Les Voiles de St Tropez

The end of September is a magical time in the small town of St Tropez. The majority of the tourists have left, the weather is perfect and the port welcomes some of the most amazing sailing boats for the 'Les Voiles de St Tropez'. This annual sailing competition takes place from the 27th September for one week and is the ideal time to enjoy St Tropez at its best.

The ideal choice for your St Tropez visit is to rent a luxury villa within walking distance of the heart of the action in the port. Here are some ideas of villas that still have availability for the 2014 event next month. 

Villa Robin

Villa Notre Dame

Come and visit St Tropez at this very special time of the year. 

A Day of St Tropez Villa Rentals

The Summer season is always madness for the team at Cote d'Azur Villas and never more so than when we have a fill day of departures and guest arrivals at our Luxury St Tropez Villa Rentals.

This Saturday we said goodbye to 2 families who had spent their holiday in St Tropez and then welcomed guests into three more of our luxury St Tropez villas before heading home and getting caught in the legendary St Tropez traffic on the way home.

Here's our day in pictures...

A few clouds on arrival and lots of yachts moored in the port

Guests leaving Villa Romy with promises to be back next year

Then on to a check in at Villa Laurence, just sitting and admiring the view waiting for the clients to arrive

On to Villa Charme to say goodbye and hello - a quick turn around here! 

And lovely clients who stay with us every year arriving at La Mediterranee with this amazing view from the terrace

And then on to the final arrival of the day at Plein Soleil, just the most amazing contemporary villa full of art and sculpture

And then home as the sun sets over the port....

For all your luxury villa rentals in St Tropez contact the team at Cote d'Azur Villas

Beach villas in St Tropez South of France

One of the key criteria for guests choosing a St Tropez villa to rent is how close they are to the beach. But which beach? Private beach club? Public beach? Or just a private strip of white sand at the end of the garden?

The beaches at Pampelonne at considered by most as the St Tropez beaches, but they are actually just over 5kms from the village of St Tropez. Only half of these beaches are owned by the village of St Tropez and give public access, the remainder of this glorious stretch of white sand is dedicated to some of the worlds most celebrated private beach clubs such as Club 55.

The Pampelonne beaches are divided into subsections such as Tahiti and Salins Beaches.

Booking a luxury St Tropez villa will include a private pool but, if for you being close to the Mediterranean and the white sands is part of your holiday then here are some of the key villas to rent where you can simply stroll to the beach:-

La Dolce Vita - With beautiful sea views and just 800m from Pampelonne Beach. 

Villa Americana - Stroll through the gardens and then open your private gate directly on to the beach

La Balandrine - between La Croix Valmer and St Tropez with private beach access

Villa Pampelonne- Just 100m from Club 55 

Top 5 Villa Views in the South of France

For many people the view is the most important aspect of booking their villa in the South of France for their summer holiday. But with so many amazing views from Cote d'Azur Villas then which will you choose? 

1. Villefranche sur Mer

This very pretty fishing village has some of the most amazing views over the harbour and that most exclusive of locations, St Jean Cap Ferrat. 

How about this view from Villa Alina, overlooking Villefranche and onto Monaco

2. St Jean Cap Ferrat

This is possibly the mos exclusive peninsula for Cote d'Azur Villas and is home to the famous Villa Ephrussi built by the Rothchilds. Here villas are lavish and exclusive. 

Enjoy this view from the terrace of Villa O

3. St Tropez

The home of the glamorous and famous each summer, St Tropez villas are among the most sought after, particularly those within walking distance of the private beach clubs such as Club 55. 

This amazing view is from Villa Les Parcs out over the Bay of St Tropez

4. Cannes

Home to the glitz and glamour of the annual Cannes Film Festival, the Cannes villas set just above the town have exceptional views out over the Lerins Islands, just of the coast of Cannes. 

Enjoy the view from your sun lounger by the pool from Blue Horizon in Cannes 

5. Cap d'Antibes

With it's white sandy beaches and luxury Cote d'Azur Villas, here you will find amazing Mediterranean views over the azure waters. 

From La Voile Blanche you will enjoy your own private beach with this amazing view. 

Book all of these exceptional views and more with the team at Cote d'Azur Villas, based in the South of France and offering a personal and friendly service to each guest. 

Travelling to your rental villa in St Tropez

St Tropez is notorious for the traffic jams into and out of the town during the summer months and many of the tourists who rent a villa in St Tropez look for other ways to arrive and leave if they are staying between June and September.

But what are the options and what are the costs involved.

For us, the most effective way is to take the boat which goes from Cannes or even closer in St Maxime. It's a wonderful way to arrive in St Tropez and it's also the locals preferred way of commuting throughout the year. From St Maxime, it's a short 15 minute journey and costs around 13 euros for an adult return ticket. Children are around half price. Taking the boat from Cannes costs around 50 Euros and takes about just over an hour.

For our clients with a less limited budget then helicopter is the only way to travel, from all the major airports and the heli port at Monaco. Cost? Well, as they say, if you need to ask....

Renting a villa in St Tropez is an amazing way to spend your summer break. Choose one of the spectacular properties on the waterfront or something a little more modest, ideal for a family holiday.

Villa Maya - exceptional contemporary villa to rent in St Tropez

Villa Palacia - Sleeps 14 guests to rent in St Tropez

Plein Soleil - Luxury villa to rent in St Tropez

Villages Around St Tropez, South of France

Often known as the gateway to St Tropez, La  Garde Freinet is situated just to the north of the glitz and glamour of St Tropez but has a character all of its own – calm, tranquil and authentically Provencal.

La Garde Freinet is dominated by its 450 metre high Fort Freinet which offers panoramic views over the surrounding Provence landscape and down to the coast. In view are the Miremar hills, the Mediterranean and you can see all the way up to the Alps.  Also in view will be a large number of vines and olive trees, cork oaks and chestnut trees representing the four locally grown crops.

The rose wine of Provence is exported all over the world but is still underrated. There are literally hundreds of small vineyards producing an excellent range and at a very reasonable cost. Cork oaks still predominate here, feeding the wine industries need for corks, but these forests are now seeing less demand due to the use of plastic wine ‘corks’. La Garde Freinet also has a history of producing chestnut cream.  This, as its name suggests is made from locally grown chestnuts and is adored locally, notably at Christmas time.

The village itself has history going back to the 11th century and some of the original buildings can be still be seen in the pretty streets which surround a lovely square which itself is surrounded by restaurants, and is a very lively place both day and night, especially in the summer season. There is also a highly developed local art scene with galleries and artists seemingly on every corner.  Many well known artists have connections with the area, and many of them have works exhibited in the town.

A number of smaller hamlets can be found in the area, but of course the major attraction is St Tropez a mere 15 minutes drive away from La Garde…..  The wonderful harbour, the yachts and the fantastic beaches have long since been synonymous with St Tropez. This small former fishing village was made famous in the mid 1950’s when Brigitte Bardot spent her summers in the resort.

For those visiting St Tropez this summer, we have over 60 villas available to rent, here are some examples, not all of which will break the bank.

La Balandrine 

La Pouniche  

Villa Katarina 

Guide to St Tropez South of France Villa Rentals

St Tropez is probably one of the most recognised brands in the world.  Made famous by Brigitte Bardot in the 1960’s, for many years summer in St Tropez has been synonymous with the rich and famous and the jet set lifestyle.  St Tropez is a riot of South of France decadence and much loved by the rich and famous as it is by the poor who love to come and see what is going on.

Located on the Mediterranean coast an hour’s drive from Cannes and Nice, St Tropez was originally a small fishing village and whilst this is still the case today the harbor is now more likely to be filed with gleaming white super yachts than the small fishing boats of old. The town grew up around the port and as a result there are a number of great restaurants, jostling alongside shops offered an astonishing range of merchandise.  This ranges from local produce such as olive oil or the local wines but extends to clothing and designer shops much loved by the clientele who can afford to stay in St Tropez.

There is a strong artistic thread running through the town with galleries on every corner and connections to many great artists who came here or painted here at some stage in their careers.  Beautiful scenery abounds around the village and with the sparkling sea as a back drop, many an artist has been inspired by the local beauty.

The beach clubs prevail in the summer months, Club 55, Niki Beach and more - this is where St Tropez parties. Pamplona is the beach which epitomised topless sunbathing; it is said that Brigitte Bardot strolled out of the Voile Rouge restaurant and removed her bikini top, after first alerting the waiting press as to her intentions. Is it any wonder that after this St Tropez was firmly on the map?

Beware the traffic in high summer, it can take up to 2 hours to drive from St Maxime, about 12 km's around the coast and it is best to take the boat which is much quicker and a much more pleasant way of arriving in St Tropez. Those that can afford to, take the helicopter from Nice, Cannes or Monaco and arrive in true St Tropezienne style.

Byblos is still a popular choice for those seeking a true 5 star hotel experience when visiting St Tropez, however it is considered much more chic to rent a wonderful private villa, perhaps within walking distance of the beach or the town. Cote d’Azur Villas offer a simply wonderful selection of St Tropez villas, available for summer rentals. But beware, this is still a key destination and our advice is to book early.

Great villas to rent in St Tropez South of France

Villa Oasis

Villa Lynn