Villa Lou Bagarède — Holiday rental near Port Grimaud
Villa Lou Bagarède · Grimaud · 5 km from Port Grimaud
Grimaud, Port Grimaud — clearing the confusion
An important point of clarity first: Villa Lou Bagarède stands in the commune of Grimaud, five kilometres from Port Grimaud, the lakeside seaside village commonly nicknamed the Provençal Venice. Despite the shared name, the two are distinct: Grimaud refers both to the medieval hilltop village and to the wider commune, while Port Grimaud is its coastal quarter — a planned village of canals and footbridges designed in the 1960s.
From the villa, the drive to Port Grimaud takes less than ten minutes through the gentle landscape that links the inland Grimaud to its lakeside extension. The same commune, two distinct atmospheres: the silence of stone and pine on one side, the soft splash of canal water on the other.
This proximity is one of the gulf's most underrated treasures. Guests at Villa Lou Bagarède can spend a morning walking the medieval streets of Grimaud, lunch at a canalside restaurant in Port Grimaud, and finish the day under the pines on the villa's terrace — all within the same commune, never more than fifteen minutes from one place to another.
Port Grimaud, the Provençal Venice
Conceived by the Alsatian architect François Spoerry in 1966, Port Grimaud broke with the brutalist vacation resorts of its era. Spoerry's vision drew on the canal towns of the Mediterranean — Venice, Burano, the fishing villages of Liguria — to invent a lakeside village where houses meet the water and each home owns its own mooring. Six decades on, the design has aged gracefully and earned the rare French distinction of Patrimoine du XXe siècle.
The village reveals itself best from the water: coches d'eau, the small electric boats that act as floating buses, glide along the canals between bridges and the protected lagoon of the gulf. The exterior architecture is unified — pale rendered facades, terracotta tiles, pastel shutters — but each house holds its own character, shaped by the gardens and balconies that overhang the canals.
Port Grimaud's Thursday and Sunday market is among the most authentic of the gulf. Olive oils, Provençal honeys, country bread, fresh fish from the coast: the produce reflects the territory without yielding to tourist commerce.
Sea, sailing and the lagoon
Port Grimaud is the gulf's gentle face: a calm harbour protected from the open sea by long sandbars, where small sailing boats can be hired for an afternoon or a full day. Even guests with no nautical experience find the marina a welcoming place to start — instructors at the local sailing school have decades of experience teaching first-time visitors how to handle a tiller.
The beach at Port Grimaud — golden sand, shallow water, family-friendly — sits less than ten minutes from Villa Lou Bagarède. From here, ferry boats cross the gulf to Saint-Tropez in about twenty minutes, an alternative to the road that some guests prefer in summer when traffic on the coastal road becomes dense.
For those who would rather stay on land, the seafront walkway that links Port Grimaud to the neighbouring beach of Beauvallon is an easy and rewarding stroll, with the Maures massif as a backdrop and the open sea on the other side.
Restaurants, markets, the floating life
Port Grimaud's restaurant scene leans on its waterfront: terraces give onto the canals, and most kitchens cook around the daily catch from the gulf — sea bream, octopus, sardines grilled over wood, the local bouillabaisse in its honest, family version. A handful of bistros around the central square serve simpler fare with the same dedication to the produce.
The Thursday morning market spreads along the canals: fresh produce, Provençal specialities, linen and ceramics from local artisans. In summer, an evening market doubles the schedule with a relaxed festive atmosphere — live music, food stalls, the canals lit by lantern strings. It is one of the gentler images of the gulf in season, and a five-minute drive from the villa's gates.
Villa Lou Bagarède, your base in the gulf
Villa Lou Bagarède is a 340-square-metre house in the commune of Grimaud, at the heart of the gulf of Saint-Tropez. Six bedrooms accommodate up to twelve guests in a setting that owes nothing to ostentation and everything to authentic Provençal character.
The private heated pool, the two-thousand-square-metre garden on the edge of the Mediterranean pine forest, the private sauna, the fully equipped professional kitchen: every feature has been thought through so the stay can be a complete experience, without ever needing to leave the property for comfort.
The villa is rented directly by the owners, with no intermediary. They welcome guests personally and remain available throughout the stay.
Frequently asked questions about Port Grimaud and the villa
Is Villa Lou Bagarède in Port Grimaud?
No — Villa Lou Bagarède is in the commune of Grimaud, five kilometres from Port Grimaud. The two share the same town hall but are quite different in character: Grimaud is the inland medieval village and surrounding hills; Port Grimaud is the coastal canal quarter built in the 1960s. The drive between the two takes about eight minutes.
How far is Port Grimaud from Villa Lou Bagarède?
Approximately 5 km — about an eight-minute drive. The villa sits in the inland part of the Grimaud commune; Port Grimaud is its lakeside quarter.
What is there to do in Port Grimaud during a stay at the villa?
Port Grimaud invites slow exploration: take a coche d'eau along the canals, browse the Thursday and Sunday market, swim at the beach, hire a small sailing boat for the afternoon, dine at a canalside restaurant, or take the ferry across the gulf to Saint-Tropez. All easy day-trip ideas from the villa, ten minutes or less by car.
How do I book Villa Lou Bagarède for a stay near Port Grimaud?
The villa is booked directly with the owner, without intermediaries or commission. See availability and rates on our dedicated page. Replies guaranteed within 24 hours.
Ready for a stay in the gulf of Saint-Tropez?
Check availability at Villa Lou Bagarède — direct booking with the owner, no commission.
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