The old port and Vieux Port
The Vieux Port — St Tropez's old fishing port — is one of the most recognisable small harbour scenes in the world. The combination of the painted quaysides, the Café de Paris, the Sénéquier, and the superyachts alongside the quay has been photographed by every serious camera that has come within range since the 1950s. Berthing alongside the Quai Jean Jaurès — the main superyacht quay — puts you directly on the social stage; the cafés, the Annonciade museum, and the morning market are immediately accessible.
Port capacity is limited for larger vessels. Vessels above 50 metres are typically directed to anchor in Pampelonne Bay and use the tender for port access; the quay's depth limits are a practical constraint for the largest superyachts. The official Port Saint-Tropez authority handles berth reservations — advance booking for any summer visit is advisable, and peak-season berths for large vessels are allocated weeks in advance.
Pampelonne Bay and beach clubs
Pampelonne Bay is St Tropez's defining superyacht environment. The 5-kilometre arc of sand south of the town, facing northeast across the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, is where the largest yachts anchor and where the famous beach clubs line the shore. The holding is good in 6–15 metres of sand, and the bay is well-protected from the north and west — the main vulnerability is to southeasterly swell, which can occasionally make the anchorage uncomfortable.
Club 55 — founded in 1955 by Patrice de Colmont's mother as a simple beach bar during the filming of Brigitte Bardot's "And God Created Woman" — is the benchmark beach club on the French Riviera. It operates as a restaurant (not a music venue; that is the distinction that has sustained its reputation) and a genuinely excellent one. Reservations are essential throughout the season; same-day booking is effectively impossible in July and August. Nikki Beach occupies the other end of the social spectrum — louder, younger, and more focused on the DJ and the bottle service. Between these two poles, Tahiti Beach, Plage des Jumeaux, and Aqua Club offer different points on the spectrum from contemplative lunch to afternoon party.
Anchorages and approach
Beyond Pampelonne, the Gulf of Saint-Tropez offers several alternative anchorages. The bay of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, south of Pampelonne, is less busy and offers better shelter in southeasterly conditions. Saint-Maxime, directly across the gulf from St Tropez, has a marina with superyacht berths and is a useful alternative when the Vieux Port is full. The headland anchorage south of the Pointe du Capon, just west of St Tropez town, offers reasonable shelter and privacy.
The approach to St Tropez from the west (from Toulon or the Hyères islands) passes through some of the finest anchorage territory on the coast — the Giens peninsula and the Îles d'Or (Porquerolles, Port-Cros, and Île du Levant) are national park protected areas with outstanding natural character and well-maintained mooring buoys in the most sensitive zones.
The St Tropez social calendar
St Tropez's social calendar is informal compared to Monaco's but intense in its own way. The Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez regatta (late September/early October) is one of the finest classic yacht races in the Mediterranean and brings a significant concentration of beautiful sailing vessels to the gulf. The Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or (vintage car racing on the circuit outside town) attracts a specific crowd in October. Bastille Day (July 14) is celebrated with particular enthusiasm — fireworks over the bay, viewed from a superyacht at anchor in Pampelonne, is one of the Riviera's finest experiences.
Season and the mistral
The mistral — the strong, cold northwesterly wind that funnels down the Rhône Valley — is St Tropez's principal meteorological hazard. Unlike Monaco, which benefits from the shelter of the Alps Maritimes, St Tropez is exposed to the full force of the mistral when it blows. A strong mistral can make both the Vieux Port and Pampelonne Bay uncomfortable; the gulf offers limited shelter from the northwest.
Mistral events typically last 3–5 days and are most frequent in spring and autumn, though summer events occur. Modern weather routing services give reliable 5-day forecasts; your captain will factor mistral risk into the itinerary. When a mistral is forecast, moving east to Monaco or Antibes is the standard tactical response. For the full South of France charter context, see our Riviera charter guide. For destination intelligence across the region, see the Monaco guide and the destinations hub. Boat International's St Tropez guide provides extended editorial coverage.