RE-DISCOVER ST-TROPEZ:
OLD-WORLD CHARMING VILLAGE AND JETSET HANG-OUT.
Long before St-Tropez transformed into the top place to visit on a South of France yacht charter, its charm seduced several famous creatives, writers and painters which were drawn to its luminous daylight and craggy coastline.
As you probably know, ever since Brigitte Bardot transformed the peaceful fishing village of St-Tropez into an effervescent jet-set favourite, back in 1956, when "God created Woman" was filmed, it has been a popular destination among the world's most glamorous travellers.
Nowadays, St-Tropez still hasn't fallen out of favour of A-list visitors, especially with the latest selection of new offerings with a new bred of beach clubs, a fast-evolving gourmet food scene and extravagant night spots.
Much of St-Tropez appeal lies in its combination of quaint old-world charm and modern glamour, and shoppers like me can easily experience this mix, with the Provençal market held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings in Place des Lices and stocked with local produce, olive products, lavender scented soap, or good quality homeware, as well as the hottest high-end labels' shops selling their latest collections fresh from catwalks. Luxury fashion "boutiques" abound like nowhere else along the narrow streets and alleyways of the old village, especially if you stick to the triangle between Place des Lices, Rue Gambetta, and Rue Allard, where like anywhere else on earth, shoppers can step out of luxury brands' "boutiques" and into a grocery or bakery just across the street.
As you probably know, ever since Brigitte Bardot transformed the peaceful fishing village of St-Tropez into an effervescent jet-set favourite, back in 1956, when "God created Woman" was filmed, it has been a popular destination among the world's most glamorous travellers. 
Much of St-Tropez appeal lies in its combination of quaint old-world charm and modern glamour, and shoppers like me can easily experience this mix, with the Provençal market held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings in Place des Lices and stocked with local produce, olive products, lavender scented soap, or good quality homeware, as well as the hottest high-end labels' shops selling their latest collections fresh from catwalks. Luxury fashion "boutiques" abound like nowhere else along the narrow streets and alleyways of the old village, especially if you stick to the triangle between Place des Lices, Rue Gambetta, and Rue Allard, where like anywhere else on earth, shoppers can step out of luxury brands' "boutiques" and into a grocery or bakery just across the street.
And I never miss to visit the tiny fishing market hidden behind la Porte de la Poissonnerie, resplendent in mosaics and marble, or to take time out to explore La Ponche quarters, where fishermen and artists once inhabited pastel houses along narrow cobbled streets. There, I'm invariably somewhat surprised to find how the closest proximity to the sea is easily felt , and let myself be rocked by the sound of the sea and the smell of iodine.
At the top of the village, a green and wooden hill leads to the 16th century Citadel, built both to defend the coast and keep watch over the Tropéziens who, in the view of the French, were a troublesome lot. From outside, the views across the village and out to the sea are splendid, while the interior now houses a museum dedicated to St-Tropez's maritime history.
A day at the beach in St-Tropez revolves around beach-clubbing. The three-mile-long Baie de Pampelonne with a string of attractive well-known clubs and new openings is where the crème de la crème is based all Summer long. Each club has lounge areas with luxurious sun beds and restaurants, as well as its own private jetty to ensure all eyes are on those arriving by super yacht tender, and the varied selection of them, ensures there is one to suit every mood.
Club 55 is probably the classiest and most discreet, as well as the most popular among celebrities. One of the youngest beach clubs, Nikki Beach is a Miami-style go-to hangout for the coolest tourits in town. The most exotic ones: Tahiti Beach, distinguished by its orange-sun loungers blending well with the golden sand of the beach, and Moorea Beach with its grey, white and turquoise parasols.
St Tropez has also some of the best-celebrated nightspots in Europe, with iconic venues always reinventing themselves: the most famous are certainly the prestigious Les Caves du Roy, inside the Hotel Byblos, which has lost none of its panache for fifty years and never fails to draw A-listers, thanks to a paparazzi-free, private environment, where champagne is drunk by the bottle, in an oriental/Med atmosphere.
In the harbour area, VIP Room starts the night as a very trendy dance club, featuring international DJs amidst mirrors, glass and colour-changing lights.
Papagayo has recently reinvented itself as Gayo, a restaurant and club concept with an exotic menu, still a magnet for famous faces, who stay on after dinner to the early hours.
Le Quai is the hottest bar scene in town, attracting all party-goers from the yachts moored in the harbour. L'Opéra with its very chic white and gold décor offers exceptional evenings with outstanding dancers and artists who perform on the central podium table as on improvised stages.
Of course, if you're not prone to experience a jet-setter lifestyle, you can let yourself be seduced by the sound of cicadas, the sea air, the smell of umbrella pines, the wonderful golden-creamy sunsets, the silvery twilights. and you'll find that in these unforgettable, clear-sky immobility of the Riviera nights time stops!
At the top of the village, a green and wooden hill leads to the 16th century Citadel, built both to defend the coast and keep watch over the Tropéziens who, in the view of the French, were a troublesome lot. From outside, the views across the village and out to the sea are splendid, while the interior now houses a museum dedicated to St-Tropez's maritime history.
A day at the beach in St-Tropez revolves around beach-clubbing. The three-mile-long Baie de Pampelonne with a string of attractive well-known clubs and new openings is where the crème de la crème is based all Summer long. Each club has lounge areas with luxurious sun beds and restaurants, as well as its own private jetty to ensure all eyes are on those arriving by super yacht tender, and the varied selection of them, ensures there is one to suit every mood.
Club 55 is probably the classiest and most discreet, as well as the most popular among celebrities. One of the youngest beach clubs, Nikki Beach is a Miami-style go-to hangout for the coolest tourits in town. The most exotic ones: Tahiti Beach, distinguished by its orange-sun loungers blending well with the golden sand of the beach, and Moorea Beach with its grey, white and turquoise parasols.
My favourite beach clubs are certainly quieter and wilder spots such as La Cabane Bambou a slice of eco-chic paradise, with a bamboo-lined access path leading to a relaxing heaven of peace far away from the crowd, or l'Escalet, a remote pretty little beach half-sand half-pebble with translucent waters.
An exciting world-class culinary movement is currently taking place in St-Tropez area restaurants, providing yet another reason to return to this Mediterranean hotspot where diners who like me, love Mediterranean-French ingredients and flavours, can find fresher-than-fresh fish and seafood cooked "à la plancha", with an unusual contemporary twist as well as exceptional service.
In the harbour area, VIP Room starts the night as a very trendy dance club, featuring international DJs amidst mirrors, glass and colour-changing lights.
Papagayo has recently reinvented itself as Gayo, a restaurant and club concept with an exotic menu, still a magnet for famous faces, who stay on after dinner to the early hours.
Le Quai is the hottest bar scene in town, attracting all party-goers from the yachts moored in the harbour. L'Opéra with its very chic white and gold décor offers exceptional evenings with outstanding dancers and artists who perform on the central podium table as on improvised stages.
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