Grimaud villas sit across two very different addresses within the same small commune: a hilltop village built for defence, and a shoreline rebuilt for pleasure. Most visitors know this stretch of the coast from the beach road to Pampelonne or the quay at Saint-Tropez’s Vieux Port. Grimaud asks you to look elsewhere, up towards a medieval village crowned by its castle, and down towards a lagoon town where the front door opens straight onto the water.
The result is a wider choice than many first expect. A pine-shaded estate on the hillside, a pastel house with its own pontoon, a garden that runs out towards a golf course: all of it sits within a few minutes of each other, and all of it a short drive from Saint-Tropez itself.
A Village Worth Climbing To
The old village climbs a hill above the gulf, its narrow streets laid out for defence long before anyone thought to build for the view. An eleventh century castle still looks out over the rooftops, raised not long after Gibelin de Grimaldi helped clear the coast of raiders and was given the land in return. Walk up through it in the early evening and the reward is the same one locals have had for a thousand years: the whole gulf, spread out below, with Saint-Tropez a pale smudge across the water.
Thursday Mornings on the Church Square
Every Thursday, the village trades its usual quiet for a market that has run for generations. Stalls fill the church square from eight in the morning, Provençal staples such as tapenade, anchoïade and local olive oil set out beside fruit, honey and cut flowers. It is a small, unhurried affair rather than a tourist spectacle, which is exactly its appeal: a short walk down from a hillside villa, a basket of market produce, and the rest of the day still ahead of you.
Port Grimaud, Where the Street Is a Canal
Below the village, Port Grimaud takes a very different approach to the same coastline. Built in the 1960s as a lagoon town of pastel facades and private moorings, it is still known locally as the Venice of Provence, and for good reason: here, a boat is parked where a car would be elsewhere. The Boat House earns its name honestly, its own jetty stepping straight down to deep water, and Villa Grimaud keeps the same arrangement a short walk along the quay. Mornings here start with coffee on a private pontoon rather than a drive to the marina, and by evening the quayside restaurants around the Place des Artisans light up, close enough to reach on foot.
A Villa for Every Register
Away from the water, the choice opens out further. Château Saint-Maur occupies a historic estate under tall umbrella pines, grand enough for a family gathering that needs real space to spread out. Villa Lighthouse takes a simpler approach, a sea-facing terrace tucked among the pines, built around the view rather than competing with it. Villa Caroline, meanwhile, pairs an infinity pool with an uninterrupted line across the gulf, the kind of outlook that makes the first coffee of the day worth setting an alarm for.
Golf, Gardens and a Gentler Pace
Grimaud is also one of the few addresses on this coast built around a golf course rather than a beach. Villa Golf sits close to the Beauvallon club, its own gardens as considered as the fairways beyond, and makes a natural base for a stay that mixes early tee times with long, unhurried afternoons by the pool. It is a different rhythm to Saint-Tropez in August, and for some families, exactly the point.
Closer Than You Think
None of this asks you to give up the rest of the gulf. Saint-Tropez itself is a short drive away, rarely much more than twenty minutes, and Pampelonne’s beach clubs sit on the same road. Sainte-Maxime, on the opposite shore, is visible from several of these villas and reachable by the small passenger boats that cross the bay all summer. Staying in Grimaud trades a few minutes of travel for a great deal of quiet, without placing anything actually out of reach, and Toulon-Hyères and Nice airports are both within comfortable reach for an arrival or a late departure.
The Concierge, Behind the Scenes
Wherever you choose to stay, the practicalities are handled before you arrive. Our concierge team can arrange a private chef for the villas with a kitchen built for entertaining, book the crossing to Sainte-Maxime, or simply stock the fridge ahead of a late flight in. The idea is a village and a harbour that feel effortless from the moment you turn the key, with everything else arranged quietly in the background.
Two villages, one booking, and a gulf that looks a little different depending on which way you choose to face.
