Port of Saint-Tropez

The port of Saint-Tropez has always been the beating heart of the village. Today you’ll see a line of luxury yachts alongside brightly painted fishing boats, but back in the 17th and 18th centuries this was both a military and commercial harbor. Ships were fitted out here, equipped with crews, provisions, and sometimes even cannons, before setting sail for Italy, Spain, or North Africa. They returned with holds full of wine, olive oil, spices, and countless other goods. Activity was so intense that by the late 18th century, Saint-Tropez boasted the third-largest fleet in the French Mediterranean, just behind Marseille and La Ciotat. Quite an achievement for a village of this size. The port was also a shipyard, where sailing vessels were built to cross the Mediterranean and, at times, even reach the Orient. These quays were far more than fishing docks, they were the economic and strategic engine of the town. Today that mix of seafaring work and art of living is still there: on one side, sleek yachts and modern sailboats, the stars of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez each autumn; on the other, the pointus, those little Mediterranean boats with brightly painted hulls, heirs to the town’s fishing tradition. It’s this blend of tradition and modernity that gives the port its unique charm.