Nearby Places of Interest
Several aspects of the local area surrounding La Retirado have been mentioned already so this is a summary worth comparing with a map of the local region.
Villages
La Garde-Freinet is the nearest village. It is approximately 2KM from the entrance to the single track road that leads to the house. It is a friendly place with all of the usual shops and supplies. There are numerous bars and restaurants and local produce markets on Sunday and Wednesday mornings.
Plan de la Tour nestles in a valley and is a 15/20 minute drive away. A very pretty village but quiet. A few local bars, an excellent restaurant and again market days where they sell antiques.
Grimaud is a medieval forted hill village and extremely pretty and vibrant. It is on the road going down the hill towards St. Tropez about 10minutes from La Retirado. The climb to the castle is worth the exercise as the views are stunning. The main bar/café is always busy, good for a modest lunch or dinner whilst along the road is Café de France which is very good.
Cogolin is a larger town and is the local centre. There is a large modern supermarket, E. Leclerc, great for stocking up on groceries and the town has many shops, bars and restaurants. Another favourite of ours is La Petite Maison.
St. Tropez. There is so much to say about this famous town and all the guide books provide the detail. It is a lovely place and often misunderstood because of the celebrity press coverage every summer. St. Tropez is a very interesting town with narrow winding roads opening to squares and churches plus the inevitable bars and restaurants.
For a calendar of events go to www.ot-saint-tropez.com
The harbour is superb as a people watching venue due to the huge boats and yachts moored side by side like a packed car park. Shopping is very good with all of the major designer brands plus a wide range of private fashionable boutiques.
Out of the high season St. Tropez is much quieter, mainly populated by locals. We always enjoy being there in the winter because the skies are mostly clear blue with crisp air and the town is less crowded and easy to wander around.
A great way of visiting to avoid the traffic is to get the ferry from Port Grimaud, Hotel Beauvallon or St. Maxime, sailing in alongside the huge boats moored in the harbour.
Ramatuelle. Hillside village on the back road to the beaches. A favourite for celebrity homes due to its stunning situation and proximity to the famous Pampelonne beach.
Gassin. Another hillside village with magnificent views of the St. Tropez bay. The old village has windy streets and numerous bars and restaurants.
Places worth a trip
The Verdon. Amazing canyon inland about one hour's drive a way. Stunning scenery and great walking.
The Luberon. The place Peter Mayle made famous in his book 'A Year in Provence'. About a 2 hour drive but worth it. Fantastic countryside, beautiful villages, miles of vineyards and countless restaurants serving up local wine.
Grasse. The home of perfume. Beautiful town and you can create your own perfume!
Pampelonne. 'The' beach. Pampelonne is a large crescent beach, just round the headland from the town of St. Tropez. In the summer the bay is full of anchored boats of all shapes and sizes and there are many themed areas of the beach catering for the hedonistic to the simplicity of lying on the beach on your towel.
The famous Club 55 is a must for lunch and Nikki Beach is a must for the young and younger at heart. You will also find more local beach restaurants towards the southern end of the beach, all of them serve excellent food.
In the winter Pampelonne is a beautiful natural coastal beach with drift wood and quite a lot of dog walking. Several restaurants remain open through the winter and have sun decks. Lunch on a crisp day in the sun is something very special.
