As the heat of summer bites, our thoughts stray inexorably to St-Tropez. More than anywhere else, this small, wooded peninsula on France’s Côte d’Azur is a place of summer fantasy; a mystical spot devoted to gentle, indulgent pleasures. Morning dips in the crystal-clear waters of Les Canebiers, lazy lunches at Club 55 (cinquante-cinq, never fifty-five), strolls along the Sentier du Littoral coastal path, a swim and glass of rose on Pampelonne Beach, and petanque beneath the shade of the plane trees on La Place des Lices.
Saint-Tropez Scenery
Even if you haven’t visited St-Tropez (and you must), you will have heard of it. The town, like its glamorous French Riviera neighbours of Menton, Monaco, Antibes, and Cannes, has changed seismically since its early days as a simple fishing village. The scenic coastline of this south-eastern pocket of France was first coined the Côte d'Azur in the 1870s to reflect its balmy climate and “skies as blue as its sea”. Popularised at that time by British aristocrats, the Riviera went on to become the playground of international royalty, artists and literati, hosting the likes of Queen Victoria, Napoleon III, Jean-Paul Sartre, Pablo Picasso, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Skyline of Ramatuelle
Despite attracting such eminent visitors, plus fashion darlings like Grace Kelly and Coco Chanel (who summered on the Riviera in 1923, acquiring a tan that would impact the fashion industry for the next century), the individual who cemented St-Tropez’s spot as Europe’s hottest summer destination was a little-known 22-year-old French actress.
In 1956, St-Tropez locals welcomed a small film crew to their sleepy village. Led by the director Roger Vadim, the crew was shooting a melodrama starring Vadim’s wife, one Brigitte Bardot. The film, And God Created Woman, was a risque showcase of Bardot’s extraordinary allure and, set against a backdrop of St-Tropez’s glorious beaches, charming fisherman’s cottages and Provençale-style chapels, became the hottest film of the decade.
Brigitte Bardot
The whole world fell under the spell of Bardot and St-Tropez but none more so than the Lebanese businessman Jean-Prosper Gay-Para, who built a spectacular hotel atop St-Tropez’s highest hill in a bid to woo BB. He launched his labour of love, the Hôtel Byblos and its underground nightclub, Les Caves du Roy, in 1967 with a lavish three-day party attended by 700 celebrity guests. These included Bardot, who came with her then-husband, Gunther Sachs. (Sachs had pipped Gay-Para to the post by declaring his love for her by showering the garden of her St-Tropez house with hundreds of red roses from a helicopter.) The heartbroken Gay-Para left town, but the Byblos went on to become the epicentre of wild A-lister parties for decades to come, hosting everyone from Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Mick and Bianca Jagger, who celebrated their nuptials there in 1971, to George Clooney, Beyonce, Leonardo di Caprio, and Kate Moss.
Hôtel Byblos became famous for hosting lavish parties and A-list guests.
While a party at Byblos often served as the first St-Tropez encounter for these guests, Bardot grew up holidaying here with her family and made it her home in 1958, buying a secluded waterfront property near Canebiers beach. Tucked away in the rambling gardens of her beloved La Madrague home, BB epitomises the way that those in the St-Tropez know how to keep a low profile, enjoying the seclusion of their private villas, taking quiet strolls on the nearby Île de Porquerolles, and feasting on linguine al gamberoni at the Pomme de Pin restaurant set amidst the pine trees of Ramatuelle.
La Madrague Beach
Further St-Tropez activities defined by the iconic BB include buying strappy Tropeziennes sandals crafted from butter-soft leather at the Rondini atelier since 1927, tucking into bouillabaisse soup cooked over a wood fire at Chez Camille, and watching the world go by from the harbour-side Senequier cafe, fuelled by tarte tropezienne. The last, a brioche cake filled with creme patissiere and buttercream and dusted with sprinkles of sugar, was invented by local patissier Alexandre Micka, who was hired to feed Bardot and the crew while they filmed And God Created Woman. In a similar vein, the now legendary Club 55 started life as a small hut on Pampelonne beach used by the crew as a makeshift canteen, serving simple grilled sardines and local wine.
Tarte Tropezienne
With such a rich and glamorous history, it is a small wonder that St-Tropez is one of the world’s most exclusive summer holiday destinations. Emerald Stay is delighted to have secured access to some of the most prestigious holiday homes in St-Tropez and its surrounding villages of Ramatuelle, Gassin, Grimaud, and La Croix-Valmer. From sleek minimalist pleasuredomes with sea-view infinity pools to charming, blue-shuttered Provençal villas set in rambling gardens, we hold the keys to your dream tropezienne escape.
However, rather than merely opening the doors to remarkable properties, Emerald Stay actively curates memories, shaping personal adventures and immersive experiences to suit each individual guest. Our experienced local concierge is poised to secure the best tables at the best restaurants, source VIP access to the most sought-after gigs, arrange a private tour of the Minuty Estate vineyard, or have a selection of Rondini sandals delivered to your villa to try on with every outfit, should you wish.
Much like its sultry bohemian muse, Brigitte Bardot, it’s impossible not to fall in love with St-Tropez, particularly when you’re being looked after by true locals. Gunther Sachs famously said, years after his divorce from Bardot, that one year spent with her was worth ten with anyone else. We echo that with the sentiment that one summer spent in St-Tropez is worth ten anywhere else.
