SAINT-TROPEZ

High-end hideaways, chic townhouses and plush hotels hidden in the pines

— it’s all here in the Côte d’Azur’s ritziest resort. Words: Carolyn Boyd

Saint-Tropez is known for being the showy playground of jet-setting fashionistas, but dig a little deeper and you’ll discover plenty of Provençal character. From the

Place des Lices, the central square where traders tout local produce, it’s a short stroll up to the 17th-century Citadel. From here, gaze out over the terracotta roofs of pretty yellow townhouses and admire the coast as it curls around the Gulf of

Saint-Tropez to nearby Sainte-Maxime. Indeed, the best beaches are a little further out of town, including Plage de Pampelonne where a bikini-clad Brigitte Bardot put Saint-Tropez on the map in the 1956 film

When it comes to accommodation, the town’s glamorous reputation inevitably pushes prices up, but with exquisite design, gourmet cuisine and jaw-dropping settings, they’re well worth the splurge. More reasonable rates can be found if you

hunt a little harder, though be prepared to forego the same level of luxury.

ROOMS: chevalblanc.com