Saint Tropez and Ramatuelle, France
My idea of heaven.
- More about your Oliver Guide: Courtney Leary
- Trip type: Adult, Family, Group getaway, Solo, Beach
- Activity level: easy
- Ideal length of trip: Because of the travel involved, at least 4 nights but ideally two weeks.
to & from
Fly into Paris then to Nice and then take a car service or a helicopter (if your budget allows). We found that switching airlines in Paris to Air France was significantly less expensive than booking all the way through on United. On the way home, we spent a few days in Paris, which, if we were to do again, we might consider the train from St. Raphael direct to Paris on the return.
Where to Stay
It is important to know that the beach clubs and primary beaches are all in Ramatuelle which is about a 10 minute drive from the port town of Saint Tropez. So, if you stay in town you will need to uber/ taxi/ shuttle to the beach or if you stay in Ramatuelle you will likely need to commute to town. There are only a couple of hotels that offer a beach and walk to town experience, Cheval Blanc being one of them. In Nadine’s Oliver Guide, she recommends a car. We did not feel like we needed one.
We stayed at La Reserve which was gorgeous with stunning views and amazing service. Our room was not huge but definitely big enough. We only had one sink which was somewhat bothersome but the deck with views and multiple seating areas made up for this. It was quiet and relaxing and we did feel pampered. We did spend a fair amount of time shuttling to the beach and to town however so on our next visit we would consider Cheval Blanc.
Other recommendations that we considered were:
Airelles Saint-Tropez
Byblos (right in town)— After seeing this spot, I do not think I would consider in the future, though friends have liked it. It felt a bit touristy, large and somewhat generic in comparison to other spots.
Renting a villa
And, at some point I would like to try Lily of the Valley, as long as I can still drink some French wine!
Where to Eat and Drink
We had a great breakfast at our hotel each morning after a bit of exercise and then made our way down to the beach clubs for lunch. We had lunch and chair reservations everyday and I would recommend each of them depending on your mood!
- La Reserve a la Plage: The most expensive and most intimate of the clubs. The chairs were fantastic and so was the food. Not much of a scene if that is what you are looking for.
- Club 55: This is old school chic — the South Hampton– of beach clubs. The restaurant is massive and the chairs are as old school as the vibe (mattresses on the ground and you need to bring your own towel) but we loved it. The food was great but felt a bit rushed.
- LouLou: This is the new hotspot and falls somewhere between La Reserve and Club 55 as far as price and size is concerned. The food was probably the best of all three places as was the beach service. We were surrounded by Americans which was not ideal but we deducted that they group Americans together in some spots so that they can place the servers with the best English accordingly. The “party” starts at 3pm but it was not over the top– at least the day we were there– the DJ just turned it up a notch.
For dinner:
- Chez Camille was by far our favorite for the lowkey non-touristy vibe right on the water with the freshest grilled seafood. I could eat here every night.
- La Muna at La Reserve was also a treat. Asian inspired, on the rooftop with incredible views. We did not do the tasting menu but I might try it the next time as it looked truly extraordinary. All seating is outdoors.
- Les Moulins de Ramatuelle had a completely different feel– more wine country and olive grove than seaside which was a fun contrast. The food was delicious but the portions were very small. There was a bit of a touristy vibe but there were definitely locals there as well. All tables were outside in a massive garden. Very pretty.
What to Do
Besides spending time at the beach:
- Explore town! The shopping is great! All the big names have locations here but there are also some smaller fun boutiques.
- Check out the harbor and the Yachts.
- The flea market on Tuesday morning (also on Saturdays) was a complete adrenaline rush. I wished I had had more of a plan and more time. Everything from art to shoes to olives is for sale. The best place for gifts.Bring Euros!!!! And beware, traffic in and out of town on market days is quite tricky.
- Hike/walk the Sentier du Littoral, is gorgeous 15 kilometer coastal path along the water. You will be scrambling across rocks and going up and down stairs and enjoying sometime on the beach. Bring your agility and do not bring anyone with stability issues, there are some challenging points. (We did walk the whole path, just a few kilometers.)
- Enjoy the spa! We had great massages with amazing views (though our eyes were shut for most of the experience) at La Reserve.
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