely on the water and the next entirely at home, without ever feeling as though the holiday is being dictated to you.
Day Seven: Slow Down
Save the final day for the villa itself. By now you will have found your favorite spot, whether a shaded corner of the garden or a seat by the pool, and the best way to end a St Tropez week is exactly the way it began: unhurried, and entirely on your own terms