Sainte-Maxime, the family town across the gulf from Saint-Tropez
Gentle beaches, morning markets and a boat that crosses to Saint-Tropez in a quarter of an hour: what the town offers a family, and when it makes more sense to stay on the peninsula and come over for the day.
Sainte-Maxime is a seaside town on the northern shore of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, looking straight across the water at Saint-Tropez itself. It is the family side of the gulf: twelve kilometres of coastline, six public beaches (four with lifeguards in summer), food markets most mornings and a shuttle boat that reaches Saint-Tropez in about 15 to 20 minutes. If you want calm sandy beaches for young children and an easy hop to the village, Sainte-Maxime does both.
What it is not is a place of large private estates. The Sainte Maxime town centre is compact and lively, built around its harbour, its seafront and a grid of pedestrian streets, with residential districts climbing the hills behind. Families who come back every summer like the rhythm: market, beach, lunch, siesta, evening stroll. The busier, more glamorous side of the gulf is a short crossing away, which is the whole point.
We should be clear about our own place in this picture. Our residences are on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, in Saint-Tropez, Gassin and Ramatuelle, not in Sainte-Maxime. Many of our families still spend days in Ste Maxime: for the Thursday market, for a supervised town beach close to the shops, or simply for the boat ride. This guide is written for both readers, the family deciding where to base the holiday and the guest at one of our luxury villas in Saint-Tropez planning a day across the water.
Sainte-Maxime in six verified facts
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
The town is bordered by 12 km of coastline and has six public beaches: Croisette, Centre-Ville, Nartelle and Garonnette are supervised in summer and accessible to people with reduced mobility; Madrague and Les Éléphants are not supervised.
Source: sainte-maxime.fr (Ville de Sainte-Maxime)In 2025 lifeguards covered the town-centre beach and La Nartelle from 13 June to 14 September, and La Croisette and La Garonnette from 27 June to 31 August, from 10am to 7pm in July and August.
Source: sainte-maxime.fr (beach supervision)The boat link to Saint-Tropez takes about 15 minutes on its busiest route, with one to four crossings an hour, and runs eleven months a year, seven days a week.
Source: sainte-maxime.fr (transport)The covered food market, entered from rue Fernand Bessy, opens every day from 7am to 2pm between 1 April and 30 September, with an extra evening session from 5pm to 7.30pm in high summer (except Sundays and public holidays).
Source: sainte-maxime.fr (markets and fairs)Sainte-Maxime is one of the destinations holding the national Famille Plus label for family-friendly resorts.
Source: familleplus.fr (Famille Plus label)La Plage des Éléphants takes its name from ‘Le Voyage de Babar’: its author, Jean de Brunhoff, stayed in Sainte-Maxime and drew inspiration from the view.
Source: provence-alpes-cotedazur.com (regional tourist board)The six Sainte-Maxime beaches, and which one to choose
From the beaches near the centre, the view runs straight across the gulf to Saint-Tropez. The table runs from the town centre outwards. ‘Supervised’ means a lifeguard post in the summer season as published by the town; dates change each year, so check the current season before relying on it.
| Beach | What it is like | Lifeguards | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre-Ville (Luc Provensal) | Sand, trees for shade, right in the town | Yes, in summer | A swim between the market and lunch; toddlers |
| La Croisette | Long and sheltered, sand and pebbles, view across the gulf to Saint-Tropez | Yes, in high summer | Families who want space close to town |
| La Nartelle | The largest sandy beach in Sainte-Maxime, a family beach; windsurfing and bodyboarding when the east wind blows | Yes, in summer | A full beach day with children of all ages |
| La Garonnette | Sand stretching several hundred metres, next to the port of Les Issambres, with showers | Yes, in high summer | A quieter day at the eastern end |
| La Madrague | Narrow sandy strip and coves with posidonia beds and rock fish | No | Snorkelling for confident swimmers |
| Les Éléphants | The Babar beach, unsupervised | No | A story for children, a short visit rather than a long day |
Between 15 March and 15 September, landing on the Sardinaux islet is banned to protect nesting common terns, and from 1 May to 31 August swimming and water sports are banned within 100 m of its shore (source: sainte-maxime.fr).
The sea shuttle between Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Tropez
The shuttle boat is the single best reason to know Sainte-Maxime. By road, the two towns are linked by the coast road round the head of the gulf, past Port Grimaud, and in July and August that road is often slow. The boat goes straight across. The town gives the crossing as about 15 minutes, the tourist office as about 20; either way it is shorter than the drive on a summer afternoon, and children love it.
There are other crossings from the same shore: Port Grimaud, the lagoon village at the head of the gulf, also has boats to Saint-Tropez, which can make a good loop for a family day.
- Frequency: one to four crossings an hour on the regular lines, according to the town.
- Season: the service runs most of the year (the town says eleven months out of twelve); timetables change with the season, so check the official timetable for your dates.
- Fares: published by the boat service on its official website; we do not quote them here.
- In high summer: mid-morning and early evening boats are the busiest; going early, or returning before the evening rush, keeps the day relaxed with children.
- A private alternative: guests at our villas can have the concierge arrange boat hire, so the family crosses on its own schedule and lands where it suits.
The markets of Sainte-Maxime, day by day
Markets are the backbone of a Sainte-Maxime morning. All are morning markets except the summer evening market for craftspeople and painters, which is the one children tend to remember. Hours below are those the town publishes for the April to September season; they shorten in winter.
| Market | When | Where | What you find |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covered market | Daily, 7am to 2pm (April to September); also 5pm to 7.30pm in high summer except Sundays | Rue Fernand Bessy and Montée de l’Epagneul | Food products |
| Centre-ville market | Thursday, 8am to 1pm | Place du Marché, place Colbert and nearby streets | Food, the weekly town-centre market |
| Patio Fleuri market | Monday, 8am to 1pm; extra Friday morning from April to September | Place du Patio Fleuri | Food and general goods |
| Mermoz market | Friday, 8am to 1pm | Place and car park Jean-Mermoz | Local artisan food and manufactured goods |
| Craft and painters’ market | Every day, 4pm to 11pm, mid-June to mid-September | Pedestrian streets of the old centre | Crafts and paintings, an evening stroll |
Source: sainte-maxime.fr, markets and fairs. Winter hours are shorter and the covered market closes on Mondays from October to March.
A day in Sainte-Maxime from a villa on the peninsula
This is the day we most often organise for families staying on the Saint-Tropez side. It works best on a Thursday, when the town-centre market adds to the covered market.
- Cross in the morning
A driver takes the family to Saint-Tropez for an early boat, or the concierge books a private boat from the peninsula. Arriving by sea, with the town spread along the shore, is half the fun.
- Market first
Start at the covered market and, on Thursday, the town-centre market around Place du Marché. Children choose the fruit for the beach; the adults find something for the evening.
- Beach before the heat
The town-centre beach is the simplest choice with small children, being supervised in season and close to everything. For a longer day, La Croisette has more room and the view back to Saint-Tropez.
- Lunch and a slow afternoon
Our concierge books a table in town or on the beach, as you prefer, and can arrange a babysitter for the afternoon if the parents want an hour to themselves.
- Evening market, then home
From mid-June the craft and painters’ market fills the old streets from late afternoon. Take a boat back before the evening rush, or let the driver collect you by road.
Sainte-Maxime or the Saint-Tropez peninsula: where should a family stay?
Both sides of the gulf work for families; they suit different holidays. The honest summary: Sainte-Maxime is a town holiday, where you walk to the beach and the market; the peninsula is a villa holiday, where the house, the garden and the pool are the centre of the day and the beaches and villages are a short drive away.
- Choose Sainte-Maxime if you want to do everything on foot, value supervised town beaches above all, and are happy to organise the holiday yourselves.
- Choose the peninsula if the house matters as much as the beach, if you are travelling as several families or generations, or if you want someone else to handle the logistics; our family villas on the French Riviera are chosen with this in mind.
- Or combine them: stay on the peninsula and keep Sainte-Maxime for market mornings and calm-water beach days, a boat ride away.
| Based in Sainte-Maxime | Based on the peninsula (Saint-Tropez, Gassin, Ramatuelle) | |
|---|---|---|
| Beaches | Sheltered gulf beaches, several supervised and within walking distance of the centre | Pampelonne and the peninsula’s coves; see our guide to St Tropez beaches |
| Saint-Tropez village | By boat, about 15 to 20 minutes; by road round the gulf, slower in summer | Six to twelve minutes by car from our villas to the Place des Lices, according to each residence |
| Daily life | Markets, shops and promenade on foot; a real town all year | Days centred on the villa; the concierge brings the town to you |
| Space and privacy | Town and hillside accommodation, from apartments to houses | Large walled grounds, private pools, tennis or play areas at some villas |
| Service | Mostly self-organised | Staff and concierge: chef, babysitting, driver, boat hire on request or included, depending on the villa |
How we organise Sainte-Maxime for our villa guests
Nathalie Nguyen and Adam Haddad plan the gulf around the family rather than the other way round. In practice that means a driver timed to the boat, a table booked within walking distance of the beach, a babysitter for the afternoon and, at villas where boat hire is offered, a private crossing so you never queue at the pier.
For families, Villa Solara, Saint-Tropez is the residence we suggest most often: a children’s play area with trampoline, swing and slide, a floodlit tennis court, a guest cottage for older children and a staff that includes a private chef. Villa Evara, Saint-Tropez, sits on the heights of Gassin with views over the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and the Estérel; Villa Vittoria, Saint-Tropez, is on the water at Les Canoubiers, six minutes by car from the village.
Our villas across the gulf from Sainte-Maxime
Residences on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, each a drive or a boat ride from Sainte-Maxime, and each visited by our team.
The villas side by side
Guests, bedrooms, bathrooms, living space and the highlights that matter to families.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villa SolaraSaint-Tropez | 12 | 7 | 7 | 451 m² | Heated Pool, Sea View, Tennis Court, Wine Cellar, Massage Room |
| Villa EvaraSaint-Tropez | 10 | 5 | 5 | 368 m² | Heated Pool, Wine Cellar, Gym, Gated Estate, Garage |
| Villa VittoriaSaint-Tropez | 16 | 8 | 9 | 460 m² | Heated Pool, Sea View, Massage Room, Gym |
| Villa CalistaSaint-Tropez | 12 | 6 | 6 | 400 m² | Heated Pool, Wine Cellar, Gym, Gated Estate |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
Sainte-Maxime questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamIs it Saint Maxime or Sainte-Maxime?
The official name is Sainte-Maxime, with the feminine ‘Sainte’ and a hyphen, often shortened to Ste Maxime on signs and maps. ‘Saint Maxime’ is a common misspelling. Do not confuse it with Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, a different town far inland in the Var: Sainte-Maxime is the one on the coast, on the northern shore of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, facing Saint-Tropez across the water.
How do you get from Sainte-Maxime to Saint-Tropez?
The simplest way is the shuttle boat straight across the gulf: about 15 to 20 minutes, with up to four crossings an hour on the regular lines and service most of the year. By road you drive round the head of the gulf past Port Grimaud, which can be slow in July and August. Guests at our villas can also cross by private boat, arranged by the concierge.
Is Sainte-Maxime good for families?
Yes, it is one of the most family-friendly towns on this coast. It holds the national Famille Plus label, four of its six public beaches have lifeguards in summer and are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and the centre is compact enough to do on foot.
What are the best Sainte-Maxime beaches?
For small children, the town-centre beach and La Croisette: both are supervised in season and close to the shops and markets. For a long beach day with space, La Nartelle, the largest sandy beach in the town, also known for windsurfing and bodyboarding when the east wind blows. For snorkelling, La Madrague, with posidonia beds and rock fish, but it is unsupervised and better for confident swimmers.
When is the market in Sainte-Maxime?
The covered food market opens daily in season, from 7am to 2pm between April and September. On top of that come the weekly markets: Monday at the Patio Fleuri, Thursday in the town centre (the largest), Friday at place Jean-Mermoz, plus an extra Friday at the Patio Fleuri in season. From mid-June to mid-September a craft and painters’ market runs every evening in the old streets.
What are the best things to do in Sainte-Maxime with children?
Take the boat across to Saint-Tropez and back, spend a morning at the markets, swim at a supervised beach, look for the Babar beach (Les Éléphants, named after the Babar book, whose author drew inspiration from the view) and walk the evening craft market in summer. Our guide to getting from Nice to Saint-Tropez covers the arrival if you are flying in.
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Plan your days across the water with us
Tell Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad your dates, the ages of the children and the kind of days you have in mind, and they will suggest the right villa on the peninsula and plan the crossings, drivers and beach days to Sainte-Maxime. WhatsApp +33 7 80 98 05 43 or contact@lutetia-group.com; we usually reply within the day.