Scenic Eclipse II will have sailed into Saint-Tropez late at night, so you can wake to the sun rising over its famous harbour. Once a sleepy fishing village, French film star Brigitte Bardot put Saint-Tropez on the map in the 1950s, transforming it into a luxury hotspot for international travellers from all over the world. Today, it still retains all the glitz and glamour, alongside impossibly blue seas, stunning beaches and a bohemian art scene. Join the beautiful people at open-air bars along the waterfront, listen to the sounds of live music and keep an eye out for visiting celebrities.
Scenic Freechoice:
Walking Tour of Saint-Tropez: Take a guided tour of the charming village of Saint Tropez and its iconic landmarks.
Visit to the Cistercian Abbey of Thoronet & Lunch at Chateau Berne: Cruise from St Tropez to St Maxime, then journey through beautiful oak forests to the serene Thoronet Abbey. After exploring, indulge in a delicious three-course lunch at Château de Berne before heading back to St Tropez.
Visit to Domaine Rayol Gardens: Enjoy a guided tour of this beautiful natural protected site and enjoy a “pause gourmande”, a sweet break with refreshments.
Gassin & Wine Tasting: Stroll through the narrow streets of the picturesque Provence village of Gassin and enjoy a tasting at a local winery.
St Tropez Coastal Hike: Set out on a scenic four-mile coastal hike along a historic trail, guided past Cap Camarat’s lighthouse and luxurious villas. Enjoy refreshments and stunning views, then explore St. Tropez or return to the ship.
At first glance, it really doesn't look all that impressive. There's a pretty port with cafés charging €5 for a coffee and a picturesque old town in sugared-almond hues, but there are many prettier in the hills nearby. There are sandy beaches, rare enough on the Riviera, and old-fashioned squares with plane trees and pétanque players, but these are a dime a dozen throughout Provence. So what made St-Tropez an internationally known locale? Two words: Brigitte Bardot. When this pulpeuse (voluptuous) teenager showed up in St-Tropez on the arm of Roger Vadim in 1956 to film And God Created Woman, the heads of the world snapped around. Neither the gentle descriptions of writer Guy de Maupassant (1850–93), nor the watercolor tones of Impressionist Paul Signac (1863–1935), nor the stream of painters who followed (including Matisse and Bonnard) could focus the world's attention on this seaside hamlet as did this one sensual woman in a scarf, Ray-Bans, and capris. Vanity Fair ran a big article, "Saint Tropez Babylon," detailing the over-the-top petrodollar parties, megayachts, and Beyoncé–d paparazzi. But don't be turned off: the next year, Stewart, Tabori & Chang released an elegant coffee-table book, Houses of St-Tropez, packed with photos of supremely tasteful and pretty residences, many occupied by fashion designers, artists, and writers. Once a hangout for Colette, Anaïs Nin, and Françoise Sagan, the town still earns its old moniker, the "Montparnasse of the Mediterranean." Yet you might be surprised to find that this byword for billionaires is so small and insulated. The lack of train service, casinos, and chain hotels keeps it that way. Yet fame, in a sense, came too fast for St-Trop. Unlike the chic resorts farther east, it didn't have the decades-old reputation of the sort that would attract visitors all year around. For a good reason: its location on the south side of the gulf puts it at the mercy of the terrible mistral winter winds. So, in summer the crowds descend and the prices rise into the stratosphere. In July and August, you must be carefree about the sordid matter of cash. After all, at the most Dionysian nightclub in town, a glass of tap water goes for $37 and when the mojo really gets going, billionaires think nothing of "champagne-spraying" the partying crowds—think World Series celebrations but with $1,000 bottles of Roederer Cristal instead of Gatorade. Complaining about summer crowds, overpricing, and lack of customer service has become a tourist sport and yet this is what makes St-Tropez—described by the French daily newspaper Le Figaro as the place you can see "the greatest number of faces per square meter"—as intriguing as it is seductive.