Best Beaches in the Area

Hidden gems and glamourous beach clubs: some beaches in the area to explore, if you can tear yourself away from the sea below the Villa.

Cap Taillat

This stunning headland is known to some as "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Beach", for the stretch of land connecting to the mainland was the backdrop to the beach scenes in the 1968 movie.

It is a nature reserve and thus this section of coastline is only accessible by boat or by foot. It is a very enjoyable walk from the nearest car park at L'Escalet, dotted with tiny bays and rockpools, where you can pause to take a dip. The water is some of the most turquoise in the South of France.

La Plage de Cavalière

La Plage de Cavalière is a long stretch of fine sandy beach, lined by pine trees. It is family-friendly with relaxed beach bars and water sports including surfing, badminton, pedal boating, parasailing, diving, water skiing, jet ski and catamaran sailing. The village of Cavalière is 2 minutes by foot, should you decide you might like a picnic. The market takes place every Monday morning and, from time to time, you may find an antiques brocante taking place across the road. The beach is wheelchair accessible with easy parking.

Pampelonne

Pampelonne is the beach that is most well known in the Gulf de St Tropez. It is a sandy public beach stretching 5km, dotted with infamous private beach clubs and celebrity haunts including Club 55, Tahiti Beach, Bagatelle, Verde Beach, LouLou Ramatuelle, Nikki Beach, Indie Beach Club and Moorea Plage, among others. Expect glamourous revelry at the day parties with tabletop dancing and champagne showers. For a quieter afternoon, enjoy a sophisticated lunch, opt for an overpriced cabana or pitch your own sun umbrella, if you can find an available patch of public sand.

La Plage du Rayol

A short walk from Villa Dattier along the pedestrian track is a petite bay with a small beach restaurant and sun beds to hire, plenty of parking, outdoor gym facilities, a beach volley net, public toilets and a playground. It is the perfect beach to set up for the day.

La Plage du Canadel

Continue along the pedestrian track from La Plage du Rayol to arrive at La Plage du Canadel (alternatively, you can drive to both). This is a longer beach, perfect for a beach walk, with two restaurants, a jetty, and a takeaway pizza restaurant just up the hill from the beach. The atmosphere is family-oriented with lovely clean water.

Le Jardin des Méditerranées

There are daily snorkelling tours of "The Marine Garden" within the Meditteranean Gardens of Domaine du Rayol from mid-June – mid-September (8+ years old, booking required).

La Plage du Débarquement

If you enjoy long beach walks, La Plage du Débarquement in Cavalaire stretches for 3km. It is a popular spot for families during the summer, with many setting up picnic blankets as the sun sets. There is a broad range of restaurants along the beach, beach shops and several lifeguard outposts.