Saint-Tropez Without The Celebrities

Saint-Tropez, the pearl of the French Riviera, is temporarily relinquished by tourists. Before the summer months, in keeping with Saint-Tropez tradition, there are Les Bravades: three days of festivals when young and old celebrate in costume both the city’s splendid past and its patron saint. From the heights of the citadel or the terraces of some of the town’s prestigious hotels, you can see emerging from a sea of pink tiled roofs the iconic ochre bell tower; out in the Gulf are one or two white liners moseying along in the distance. There is no jostling at the Place des Lices or at the fish markets, a few yachts are docked on the wharf but there are no crowds on the waterfront or on the terrace of the Café Sénéquier. A quiet stroll down side streets. No need to wait for a table in any of the many restaurants operated by chefs skillfully preparing local products and specialties like the bouillabaisse or the famous Tropezienne tart; enjoy an AOC wine from this beautiful peninsula. This gallery includes many travel and food images.