The Beach Clubs at Rametuelle:
St. Tropez offers miles of sand. The Plage de Tahiti, 2.5 miles southeast of town, is the best in the area. If swimwear is making you feel restricted, head east to La Moutte, a nudist (they call it “naturist” in Europe) beach, and shed your clothes. For the most “wanted” beaches, a reservation is required in advance and it is best to let your A Season Away VillaHost look after this. A
chaise lounge can cost from €15/20 to €100 at Club 55 for the day. The beaches below are the ones which have a reputation but there are plenty of other more modest/classic ones to observe the world go by.
Generally, topless is “out” in St. Tropez, in part because there is so much fashionable swimwear and accessories that most people in St. Tropez want to put on a show. Women usually take
their top off while lying down but put in on again to go for a swim or eat at the restaurant with a beautiful, stylish kaftan. Men should always wear a shirt or casual top while lunching at a
beach restaurant.
TAHITI BEACH (Tahiti Beach):
Probably the most loved by posh locals and 40-something socialites, this Polynesian-theme beach club and hotel at the northern-end of the gulf attracts a loyal patronage of yacht-hoppers and Ramatuelle residents. Known more for its restaurant than beach scene, visitors arrive via neighboring valet area or private pier that welcomes moored yachts of visiting glitterati. More Steven Spielberg than Paris Hilton, the crowd is a mostly grown-up contingent of rich globetrotters on hand for a mature restaurant scene and hour or-so in the sun. The décor mixes tiki totem poles with oiled teakfurnishings and signature orange-and-white umbrellas above canvas loungers. French cuisine.
LE CLUB 55 (Boulevard Patch):
Bridget Bardot said it was her favorite, thus creating one of the first beach clubs along Pampelonne Beach with a sexy scene of sunning celebrities and gourmet cuisine. You arrive to a thick-forest of overgrown bamboo surrounding a typically Provencal beach bungalow with white canopies and lavish beach club jetting all the way to the Mediterranean. A wooden pier extends into the water, luring star-studded occupants away from their mega-yachts parked offshore and into the land of the fabulous. No matter how famous and well known, guests should expect to fight for a prime lounger near the water that command 100-Euro in high season and promises of endless Cristal champagne ordering. More modest types may prefer a simple lunch within the main dining room, offering all the views of the elite with a more digestible price tag.
LA VOILE ROUGE (Moorea beach):
Ideally you want to arrive in your yacht at La Voile Rouge - The Red Sail - on Pampelonne beach. It's how Princess Grace and Brigitte Bardot would have done it in their day. Then again, why not just walk through the front door after landing in your helicopter nearby like everyone else. The revered beachfront restaurant has been a legend for four decades, serving pricey French fare and the finest champagne to the rich and famous since 1968. Still known for its gorgeous women and Mediterranean playboys, there is even a makeshift catwalk for them to sashay down
in the middle of the space. Dancing on tables seems standard later on. Don't bother with credit cards either - they only accept cash here!
NIKKI BEACH (Route de l’Epi):
This is a luxurious, fun, happening beach club and you don't have to be a 'name' to get in - just the right 'spirit' according to the owners... A place to spend an afternoon having fun, relaxing and people watching. Party really gets going late afternoon. The ice gun is a gimmick which seems to make the crowd go wild and of course refreshed. The Champagne fight is certainly the climax of the pompous decadence. This is a place for slow guys and fast girls!
