France Travel

The Beaches of St Tropez
St Tropez, at the heart of the Cote d'Azur, is blessed with one of the most pleasant climates in Europe, and in the summer there is no better way of cooling down than to spend the day on the beach. Many of the beaches in St Tropez itself are owned by the major hotels and you either have to be a guest, or pay a daily fee, in order to use their loungers and parasols. There are some stretches of public beach, but in the summer these get very busy.

A far better option is to hire a car and drive a little way out of town and find a quieter spot to enjoy the sun, sea and sand. Plage des Salins, which is at one end of the famous Pampelonne is a much quieter alternative to its lively and busy neighbour. Quieter still is the Plage des Greniers, which is surrounded by woods offering plenty of natural shade.

If you have to experience the St Tropez of film stars and 1950s glamour, then there is no option but to get out your credit card and head to one of the beach clubs on the infamous Pampelonne beach. You will have to pay to hire sun loungers and parasols - simply paying the entrance fee and then lying on your beach towel is not acceptable - but spending the day on this iconic stretch of sand is about much more than catching some Cote d'Azur rays.