What to do in Saint-Tropez in August? The Sezz’s favourite places and experiences

What if the real luxury of Saint-Tropez were, in fact, to escape the clichés?

Behind the yachts, the parties and the crowded terraces, Saint-Tropez still hides unspoilt coves, hidden-gem restaurants and a gentle way of life that connoisseurs whisper about almost in hushed tones. To find them, you need the right contacts. From the Sezz Saint-Tropez, a five-star boutique hotel on the Route des Salins, Maxime Richard organises his guests’ stays every day.

Maxime Richard, head concierge at the Sezz Saint-Tropez and a member of the Clefs d’Or, has known the peninsula for over fifteen years. This international association brings together the world’s finest hotel concierges, and Maxime perfectly embodies its spirit: listening, understanding, and always finding the right place.

From Le Sezz, on Route des Salins, Maxime recommends the best things to do to experience Saint-Tropez in a different way:

• Walk the Sentier du Littoral from Canebiers beach

• Hike to Cap Taillat from L’Escalet

• Dine on Graniers beach at sunset

• Try the bouillabaisse at Chez Camille in Ramatuelle

• Explore the hidden restaurants in the old village

• Visit the Musée de l’Annonciade and the Musée de la Gendarmerie

• Taste the rosés from the Domaine de Fondugues-Pradugues

• Stay and dine at the Sezz, on Route des Salins

Why August in Saint-Tropez is worth experiencing in a different way

From Brigitte Bardot to the most famous police officers in French cinema, from yachts moored in the harbour to the ultra-trendy restaurants of Pampelonne, the peninsula has always fuelled a festive and glamorous imagination. But behind this over-exposed postcard image, the former fishing village reveals another side:

• more understated,

• more untamed,

• almost secret.

‘It’s a very unspoilt, very natural Saint-Tropez,’ says Maxime, speaking from the Sezz, where he welcomes his guests every day. ‘And that’s often what guests are looking for without even realising it.’

In August in particular, when the peninsula is at its busiest, knowing where to go – and, above all, where not to go – makes all the difference between a holiday you simply endure and one you’ll remember.

For many travellers, the Sentier du Littoral is one of the most beautiful ways to explore Saint-Tropez.

Saint-Tropez is often associated with wedge heels and open-top Ferraris. A serious mistake.

Starting from Canebiers Beach, just a few minutes’ walk from the Sezz Hotel, the Sentier du Littoral offers spectacular scenery, with sun-bleached rocks, turquoise coves and Mediterranean vegetation. The route runs alongside the Pointe de l’Ay, Cap Saint-Tropez and Salins Beach.

The best time to go: early in the morning, before the August heat sets in. The air smells of pine and salt. The sea is still calm. You feel as though you’ve left the Côte d’Azur behind for a much wilder island.

Start/End: Plage des Canebiers, 5 minutes from the Sezz Hotel, Route des Salins.

Distance: Approximately 12 km for the full loop.

Duration: 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours’ walk.

Elevation gain: Approximately +110 metres (the path constantly climbs and descends along the rocks).

Difficulty: Moderate, due to sections that are sometimes narrow and rocky.

Car park: Les Canebiers (limited spaces in summer).

Price: Free.

Booking: Open to all.

Cap Taillat: the peninsula’s hidden gem of a walk

If you had to choose just one walk in the Gulf in August, this would be the one.

From Escalet beach in Ramatuelle, a path winds along the water’s edge to Cap Taillat, that strip of sand and rock jutting out into the Mediterranean. It’s a 2.5-kilometre walk one way, through a Natura 2000 site protected by the Conservatoire du Littoral. No sun loungers, no DJ sets. Just pine trees, crystal-clear coves, and the feeling of being far away from it all, right in the middle of August.

“It’s often the sort of spot that becomes the highlight of the holiday,” says Maxime. “Guests are still talking about it weeks after they’ve returned.”

And for those looking for somewhere to swim in the gulf in August away from Pampelonne, make the most of this walk to go for a swim at L’Escalet or in one of the coves.

Access: L’Escalet Beach, Ramatuelle. About 30 minutes from Saint-Tropez.

Distance: 5.5 km

Average duration: 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours’ walk.

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: +124 m

Points of interest: Plage des Douanes, Briande Beach, Napoleonic sentry box (ruins), L’Escalet Beach, Ranc Beach.

Car park: L’Escalet (chargeable in high season).

Price: free.

Booking: no booking required.

Best time to visit: set off before 9 am to avoid the heat and the crowds.

Graniers Beach: dinner with your feet in the sand

Everyone knows Le Sénéquier. The regulars, however, head over to Les Graniers.

Tucked away in a small cove near the maritime cemetery, this more secluded beach has an almost family-like atmosphere, a world away from the upmarket restaurants and beach clubs of Pampelonne. People come here just as much for lunch as for dinner at sunset, with their feet in the sand and the sea within sight.

In August, when the light begins to fade around 9 pm, the atmosphere at Les Graniers takes on a special quality: gentle, serene, unpretentious. The sort of evening you don’t plan but remember for a long time.

Access: 10 minutes (3.4 km) by car from the Sezz.

Opening hours: from midday to 3.30 pm, then from 7.30 pm to 11 pm, Monday to Sunday.

Prices: à la carte menu from €24, wine list from €55.

Parking: on-street parking, small car park available nearby.

Booking: recommended (by telephone only: 04 94 97 13 43).

Best time to visit: sunset.

At Camille’s in Ramatuelle, the bouillabaisse is well worth the detour

Head to Ramatuelle for one of the restaurants Maxime has been recommending most highly for the past fifteen years.

Situated practically right on the water’s edge for over a century and open all year round, Chez Camille attracts a loyal clientele who come for a now legendary speciality: bouillabaisse. Prepared to perfection and cooked over a wood fire, it showcases the very best of Mediterranean fish. The ‘royal’ version with lobster is particularly renowned.

Stone walls, a terrace overlooking the sea, an atmosphere that has remained unchanged over the decades. The sort of place that regulars recommend almost reluctantly, for fear that it might become too well known.

Address: Bonne Terrasse district, Ramatuelle. About 7 minutes from the Sezz.

Opening hours: from midday to 3 pm, then from 7 pm to 10 pm, Monday to Sunday.

Prices: à la carte menu from €18, drinks menu from €7.

Parking: at the restaurant; valet parking for €15.

Booking: strongly recommended (online or by telephone).

Best time to visit: lunch on the terrace.

The hidden restaurants of the old village

Where can you enjoy authentic cuisine on the Riviera without queuing?

Another side to Saint-Tropez is sometimes hidden behind a door you might hesitate to push open.

In the narrow streets of the historic centre, several establishments still cultivate a precious sense of authenticity – without the Instagram-worthy queues, but with that luxury that has become rare: a genuine character.

At Le Caprice des Deux: a family-run institution that has been in business for nearly thirty years, enjoy dinner by lantern light in an almost timeless atmosphere.

• Address: 40 Rue du Portail Neuf, Saint-Tropez. About 8 minutes’ walk from the Sezz.

• Opening hours: 7 pm to 11 pm, Wednesday to Monday.

• Prices: à la carte menu from €18, wine list from €9.

• Parking: Espace des Lices (paid parking).

• Booking: strongly recommended (online or by telephone).

Casa Rocco: a hidden gem of Italian cuisine, with a leafy patio and a few tables.

• Address: 10 Rue du Petit Bal, Saint-Tropez. About 9 minutes from the hotel.

• Opening hours: 7.30 pm to midnight, Monday to Sunday.

• Prices: à la carte menu from €23.

• Parking: at the Cimetière Marin or Espace des Lices.

• Booking: strongly recommended (online or by telephone).

Le Zayna: Lebanese and Moroccan influences in a quiet side street – the sort of place you keep to yourself.

• Address: 3 Rue des Tisserands. About 14 minutes from the hotel.

• Opening hours: 7 pm to 3 am, Monday to Sunday.

• Prices: à la carte menu from €14.

• Parking: Espace des Lices (pay-and-display).

• Booking: strongly recommended (online or by telephone).

‘These places don’t need to show off to exist,’ sums up Maxime. ‘They’re homes, not restaurants.’

The vineyards of Saint-Tropez: tasting the peninsula’s rosés

Yes, the peninsula also produces wine. And some excellent rosés, at that.

Maxime’s favourite: the Domaine de Fondugues-Pradugues, where the wines are produced using organic and biodynamic farming methods, and crafted according to traditional Provençal techniques. People come here not only for wine tastings, but also to enjoy lunch or dinner amongst the vineyards, in a serene atmosphere far from the hustle and bustle of the port.

For those who want to understand what a Provençal rosé really means, this is where it all begins.

Access: 24 minutes (10 km) by car from the hotel.

Opening hours: 10.30 am to 10.30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. 10.30 am to 6.30 pm on Mondays.

Prices: bottles from €19 to €45.

Experiences:

• wine tasting, tour and on-site wine sales (€35–55),

• idyllic lunch in Fondugues-Pradugues (€100),

• tapas and pétanque evening at L’Éphémère (menu from €10),

• culinary evening at Le Chai overlooking the vineyards, dinner amongst the vines in the heart of the vineyard (from €12/€16).

Car park: on the estate. Charging points for electric vehicles available.

Booking: yes, online or by telephone.

Best time to visit: at the end of the day, to enjoy the light over the vineyards.

Culture and heritage: the other side of Saint-Tropez in August

Because there’s more to life in Saint-Tropez than just champagne parties.

The Musée de l’Annonciade: housed in a former chapel, it brings together works that tell the story of the passionate connection between Saint-Tropez and 20th-century painters. One of the most underrated museums on the Côte d’Azur.

• Address: 2 Place Georges Grammont, Saint-Tropez.

• How to get there: 10 minutes’ drive from the Sezz.

• Opening hours: 10.00–19.00, every day.

• Admission: €5 or €6 (depending on whether there’s a temporary exhibition or not). Concession price: €3.50. Free for under-12s.

• Booking: not required.

The Gendarmerie and Cinema Museum: a pop tribute to Louis de Funès and the Gendarmes film series. Unexpected, charming, and often quiet even in the middle of August.

• Address: 1 Place Blanqui, Saint-Tropez

• Access: 13 minutes’ drive from the hotel.

• Opening hours: 10.00–18.00, daily.

• Admission: €5. Concessionary rate: €3. Free for under-12s.

• Booking: not required.

The Sainte-Anne Chapel and the seaside cemetery: to gain a bird’s-eye view, quite literally. The ochre bell tower, the village rooftops and the sea: probably one of the most beautiful views on the entire Côte d’Azur.

• Address: 21 Chemin des Bastidettes, Saint-Tropez

• Access: 8 minutes’ drive from the Sezz.

• Opening hours: 8.30 am to 12.30 pm, then 1.30 pm to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

• Admission: Free.

• Booking: Not required.

Provençal markets to explore around Saint-Tropez

The Provençal markets are a must-see during any stay in Saint-Tropez. With local producers, Mediterranean specialities and handicrafts, they offer a chance to discover another side to the Gulf.

The Saint-Tropez market, the most iconic on the peninsula, is held in the Place des Lices.

Over 100 stallholders set up at dawn to offer the very best of Provence: sun-kissed fruit, locally grown vegetables, artisan cheeses, tapenades, charcuterie, fresh flowers, as well as clothing, hats, jewellery and traditional decorative items.

• Location: Place des Lices

• Days: Tuesday and Saturday

• Opening hours: 8.00 am to 1.00 pm

• Recommended duration: 1 to 2 hours

• Admission: Free

• Car park: Les Lices (pay-and-display)

• Best time to visit: arrive before 10.00 am.

Not to be missed: the fish market, open every morning near the harbour.

You can also visit all the markets around the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, such as…

The Ramatuelle market

Just a few minutes from Le Sezz, this market offers a more intimate atmosphere in the heart of a hilltop village.

• Thursdays and Sundays

• 8.00 am to 12.30 pm

• Ideal for: farm produce, olive oil, cheeses, fish and local crafts.

Grimaud Market

A must-visit for lovers of local produce.

• Thursday morning

• Don’t miss: honey, tapenade, pistou, soaps and Provençal pottery.

Or even the night markets, such as…

The Croix-Valmer Night Market

• Thursday

• From 4.00 pm

• Don’t miss: designers, producers and craftspeople showcasing their wares in a festive atmosphere.

Water sports in Saint-Tropez

The Gulf of Saint-Tropez is one of the best spots on the Côte d’Azur for water sports.

SEA FUN offers water sports in the Gulf aboard a MasterCraft X25, one of the world’s most renowned wakeboarding boats.

• Wakeboarding,

• wakesurfing,

• water skiing,

• tubing,

• and sunset cruises

• are available with a qualified instructor, with equipment and fuel included.

Trips, lasting between 1 and 3 hours (or 2 hours 30 minutes for the Sunset Tour), accommodate up to 8 people, with prices starting from €250.

Open daily from 8.30 am to 9 pm, by booking only.

Riviera Sailing & Watersports, in Port Grimaud, offers more than 15 water sports activities all in one place:

• jet skis (with or without a licence),

• parasailing,

• eFoil,

• stand-up paddleboarding,

• kayaking,

• pedalo,

• towable tube,

• catamaran sailing,

• windsurfing,

• and even underwater scooters.

The activities are supervised by a qualified team, using modern, well-maintained equipment.

Prices start at €20 and can go up to €300, with options ranging from 30 minutes to a full day, depending on the activity.

If you’d rather not choose, packages are also available to combine several activities.

The centre is open from 15 June to 15 September, every day from 9am to 7pm, and booking is strongly recommended during the summer.

The most beautiful villages around Saint-Tropez

As well as its beaches and harbour, the Gulf of Saint-Tropez is home to several Provençal villages that are well worth a visit. With their medieval heritage, panoramic views of the Mediterranean and flower-lined alleyways, each one reveals a different side to the region.

• Grimaud (20 minutes): a medieval village dominated by the ruins of its castle, with its cobbled streets, the Saint-Roch mill and a panoramic view of the Gulf.

Free and paid car parks are available at the entrance to the village.

• Gassin (15 minutes): listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, it offers one of the finest views of the peninsula, the Îles d’Or and the Massif des Maures.

Free car park at the entrance to the village.

• Ramatuelle (15 minutes): perched above Pampelonne, this village charms visitors with its winding narrow streets, art galleries and proximity to the most beautiful beaches on the Côte d’Azur.

Several free and paid car parks are within a few minutes’ walk of the historic centre.

• Port-Grimaud (20 minutes): nicknamed the ‘Venice of Provence’, this lakeside town is best explored through its canals, bridges and colourful houses.

Large paid car parks at the entrance to the town.

• Sainte-Maxime (20 minutes by car or ferry): an elegant seaside resort, renowned for its beaches, its Provençal market and its breathtaking views of Saint-Tropez.

There are plenty of car parks, both free and paid, near the town centre and the seafront.

Our tip: allow half a day for each of these villages so you can fully enjoy their atmosphere, markets, outdoor cafés and panoramic views.

Where can you stay in a peaceful spot? The Sezz, the ideal base for exploring the peninsula

All these places have one thing in common: they’re just a few minutes’ walk from the Sezz Saint-Tropez hotel:

• The Sentier du Littoral coastal path starts at Les Canebiers beach, a 5-minute walk away.

• Chez Camille is a 30-minute drive away.

• Les Graniers is 10 minutes away.

That’s what makes this location on the Route des Salins so special: not being far from everything, but being close to the very best, and having concierges to organise the rest.

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre, this 5-star boutique hotel with 37 rooms and suites feels more like an intimate holiday home than a luxury hotel:

• 37 rooms and suites with private gardens and terraces, some with private pools.

• Gourmet restaurant Colette, 1 Michelin star, 2 Gault & Millau toques — regional Mediterranean cuisine by Philippe Colinet, open to residents and non-residents, dinner only.

• Sezz by Susanne Kaufmann Spa: holistic treatments, rituals and massages, designed in the ‘In & Out’ spirit.

• Dom Pérignon Bar, by the pool, ideal for enjoying a drink whilst admiring the sunset.

And it is from here that Maxime organises his guests’ itineraries every day:

• restaurant bookings,

• shuttles to the beaches,

• boat trips,

• sightseeing tours,

• access to unspoilt coves…

As a member of the Clefs d’Or, he knows every venue on this list inside out, and often has a few others up his sleeve.

A profile of Maxime Richard, head concierge at the Sezz

Maxime Richard joined the Sezz in 2011, initially as a receptionist and personal assistant, before becoming a concierge in 2014, a role he has held ever since. As a member of the Clefs d’Or, he embodies what this international association, founded in 1929, stands for: the art of turning a request into a memory.

His key moments of the day? In the morning, when he organises the day’s bookings whilst the hotel gently comes to life. Midday, the time for check-outs, shuttle services and last-minute requests. And 6pm–8pm, when guests return from the beaches and are looking for somewhere to dine.

His unusual tip for choosing a room at the Sezz:

• Rooms 1 to 15: morning sun in the private garden

• Rooms 29 to 40: afternoon sun

• Rooms 21 to 28: just a stone’s throw from the swimming pool

And to illustrate what it means to “go the extra mile”: one evening in August, an American customer arrived in tears; she’d left her phone on a transalpine train between Saint-Raphaël and Italy. “Her whole life was on it.” Maxime spent several hours calling the number. On yet another attempt, someone picked up – it was a passenger who’d got off at Antibes with the phone. Maxime sent a driver. By 11 pm, the phone was back in the customer’s hands. “I left with a huge smile on my face, thinking to myself how much I loved my job.”

Informations pratiques — Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez

• Address: 151 Route des Salins, 83990 Saint-Tropez

• Category: 5-star design hotel

• Access: 5 mins from the centre of Saint-Tropez, 10 mins from the beaches of Pampelonne, right next to the Canebiers and the Sentier du Littoral, 45 mins from Cannes, 1 hour from Nice

• Capacity: 37 rooms and suites

• Dining: Colette gourmet restaurant (dinner only, Michelin-starred), Le C bistro (lunch and dinner), Dom Pérignon bar

• Wellness: Sezz Spa by Susanne Kaufmann

• Services: free valet parking, free shuttle from Place des Lices, free fibre-optic Wi-Fi

• Pets: allowed up to 10 kg

• Concierge: Maxime Richard, member of the Clefs d’Or, available to arrange restaurants, activities, transport and bespoke experiences

Book your bespoke holiday now.

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Sezz Saint-Tropez, 5-star hotel in the heart of Saint-Tropez