Lou Pinet

Saint-Tropez still smells of salt and pine, even after decades as a byword for Mediterranean glamour. What began as a military stronghold and fishing commune transformed in the late 1950s when the French New Wave directors and Yé-yé musicians discovered this pocket of the Var coast, 68 kilometres west of Nice. Their arrival opened the floodgates. Today, the commune of just over 3,500 residents swells each summer with a particular species of sun-worshipper, drawn to the Gulf of Saint-Tropez where the Massif des Maures slopes down to meet impossibly blue water.

The old port remains the heart of things. Ochre and terracotta facades line the quays where fishing boats once unloaded their catch. Narrow cobbled lanes climb steeply from the waterfront, opening onto sun-drenched squares where plane trees cast dappled shade over morning markets. Plage des Graniers curves along the shoreline just over a kilometre from the centre, its sand fine and pale.

The nearest airport is Toulon-Hyères, 45 kilometres to the southwest. Nice-Côte d'Azur lies 63 kilometres northeast along the coast, accessible by helicopter transfer or car through winding corniche roads that reveal the full sweep of the Riviera.

Three-starred La Vague d'Or at Cheval Blanc St-Tropez showcases Arnaud Donckele's tribute to this sun-drenched landscape, set among pine trees overlooking the gulf less than three kilometres away. For a different elevation, Éric Canino's two-starred La Voile commands views from La Réserve Ramatuelle, eight kilometres south in the hills. Book a table early; these dining rooms fill months ahead in high season.

The Plage de la Ponche, under two kilometres from the property, curves beneath the old citadel where the original fishing quarter once thrived. Domaine Bertaud-Belieu and Château Minuty, both around five kilometres inland, offer tastings of rosé produced from vines that benefit from the same maritime breezes that cool the beaches. Serious divers head to Sèche Salagru and the cathedral-like formations at Rabiou, both within a short boat ride. The Marché couvert in Sainte-Maxime, just over five kilometres north, operates year-round with morning stalls piled high with olives, tapenade, and the day's catch.

July and August bring peak heat, with temperatures climbing past 29°C and rainfall almost nonexistent. The gulf turns glassy in the morning, the beaches crowded by midday, the air thick with the scent of sunscreen and rosemary. This is high season, when the town becomes a stage.

May, June, and September offer a softer rhythm. Temperatures hover in the low to mid-twenties, the light takes on a particular golden quality in early evening, and restaurant tables open up. The water remains warm enough for swimming through early October.

Winter transforms Saint-Tropez into something quieter. Days are mild, often reaching the low teens, but nights turn cool. Rain arrives in earnest from October through March, washing the cobblestones and leaving the air sharp and clean. Many establishments close, but the town reclaims its original scale.