Boat & yacht charter in Saint-Tropez
A gulf rather than a town: five ports within twenty minutes of each other, a beach that needs no introduction, and two capes that shelter the best anchorages on this stretch of coast.
The Gulf of Saint-Tropez is unusually well equipped for its size. You can leave from the village itself, from a canal-side berth in Port Grimaud, from the opposite shore at Sainte-Maxime, or from further south at Cavalaire — and end up in the same anchorage forty minutes later. What changes is the price of the berth and the time you lose in August traffic.
Where to leave from
Port de Saint-Tropez is the address, with everything that implies in July and August — arriving by sea is genuinely the pleasant way to do it. Port Grimaud, built as a lagoon village, is the calmer option a few miles west. Sainte-Maxime faces the village across the bay and is the practical choice: full services, easier access by road. Further south, Cavalaire is the most recent of the ports with around 1,200 berths, and the natural base if you want the Îles d'Hyères within reach.
The two capes
Everything south of the village is protected by Cap Camarat and Cap Taillat. This is where the day charters go: the water is clearer than in the bay, the coast is largely undeveloped, and the anchorages hold in the prevailing summer breeze. Pampelonne is a long open beach — good in the morning, uncomfortable when the wind fills in from the east.
Reading the weather
The gulf faces east, which makes it a fine place to sit in a westerly and an awkward one when the wind swings. Local afternoons in July often bring a sea breeze that flattens by evening — the reason most day charters here leave in the morning and are back before dinner.
Where to board
Port de Saint-Tropez
In the heart of the village, all sizes. The address — and the price that goes with it.
Port Grimaud
The lagoon village a few miles west. Calmer, berths along the canals.
Port de Sainte-Maxime
Facing the village across the bay. Full services, easier by road.
Les Marines de Cogolin
A 23-hectare marina complex at the head of the gulf.
Port de Cavalaire
~1,200 berths, the most recent of the gulf's ports, further south.
Where to drop the hook
Baie des Canoubiers
The sheltered bay just east of the village. Flat water, short run.
Plage de Pampelonne
The long open beach south of the cape. Beach clubs and tender service.
Cap Taillat
Protected headland, the clearest water in the gulf.
Cap Camarat
Rocky point with anchorages on both sides depending on the wind.
Îles d'Hyères
Porquerolles and Port-Cros — a full day out, best from Cavalaire.
May to September. The village is at its most crowded in the first three weeks of August; June and September give you the same coast at a workable pace.
Open day-boats and Italian-style walkarounds dominate. Flybridge motor yachts for the week, and increasingly catamarans for families who want to stay at anchor rather than move every day.
Day charters typically start around €650 and climb quickly with size and season; a crewed yacht in the gulf in August is a different order of magnitude entirely.
Orders of magnitude observed on the market, not quotes. The real price depends on the boat, the week and what is included.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a berth in Saint-Tropez in August?
For a day visit, rarely without booking well ahead — which is why most charters here are based elsewhere in the gulf and come in by sea. For a season berth it is a matter of months, not weeks.
Which port should I leave from?
Sainte-Maxime and Port Grimaud are the practical choices — easier access, lower cost, and the same anchorages within half an hour. Leave from the village itself only if being there is part of the point.
Is one day enough?
For the capes and Pampelonne, yes. The Îles d'Hyères deserve a full day of their own, and are far more comfortable from a southern base such as Cavalaire.
Request a boat in Saint-Tropez
Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and what kind of day you have in mind. We come back with two or three boats that actually fit — from our network of owners and vetted fleets.