Holiday Villa at Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez
Medieval village · Provençal authenticity · 340 m² · Private pool
Grimaud is not a compromise. It is not the second choice for those who could not find a villa in Saint-Tropez — it is, for those who know the Gulf of Saint-Tropez well, often the first choice. A medieval hilltop village in the heart of the Var, full possession of the gulf's landscape, free of the congestion that transforms certain parts of the coast in July and August into something closer to a car park than a Provençal idyll.
Villa Lou Bagarède is in Grimaud, in the commune of the same name — the actual postal address, the genuine anchorage in this exceptional landscape. The Gulf of Saint-Tropez surrounds it: Beauvallon beach is 6 km away, Port Grimaud 8 km, Saint-Tropez itself 14 km. From the villa's garden, summer evenings bring the distant sound of cicadas and the scent of pine and thyme carried by the night air down from the Maures hills. This is what the south of France actually feels like, once you move beyond the postcard version of it.
Grimaud, a medieval village in the gulf
Grimaud's castle was built in the eleventh century by Gibalinus de Grimaldi — a Genoese lord whose family name would later attach itself to a rather more famous principality further along the coast. The castle was demolished under Richelieu's orders in 1655 as part of the broad dismantling of southern feudal fortresses, but the ruins that remain are among the most picturesque in the Var: roofless towers of pale stone rising from the hilltop above a village that has changed little since the Middle Ages.
The lanes of Grimaud spiral upward in the characteristic pattern of Provençal perched villages: arched passages, sudden stairways, doorways hung with bougainvillea and jasmine. The Romanesque church of Saint-Michel dates from the twelfth century. The Templar chapel of the Holy Trinity, further down the hill, recalls the crusading orders that once held land throughout the gulf. In summer, the night market — held on Thursday evenings along the village's main approach road — draws visitors from across the Var for its mix of local produce, craftwork and atmosphere that no daytime visit can fully replicate. Provençal honey, olive oil from the Maures, cheesemakers and winemakers from the communes of the gulf — the market is as much a social event as a commercial one, and it runs through the whole of July and August.
Grimaud and Port Grimaud — two faces of the same commune
A clarification that matters: Grimaud and Port Grimaud are both part of the commune of Grimaud — but they are two entirely different places, 8 km apart and separated by hills and forest.
Grimaud is the medieval hilltop village described above: inland, elevated, its streets built in stone over eleven centuries. It has the character of a working Provençal village — a butcher, a baker, a post office — alongside its summer restaurants and its castle ruins. Port Grimaud is the lakeside resort quarter on the shore of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, built from scratch by the Alsatian architect François Spoerry beginning in 1966. Spoerry's ambition was to create a modern fishing village in the Provençal vernacular tradition: colourful houses in terracotta, ochre and cream, each with a private quay, arranged along a system of canals linked to the gulf. The result — often called the "Provençal Venice" — has aged gracefully and offers a genuinely charming setting for an afternoon: water-bus rides between the islands, open-air restaurants on the canal banks, and a relaxed atmosphere quite different from both the medieval village above and the famous port further along the coast.
Villa Lou Bagarède sits between the two, drawing on both: the calm authenticity of the medieval hinterland and the coastal pleasures of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez at its most accessible.
Vineyards and gastronomy around Grimaud
Grimaud sits within the AOC Côtes de Provence appellation, one of the most extensive and prestigious wine designations in southern France. The hillsides around the commune are planted with Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre vines that produce the rosés that have become synonymous with the Gulf of Saint-Tropez at table. Several estates welcome visitors for cellar tours and tastings, and the proximity of the village to the producing areas means that bottles can frequently be sourced directly from the domain at prices that reflect the absence of intermediaries.
The gastronomy of Grimaud and its immediate surroundings is firmly anchored in the Provençal tradition: ratatouille made with vegetables from the Cogolin plain, grilled fish from the morning markets of Saint-Tropez and Sainte-Maxime, tapenade and pistou in various forms, and the rosé that seems specifically calibrated to accompany all of it. The village has several excellent restaurants that serve this cuisine without pretension and with consistent quality. The Thursday night market also provides direct access to the producers — olive oils, honey from the Maures massif, charcuterie, fresh goat's cheeses, seasonal vegetables — allowing guests at Villa Lou Bagarède to provision the villa's fully equipped kitchen with ingredients of the highest local quality.
Beaches from Grimaud
Grimaud's position in the heart of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez makes it an ideal base for beach-going without the frustrations that can characterise the most famous stretches of coast in high season.
Beauvallon is the closest beach to Villa Lou Bagarède at 6 km — a long sandy bay on the gulf's western shore, calmer and more family-oriented than the Pampelonne side, with excellent restaurants along the seafront and easy parking even in August. Port Grimaud beaches, 8 km from the villa, border the lagoon created by Spoerry's canal network, with shallow, sheltered water that suits young children particularly well. Pampelonne, the emblematic beach of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez at Ramatuelle, is 15 km from the villa — four kilometres of fine golden sand with a wide choice of beach clubs and restaurants, best visited in the morning before the crowds arrive. The diversity of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez means that a different beach, a different atmosphere and a different crowd can be found within a fifteen-minute drive every day of the stay.
Villa Lou Bagarède at Grimaud
Villa Lou Bagarède takes its name from the Occitan word for a dense thicket — lou bagarède — which describes perfectly the wooded setting in which the estate is nestled: two thousand square metres of garden in Mediterranean forest, with umbrella pines, olive trees and the aromatic scrub of the garrigue providing natural privacy and shade throughout the day.
The villa itself spans 340 m² and welcomes up to twelve guests. The six bedrooms — Lavender, Mimosa, Olive, Garrigue, Cricket and Thyme — each bear the name of a Provençal plant, and each has its own distinct atmosphere. The private heated pool faces south and is the natural centre of summer life at the villa. The private sauna, the barbecue terrace, the outdoor dining table for twelve, the fully equipped kitchen and the private parking for four vehicles complete a specification calibrated for a group of twelve who want to spend two weeks in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez without compromising on comfort or privacy. Booking is direct with the owner, with no agency commission, and availability is managed personally.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grimaud in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez?
Yes, entirely. Grimaud is one of the central communes of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, situated between Saint-Tropez (14 km), Port Grimaud (8 km) and Beauvallon beach (6 km). Staying in Grimaud means being fully within the gulf, with access to all its beaches and villages without the congestion of the most famous town.
What is the difference between Grimaud and Port Grimaud?
Grimaud is the medieval hilltop village with an eleventh-century castle, cobblestone lanes and a Romanesque church — the historic heart of the commune, 8 km inland from the coast. Port Grimaud is the lakeside resort quarter on the shore of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, built by architect François Spoerry in 1966 on a system of canals — often called the "Provençal Venice". Both belong to the commune of Grimaud, but they are entirely different in character and location. Villa Lou Bagarède is situated in the commune, between the two.
How far are the beaches from Villa Lou Bagarède?
Beauvallon beach is 6 km from the villa. The beaches of Port Grimaud are 8 km. Pampelonne, the most famous beach in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, is approximately 15 km at Ramatuelle. All are easily reachable by car, and the boat-taxi from Port Grimaud (8 km) offers a scenic water route to Saint-Tropez in high season.
Can we visit Saint-Tropez from Grimaud?
Yes, Saint-Tropez is 14 km from the villa, approximately 20 minutes by car on a quiet road. In July and August, the boat-taxi from Port Grimaud (8 km from the villa) is the preferred option: a 20-minute crossing over the water that avoids all the summer traffic and arrives you directly at the old harbour of Saint-Tropez.