Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

The ramparts of the 17th-century citadelle, which houses the naval museum, give the best lookout over the tiled rooftops. In the tiny hill village of Gassin, clamber up through the winding streets for a magnificent view over woodland, wine country and the bay – you should be able to see the three Golden Isles (Porquerolles, Port Cros and Levant).

Arts and culture

The Musée de l’Annonciade on the port houses works by Matisse, Bonnard and Seurat (+33 (0)4 94 17 84 10). Galerie Abrial Côté Art on Avenue Paul Roussel (+33 (0)4 94 97 31 08), has some huge pastel pieces to tempt art deco collectors. Movie geeks might wander over to the Gendarmerie Nationale, where comedy flick Le Gendarme de St Tropez was shot. On Rue Etienne Berny, the Maison des Papillons, with its 220 species of pin-skewered butterflies, makes for an eccentric afternoon’s lepidoptery (+33 (0)4 94 97 63 45). There’s plenty in the way of ancient architecture to ogle in nearby Grimaud.

Something for nothing

For a super-chilled walk to find a secret beach, make your way to L’Escalet nudist beach, south-east of St Tropez, and keep walking until you come across the small, peaceful Cap Taillat strand.

Shopping

St Tropez is a potted (or should that be ported) Milan, with designer boutiques such as Dior and Cavalli crammed into the tiny streets around Place de la Garonne and Rue Gambetta. For a more low-key spend, browse and barter in the markets at Place des Lices (Tuesday and Saturday mornings), where you can fill your bags with traditional bedlinen, Provençal cooking ingredients and desirable presents. The hottest shopping to be had is at the pop-up shops that have started to appear each summer: both Dior and Chanel have been delighting fashion fans with special venues in temporary locations.

Daytripper

Head to the hills and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a mediaeval village colonised by artists from Picasso to present-day painters. Walk the battlements, stroll down Rue Grande in the castle walls and pick up a sunhat or a Cubist painting; there are dozens of boutiques and galleries. For lunch, head to La Colombe d’Or (decor: Gaudi meets Kandinsky and goes nuts). Make sure you book in advance – it takes weeks to get a table (+33 (0)4 93 32 80 02).

Best beach

The long golden strip at Gigaro, at La Croix Valmer, tapers to a spit with sea either side. Plage de la Bouillabaisse is a lovely bit of blond shoreline west of the port. For seclusion (and nudity) try Plage de la Moutte or Plage de l’Escalet. Lined with clubs and restaurants, bustling Plage de Pampelonne is St Tropez’s largest, and sees more celebrity towel action than a Beverly Hills day spa.

Children

Bundle your progeny on board a boat across the bay to fellow coastal town Sainte-Maxime. In St Tropez, continue the nautical theme at the Naval Museum in the 16th-century citadel.

Activities

Pampelonne Beach at St Tropez is the region’s water-sports capital. Water-skiing, parascending and cat-sailing are all on offer to restless baskers, who are also at liberty to attach themselves to a boat and go wakeboarding over the waves. For coastal walking with wonderful bay views, head east of the port to the Cap, continuing to Pampelonne beach, where a trail cuts back across the peninsula into town. Between May and September, horse-ride through L’Estérel forest near Saint Raphäel (+33 (0)6 85 42 51 50; www.les3fers. com). Hire bicycles from Location Mas at 3 rue Joseph Quaranta (+33 (0)4 94 97 00 60; www.location-mas.com). You can also bike or hike your way through the mighty Massif des Maures, whose rugged mountain terrain encompasses forests, monasteries and sleepy towns. Explore the Mediterranean gardens of Domaine du Rayol in the village of Le Rayol Canadel (+33 (0)4 98 04 44 00; www.domainedurayol.org), on a glorious headland above the bay of Figuier. For more of an off-the-beaten-track excursion, visit the lighthouse at Cap Camarat: it’s the second largest in France and on a clear day you can see Corsica from the top.

And

Iconic Tropesian yachting hang-out Café de Paris is THE place to be. Wander in for lunchtime noodles, salad and seafood, or book a table to see it liven up at night (+33 (0)4 94 97 00 65).