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SPOTLIGHT PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D'AZUR
Sube, where you can sit back
with a glass of Rosé with the
whole theatre of Saint Tropez
beneath you. For dinner, I go to
Le Mazagran, in La Ponche area
of the old village. It is a simple
Provençal restaurant with views
over the bay, owned and run by
the same family for more than 70
years.
Take a walk along the sentier
littoral from the cemetery along
the coast, and you'll pass Brigitte
Bardot's house, La Madrague,
before discovering my favourite
hidden cove, ideal for a swim and
siesta.
Then, head towards
Ramatuelle. Most people think
that the famous beach clubs of
Pampellone are part of Saint
Tropez, but, in reality, they sit in
the commune of Ramatuelle.
The original clubs still exist;
Club 55, Morea, and Tahiti are all
still owned and run by the same
families. My favourite, though,
is Indie Beach, a newbie on the
scene and owned by a local.
Heaven on earth.
Leave the golden sands
behind and take a walk along the
sentier littoral here, and you will
arrive at Cap Taillat, where scenes
from the famous 1968 fi lm Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang were fi lmed.
Perched above the Gulf,
golfers and polo players fl ock to
Gassin, a charming village where
the sporting facilities match the
views.
The property market here
is as bright as the weather, with
international buyers jostling with
locals for the few properties
available. German, Belgian and
Dutch accents are particularly
prevalent at the moment. Many
vendors now prefer to place
their properties for sale "off
market", which means that local
knowledge is everything for
agents here.
KEY FACTS
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is the far
southeastern region on the mainland.
It boasts stunning beaches and diverse
landscapes.
Size 31,400 km²
Population 5,059,000
Capital City Marseille
Sunshine Hours 2724pa
Departments and average
property prices*
Alpes-de-Hte-Provence 1 850 € per m²
Hautes-Alpes 2 370 € per m²
Alpes-Maritimes 4 360 € per m²
Bouches-du-Rhône 3 260 € per m²
Var 3 630 € per m²
Vaucluse 2 280 € per m²
*fi gures supplied by Notaires de France for
houses in Q1, 2022. Prices vary enormously
within departments so please treat these as a
rough guide only
Mark MacAuley
is one of our
agents in PACA Saint-Tropez