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Les Bronzes Beach near St. Tropez, France
Beaches in / near St. Tropez
1. Tropezien beaches are located along the coast in the Baie de Pampelonne area also know by the residents as Grania (pronounced granny-ay), which lies south of Saint-Tropez and east of Ramatuelle. Pampelonne offers a collection of beaches along its five kilometer shore. Each beach is around thirty meters wide with its own beach hut and private or public tanning area. This Pampelonne beach is divided into over 20 private beaches, which alternate with a number of public beaches. Most of them are textile (as little textile as possible), including a number of famous establishments like le Plage de Tahiti, le Voile Rouge, Coco Beach and Moorea Plage. The country club like Le Club 55 was created in 1955 to provide refreshments to Roger Vadim's cast and crew when he was filming "Et Dieu créa la femme" with Brigitte Bardot. Nikki Beach is a good place to watch the "bold and the beautiful". The private beaches have open air restaurants with bistro type food at prices commensurate with the setting. If you want to use the beach you have to rent a beach mattress and umbrella. All have changing cabins, showers and bathrooms for their clients; there are none of those on the public beaches. There is one public and two private naturist beaches, Neptune and Liberty.
If you want to stay close to Saint Tropez but avoid its tourist crowds try the villages of Cogolin, Gassin, Ramatuelle and Croix Valmer west and south of Saint Tropez.
2. Location of this area is about 45 minutes from Nice and about 1 hour from Marseille.
3. The best time (although most crowded time) to visit is from end of May – end of Aug. Peak season is June- August. Parking and getting there can take 2-3x’s the normal length of time during peak season.
4. This area is quiet famous for seeing actors/actress from all over the world if you care to scan the crowd.
5. Many of the beaches offer windsurfing, sailing and canoeing equipment for rent. Others offer motorized water sports, such as power boats, jet bikes and water skiing.
6. There are many public beaches all around southern France, but the best beaches rent out for 90-200Euro per day, all day for a cabana, restrooms, uncrowned beaches, dining options such as Les Bronzes Plage http://specialites-de-poissons-et-provencales-pampelonne-restaurant-83.restaurantplagelesbronzes.com/. Parking is accessible at paid venues or nearby for public beaches.
7. The waters are crystal clear and very clean although depending on the month or time of day you can get some strong winds.
Like so many other parents this Fall, my husband and I became “Empty Nesters”. Our baby girl, and youngest of three was heading off to college and we were faced with the reality of being alone for the first time in 26 years. We decided that this was a life milestone that we should observe, rather than dread. We had spent years devoting endless time and energy to our children and now they were all out in the world as healthy, happy, productive members of society. We had much to celebrate. So, after dropping our daughter off at college we traveled to Montana’s Paradise Valley and spent a few days at Sage Lodge to mark this special occasion. Montana’s Paradise Valley starts near Livingston, which sits on I-90, and stretches south along highway 89 towards Yellowstone National Park. It is the major river valley of the Yellowstone River and is flanked by the Gallatin and Absaroka Ranges. Highway 89 was the original entrance into Yellowstone National Park, although there are now two additional entrances, one each in Montana and Wyoming. Along with its unmatched beauty and world-class fly fishing on the river, the valley also offers other natural wonders such as several natural hot springs.
Ernest Hemingway once described Switzerland as “a small, steep country, much more up and down than sideways, and stuck all over with large brown hotels built on the cuckoo clock style of architecture.” Susan’s recent travels between Geneva and Zurich proves that a lot has changed in the Swiss hotel scene since Hemingway’s observation. While she has lots of experience setting up pre- and post-river cruise activities and private trips in the area, this “self-imposed” familiarization was to acquaint herself with Virtuoso’s Swiss properties. Susan’s excited to share her thoughts on this diverse list of hotels, as well as the historic cities they call home.
This past fall, Susan was invited to sit on the Advisory Board for the German National Tourism Offices out of New York City. In partnership to boost tourism to Germany, she toured two of the country’s most iconic cities. From the eclectic coffee and artistic scenes of Hamburg, to an exploration of the tumultuous history of Berlin, there was a lot to take in. Susan hopes her journey will shed light on why Germany should be the destination of your next European vacation. Below you’ll find some incredible places to stay, cuisine to sample, and experiences that will put the discovery of German culture at the forefront of your travels.
With Paris and Rome, London forms the trifecta of must-visit cities for those first taking the dive into European culture. A hub of history, politics, architecture (both very old and very new), and the arts, London has a little bit to offer everyone. This November, Susan had the opportunity to tour over a dozen of the city’s best boutique hotels so you know where to stay during your visit. In addition, Susan also toured some of the charming villages that surround London that are perfect for a day trip, or quick weekend, to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. She hopes her exploration of this British metropolis will help you know where to start when planning your first (or next) European getaway.
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