The port town of Port Grimaud is a particularly picturesque spot along the Côte d'Azur – which is saying something! With an impossibly blue bay bobbing with yachts, pretty little canals, restaurants on terraces overlooking the water, and buildings picked out in sweet candy shades, it immediately captures hearts and imaginations upon arrival. The town’s storybook looks and seaside charm and relaxation make for ample good reasons to book a villa in Port Grimaud itself or to find a vacation rental in Provence and plan a day-trip to the charming village…
The Venice of Provence
Dating only back to the 1960s, the town was the brain child of architect François Spoerry who sought to combine the canals of Venice with French fisherman-style cottages in a style he called, “L'architecture douce”. Inspired by a model for a lakeside city that he saw in a museum in Zurich as a child, it came into existence after he heard about a swampy area at the bottom of the Gulf of Saint Tropez at a dinner party in his parents' home in Cavalaire.
Built in the bay of Saint-Tropez and on the marshes of the River Giscle, it is made up of a winding network of canals, islands, parks, gardens, blocks of houses, bridges, and streets, with the glittering sea opening up in front. Visitors to the town can explore on foot, along the roads and walkways and pretty bridges, or by boat, through the canals.
An Architectural Gem
No two houses in town look the exact same and an array of different kinds of doors, windows, balconies, ironwork, railings, colours, and more can be seen all throughout Port Grimaud. Everything is also carefully preserved and protected, not to be easily altered. The bridges, too, are all slightly different from each other and every single element of the town has been carefully considered, planned, and finished. Cables and pipes are buried or concealed so as not to ruin picturesque scenes. Alleys and streets are purposefully winding to be more romantic and to discourage traffic from ever taking over.
Awarded the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture designation, it has been expanded twice, once in the 1970s and once in the 1990s to now include thousands of colourful Provençal houses, 7km of canals, 12km of quays with both private and public moorings, and some 2000 spots for boats.
Leave The World Behind
This uniquely conceived and devised town offers visitors a true chance to leave the world behind. Park your car at the parking lot at the entrance to the town and then cross over the bridge into the market square, wander through the streets, enjoy a meal or drink with a view, shop in the boutiques, admire the charming buildings and surrounding scenery, maybe head on a boat tour or take a shuttle boat across to Saint Tropez, and simply forget the rest of the world for a little while…
Markets: Proper Shopping in Provence
That market square at the entrance to town is not merely a market square in name. From April to October, on Thursday and Sunday mornings, it is filled with colourful stalls selling incredible local foods and wares and you’ll see residents and tourists alike wandering about, stocking up on everything from bread to fish to cheese. If you love handmade crafts, meanwhile, you’ll be excited to hear that, through July and August, the docks in town are lined with stalls for the summer evening market each Monday. Embrace the especially rich market culture of the region on vacation in Provence and stock up on some amazing local delicacies and crafts!
The Dreamiest Beach
Fronting Port Grimaud is one of the dreamiest beaches in the area. With a white sandy shore, crystal clear waters that are shallow for a good distance, and palm trees swaying in the breeze, this is a great place to unwind, enjoy activities, and make the most of this magical setting on this famous stretch of the coastline of France on holiday in Port Grimaud…