MY Quick Visit to Saint-Tropez!
On my first and only (so far) visit to this diamond of a French Riviera town, I came in by car with some friends.
That meant that we first had to wade through the throngs of people shopping at the Place des Lices Market to make our way down to the port.
A beautiful day to visit this Saturday Market in Saint-Tropez!
But wow! What an introduction to Saint Tropez (pronounced with or without the “z” depending on where you come from!).
It was a Saturday and the open-air market was frantic. (It is also open on Tuesdays.)
Vendors were selling an enormous array of bread, pastries, cheeses, sausages, flowers, olives, spices, herbs, fruit, and vegetables, along with quality antiques, clothing, purses, and jewelry.
Dozens of different kinds of olives are sold at this market in Saint-Tropez.
Large vats of sundried tomatoes! Yum!
It was an exhilarating if slightly claustrophobic experience until we finally broke free to take still another crowded pedestrian street down to the port but with lots of super shops along the way.
Gorgeous colourful tapestries and rugs at the Place des Lices Market!
Shopping Baskets are Place des Lices Marketreasonably priced!/
I was delightfully surprised by the tiny harbour area.
The port of Saint-Tropez
Could this possibly be the setting for the 1956 film God Created Woman that launched Brigitte Bardot’s career?
And also where the 1978 breakout international hit La Cages aux Folles, the original French film was shot.
If you remember La Cage Aux Folles was the name of the (fictitious) gay nightclub in the movie located right on the waterfront.
Brigitte Bardot in God Created Woman (1956)
Saint-Tropez is one of the best-known towns along the French Riviera, west of Nice and east of Marseilles.
It may surprise you as it did me that it has a population of only 4000. (At 88, and pretty much a recluse now, Bardot still lives in the area,)
A schooner in the port of Saint-Tropez!
It has indeed been home to the rich and famous like in Cannes, or Monaco for instance. but I found it more laidback and unassuming, despite the tourists.
And it is indeed a splendid place to visit in the Spring before it gets too hot.
Behind the port are lovely back streets in Saint-Tropez
It was such a quick visit as we were headed to a restaurant in the countryside for lunch. But I will likely return there this summer.
There is a ferry to Saint-Tropez from Nice that takes about two and a half hours each way. I think cruising along the coast will be a nicer means to get there.
That way I will arrive directly at the port!
If you go, a word of caution:
Don’t eat at any of the restaurants along the main pier unless you want to pay $60 for an omelet, or $50 for a dessert.
There are better and more reasonable restaurants on the back streets behind the port.
That is me in this picture, turning away from this harbour restaurant after I saw the soaring prices on the menu!
Love To Have Your Comments
with a Special Offer!
Have you been to Saint-Tropez?
If so, what did you do?
Please comment below where it says “Leave a Comment”, or “Read the Comments.”
I will have a special offer for the person with the most interesting comment!
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Diana Bishop the founder of The Success Story Program and A Woman of a Certain Age in Paris as well as a well-known correspondent with over 25 years working for CTV, CBC News, and NBC News. She loves travel, writing, and all things Parisienne.
I have such fond memories of St. Tropez. While is southern France many years ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. The hustle and crazy bustle of those cities was fun. We also attended the OMD concert in Nice.(That dates me for sure). Eventually we decided to catch a few days of rest in St. Tropez. It was pure bliss. We spent hours in the bistros along the water watching the boats. The buzz and charm of St. Tropez still flutter in my heart. Can’t wait to get back there. My memories of Côte D’Azure are very special.
Lea — you make me want to go back there for sure. It was not a restful visit as we were just passing through but I could see how I spend a lovely day strolling the streets and sitting in the harbour… with a coffee! Great to hear from you as always, Diana
As I sit here wearing bug spray from head to toe, it’s nice to read and see how enticing the south of France is. I particularly like the idea of taking a ferry from one port to another.
Yes bug season it is in Canada! But hope you are enjoying every minute of it Twink! And thank you as always for the comment. I so love hearing from everyone. Diana
Briefly visited St. Tropez in my youth, as I “youth hosteled” across Europe. Really don’t remember much about it – but loved seeing your photos, Diana!
Haha — But I bet you had loads of fun at that age! We notice so much more as we grow older as every experience is so so precious.
I will keep ya posted when I return there this summer! Thanks Gretchen. Thank you for being such a loyal fan! Diana
In late October 2004, my husband and I stayed at a timeshare about 20 minutes inland from St. Tropez. We went into town a couple of times to eat and shop, but even in October the traffic was terrible.
We did eat at a restaurant on the harbor, and at that time it did not seem to be unreasonably priced. Then we took a harbor cruise, during which the homes of Brigitte Bardot and other celebrities were pointed out.
Seemed like it rained the whole week we were there!
Hi Judith, well like most places in the world now, the prices have jumped since COVID! Rain for a whole week would certainly put a damper on the holiday!
The south of France is really only spectacular in the sunshine! I hope you get to go back. And thank you for your comment! I love hearing from you, Diana
We were just in St. Tropaz 10 days ago for the first time. We, too, loved the laidback atmosphere. One of the highlights of the day was the one hour boat cruise we took from the harbour. We passed by all the villas where the rich play and stay and the guide pointed out the backstory of each one (who owns it, who rents it, etc). We saw Brigitte Bardot’s modest home, as least compared to the others. It was also an interesting perspective to see St. Tropaz and the surrounding area from the sea. I would highly recommend a stop in nearby Port Grimaud, with it’s charming canals and to learn how a French visionary built the town.
Cheryl – how fabulous that you were just there! I loved this comment so much that I am gifting you the special offer! I will be in touch by email shortly!
Congratulations and I hope you will continue to leave comments from time to time, Diana
Thank you very much, Diana!
Your blog today brings back memories from our visit to St Tropez last year! I yearned to spend more time shopping in the market with its vivid colours and aromas! It WAS frenetic though and so were we , as our lovely hosts were taking us for lunch as you mentioned. Arriving via boat on your visit this year , no doubt will be fabulous!
Yes, you remember it well. We barely got a chance to breathe – and yet Saint-Tropez left quite an impression on us didn’t it?
Hope you and I can visit it again in a more relaxed environment!