The public stretches
The same sand and water with no bill.
Arnaud 25 โ Public domain ยท Jean-Pierre Bazard Jpbazard โ CC BY-SA 3.0 ยท Jean-Pierre Bazard Jpbazard โ CC BY-SA 3.0 ยท Julien Kenji Maeda - ESM โ CC BY-SA 4.0
No, and this is the most important thing to know. Roughly **half of Pampelonne is free public beach** with exactly the same sand and water โ the difference is not the beach but the lounger, the parasol, the service and the social standing. If you want a comfortable serviced day, a club provides it at a very high price and needs **advance booking** in season. If you just want the sea: bring your own parasol and towel and use a public stretch. Food and drink in the clubs are expensive too โ carry water and food.
**May, June and September** โ not a compromise but genuinely the better choice: the water is warm (September is often warmer than June), the sun is ample, parking is available, prices are lower and the beach can breathe. In **July and August** the car parks fill **before midday**, the single road to the beach jams, and the public stretches are packed. If you must go at peak: **leave before eight in the morning**, or come after four in the afternoon as the coaches and families begin to leave.
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The beach that made the legend of Saint-Tropez: a sandy arc running some **five kilometres** in the commune of Ramatuelle south of the town, with fine sand, clear water, and vineyards and pines behind it. Scenes of Brigitte Bardot's 1956 film were shot here, and it is where the idea of the "beach club" began before spreading around the world: restaurants on the sand with loungers, parasols, music and service. The beach today is **divided**: roughly half is **private clubs** with international names, where you pay a great deal for a lounger and parasol for one day (booking is essential in season), and the other half is **free public stretches** with the same sand and the same water โ there is no difference in the quality of the beach, the difference is service and status. โ The beach has been through an environmental reorganisation that reduced the permanent structures and returned parts of it to a natural state. โ Getting there needs **a car or a seasonal bus** โ you don't walk from the town (about 5 km), and the car parks are paid and fill early in August.
The same sand and water with no bill.
The origin of an idea that spread worldwide.
May, June and September โ warm water, room to breathe.
Plage de Pampelonne, 83350 Ramatuelle