Port Grimaud, the canal town across the gulf from Saint-Tropez
A lagoon town of canals and pastel houses at the head of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, with a medieval hill village a few minutes inland: how to reach both, what to do and how to fit them into one easy day.
Port Grimaud is a canal town built on former marshland at the western head of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, facing Saint-Tropez across the water. Construction began in 1966 to plans by the architect François Spoerry, and the result looks like a Provençal fishing village laid out on canals: houses with their boats moored at the door, small bridges and a church on the water. It belongs to the commune of Grimaud, whose original medieval village sits on the hill behind it. Most visitors come for half a day; with the hill village added, it makes a full and unhurried day out from a villa on the peninsula.
People searching for Port Grimaud, France are often surprised that there are two places with the same name. Port Grimaud is the lagoon town by the sea, sometimes called the Venice of Provence. Grimaud village is the old perched village inland, with a ruined castle, Romanesque church and windmill. They are a short drive apart, and in summer a little train and a free shuttle link them, so it is easy to see both on the same day.
This guide is written for guests staying in Saint-Tropez and nearby, who see Port Grimaud across the bay every evening and want to know whether it is worth the crossing (it is, ideally by boat). If you are still choosing a base on the peninsula, our luxury villas in Saint-Tropez are presented further down, and our Saint-Tropez travel guide covers the village itself.
Port Grimaud in six facts
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
Construction of the lagoon town began in 1966 on former marshland, designed by the architect François Spoerry; it carries the national label Architecture contemporaine remarquable.
Source: grimaud-provence.com (Grimaud tourist office)The ecumenical church of Saint-François d’Assise has stained-glass windows designed by Victor Vasarely, and its tower is climbed by some 78 spiral steps for the view.
Source: grimaud-provence.com (Grimaud tourist office)The canal boats (coches d’eau) are solar-powered electric boats; a tour of the canals takes about 20 minutes and runs from early April to the end of October.
Source: provence-alpes-cotedazur.com (regional tourist board)From April to October a market is held in Port Grimaud on Thursday and Sunday mornings, with a night market every Monday evening in July and August.
Source: grimaud-provence.com (Grimaud tourist office)Grimaud castle was founded around the early 11th century and is first recorded in 1058; the ruin is a listed historic monument with free access.
Source: provence-alpes-cotedazur.com (regional tourist board)A fully surfaced cycle path of 12.2 km runs from Sainte-Maxime to Saint-Tropez by way of Port Grimaud.
Source: grimaud-provence.com (getting here)Port Grimaud or Grimaud village: which is which
The two halves of the commune could hardly be more different, and knowing what each offers helps you decide how to split the day. The lagoon town is flat, waterside and lively in summer; the hill village is quiet, stony and steep, with the long view over the gulf that gave the village its strategic role (the gulf itself was once called the Golfe de Grimaud).
| Port Grimaud (the lagoon town) | Grimaud village (on the hill) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Begun in 1966 | Castle first recorded in 1058, church from the late 12th to early 13th century |
| Character | Canals, bridges, pastel houses with boats at the door | Medieval lanes, stairs, fountains, castle ruin and windmill |
| Best for | Canal boat tour, market, beaches, an easy stroll | Views over the gulf, history, a quieter late afternoon |
| Getting around | On foot or by canal boat | On foot only: stairs and slopes, not suited to pushchairs |
| Time to allow | Two to three hours | One to two hours |
Village heritage details from the regional tourist board’s listing for the historic centre of Grimaud.
How to reach Port Grimaud from Saint-Tropez, Nice or the coast
From Saint-Tropez, the most pleasant way across is by water. A regular boat service links the centre of Saint-Tropez with Port Grimaud, Sainte-Maxime, Les Marines de Cogolin and Les Issambres; in Port Grimaud it lands at the harbour master’s office, and the tourist office notes a stop at the church end of the Place du Marché. Timetables change with the season, so check the current one before you set out. A private boat, arranged through our concierge, lets you choose your own times and come back after dinner.
By road, Port Grimaud sits at the head of the gulf where the peninsula road meets the coast road to Sainte-Maxime. In July and August that junction is slow at the obvious hours, which is the strongest argument for the boat. Cyclists have the 12.2 km path from Sainte-Maxime to Saint-Tropez via Port Grimaud, though the tourist office warns that the La Foux crossroads is not equipped for bikes.
For the Nice to Port Grimaud journey, the tourist office gives about 1 hour 30 minutes from Nice Côte d’Azur airport, leaving the A8 motorway at exit 36 (Le Muy) and following signs for Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Tropez. Toulon-Hyères airport is about an hour away and the small Saint-Tropez La Mole airfield about 20 minutes. Our guide to getting from Nice to Saint-Tropez compares car, train, boat and helicopter in detail; the same options apply here.
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled boat across the gulf | Seeing the bay, no parking to find | Seasonal timetable; last return can be early |
| Private boat via the concierge | Your own times, a swim stop on the way | Book a day or two ahead in high summer |
| Car with driver | Combining the lagoon town and the hill village | Summer traffic at the head of the gulf |
| Bike on the coastal path | Active guests based near the gulf | The La Foux crossroads, and the heat at midday |
What to do in Port Grimaud itself
Port Grimaud is free to enter and open all year; it is at its busiest from spring to early autumn, when the canal boats and the markets run. The town is compact, and most of what follows sits within a few minutes’ walk of the Place du Marché.
- Take a canal boat. The solar-powered coches d’eau leave from the landing at the end of the Place du Marché, opposite the church, without fixed departure times. The tour lasts about 20 minutes and has no commentary; groups need to book. Hours run from about 10am to 6pm in April and October, and into the evening in July and August.
- Climb the church tower. Saint-François d’Assise, the town’s ecumenical church, has stained glass by Victor Vasarely. Around 78 spiral steps lead to the best view over the canals and the gulf.
- Go on market day. Thursday and Sunday mornings from April to October, with Provençal produce and flowers; in July and August a night market fills Monday evenings.
- Swim at the town’s beaches. Plage de Port Grimaud, at the harbour entrance, has calm water; Plage de Port Grimaud Sud is quieter. For the bigger beaches of the peninsula, see our St Tropez beaches guide.
- Walk the bridges. The pleasure of the place is simply wandering: each quay frames a different view of boats, façades and the hills of the Maures behind.
Grimaud village, the medieval half
Grimaud village is the half most day-trippers skip, and the one our guests tend to remember. The lanes climb from the Place Neuve, with its fountain and clock, past the Maison des Arcades and the rue des Templiers (once the village’s main shopping street) to the Romanesque church of Saint-Michel, built between the late 12th and early 13th centuries and, like the castle, a listed historic monument.
Above the church, the ruined castle looks straight down the gulf to Saint-Tropez. Nearby, the Saint-Roch windmill stands on a site where a mill has turned since the 16th century; it was abandoned in the early 20th century and has since been restored. In the hills outside the village, the Pont des Fées is what remains of a 15th-century aqueduct that brought spring water to Grimaud. The small heritage museum, in a former olive mill and cork works, covers old local trades such as silk farming.
In season, a little train with audio commentary makes several return trips a day between the village and the lagoon town, and in summer a free shuttle also connects the two (in 2026 it ran from 27 June to 6 September). Wear proper shoes: the village is all stairs and slopes, and the tourist board lists it as unsuitable for wheelchairs.
A Port Grimaud day from a Saint-Tropez villa
This is the day our concierge most often arranges for guests on the peninsula. It works best on a Thursday or Sunday, when the market is on, and outside the hottest weeks of August.
- 9.30am: cross the gulf by boat
A driver takes you from the villa to the port, or a private boat collects you, and you cross the bay with Saint-Tropez behind you. Arriving by water is how Port Grimaud was designed to be seen.
- 10.15am: market and canal boat
Browse the market around the Place du Marché, then take the 20-minute canal boat tour from the landing opposite the church before the queues build.
- 11.30am: church tower and a swim
Climb the tower of Saint-François d’Assise for the view, then swim at the calm beach by the harbour entrance.
- 1pm: lunch on the quays
Our concierge books a table by the water. Lunch can also be a picnic prepared by the villa’s chef, eaten on the boat at anchor.
- 4pm: up to Grimaud village
Your driver takes you up the hill (or take the little train in season). Walk the lanes to the church of Saint-Michel and the castle ruin as the heat drops.
- 6.30pm: sunset at the windmill
Finish at the Saint-Roch windmill, looking across the gulf to Saint-Tropez, then drive back to the villa for dinner.
Practical tips and honest trade-offs
- Off season is different. The town is open all year, but the canal boats and the lagoon-town market run from April to October; in winter Port Grimaud is a quiet residential place, beautiful but very calm.
- Hours move. The regional tourist board warns that published hours are not guaranteed on the day; check boat and shuttle times with the Grimaud tourist office before you plan around them.
- Parking fills in summer. Port Grimaud’s public car parks are paid in season (roughly April to September or October, depending on the car park), with the first half hour free. A driver drop-off avoids the issue entirely.
- Heat and stairs. Do the lagoon town in the morning and the hill village late in the day; the village’s lanes are steep and sunny.
- Combine with the hill villages. If you like Grimaud village, our guide to Gassin covers its neighbour on the peninsula, perched above the vineyards.
Villas across the gulf from Port Grimaud
Our Saint-Tropez villas, from gardens on the bay to the heights of Gassin, each a short crossing or drive from Port Grimaud.
The villas side by side
Guests, bedrooms, bathrooms, living space and highlights, as listed for each villa.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Villa AmaraSaint-Tropez | 25 | 14 | 14 | 900 m² | Heated Pool, Sea View, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
How we organise the crossing and the day
Port Grimaud is easy to visit; it is easier still when someone has timed the boat, the market and the drive for you.
Boat or car, decided on the day
Boat hire, helicopter transfers and a chauffeur can be arranged for every villa listed here, so we choose the crossing that suits the weather and the traffic.
From the villa’s own view
Villa Evara, Saint-Tropez, sits in a gated estate on the heights of Gassin overlooking the gulf; from Villa Vittoria, on the water at Les Canoubiers, you look across the bay itself.
Lunch planned around you
A table on the quays, or a picnic from your private chef taken on the boat: we arrange whichever suits the group, from small children to a party of friends.
Residences we know
Every residence is visited by our team, and some are available without being published online. Ask, and we will tell you plainly which fit your plans.
Port Grimaud questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamWhere is Port Grimaud?
Port Grimaud is on the French Riviera, in the Var department, at the western head of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. It lies directly across the bay from Saint-Tropez and between Sainte-Maxime and Cogolin. It is part of the commune of Grimaud, whose medieval hill village stands a few minutes inland, on the edge of the Maures hills.
When was Port Grimaud built?
Work began in 1966 on former marshland, to plans by the architect François Spoerry, who wanted a modern town that looked like a traditional Provençal fishing port. It now holds the national label Architecture contemporaine remarquable, unusual for a place only around fifty years old.
Can you get a boat from Saint-Tropez to Port Grimaud?
Yes. A regular boat service crosses the gulf from the centre of Saint-Tropez to Port Grimaud, landing at the harbour master’s office, and also serves Sainte-Maxime, Les Marines de Cogolin and Les Issambres. Timetables vary with the season, so check before you go. Guests in our villas can also have a private boat arranged for their own times.
How do I get from Nice to Port Grimaud?
By car, allow about 1 hour 30 minutes from Nice Côte d’Azur airport according to the Grimaud tourist office: take the A8 motorway to exit 36 (Le Muy), then follow signs for Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Tropez. Public transport means a regional bus to Saint-Raphaël and then a local bus. A private driver or a helicopter transfer can be arranged for our guests.
How long do you need to visit Port Grimaud?
Two to three hours is enough for the lagoon town: a canal boat tour of about 20 minutes, the church tower, a walk across the bridges and a coffee on the quays. Add a beach session or lunch and it becomes half a day. If you also want to see Grimaud village on the hill, plan a full day.
Is Grimaud village worth visiting?
Yes, especially late in the afternoon. The village has a castle ruin first recorded in 1058, a Romanesque church of the late 12th to early 13th century, a restored windmill and some of the finest views over the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. It is quieter than Port Grimaud below, but steep, so wear comfortable shoes.
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Plan the crossing with us
Tell Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad when you would like to see Port Grimaud and who is coming. They will suggest the villa that fits, then arrange the boat, the driver and the table for the day. Write on WhatsApp at +33 7 80 98 05 43 or to contact@lutetia-group.com: we usually reply within the day, and rates are on request.