Club 55, Loulou, Shellona… my favourite beach clubs in Saint-Tropez, and the sunbed rule you absolutely need to know.
If there’s one question I get before my clients have even arrived, it’s this one: “which beach club?”. At Pampelonne there are dozens of them along nearly five kilometres of sand, but a handful genuinely stand out. Here are my favourites, from the timeless classic to the unapologetically festive, and above all how to choose between them.
Club 55
The timeless institution of Pampelonne. A chic, discreet lunch that never dates, the classic I recommend for a first time.
Loulou
Elegant and festive, in Ramatuelle. Lunch drifts gently into a party here, without ever losing its poise.
Shellona
Greek energy: DJ, lively tables, a mood that climbs through the afternoon. My address when clients want things to move.
Jardin Tropezina
Chic and composed, a little calmer, very good for families. A safe bet with your feet in the sand.
Casa Amor
Festive and lifestyle-driven, a rising energy I like for a day that doesn’t want to end.
Indie Beach
More relaxed, boho-chic. The address for a quiet day, away from the noise, when you want to breathe.
How to choose well
Classic and composed? Club 55 or Jardin Tropezina. Want lunch to drift gently into a party? Loulou, Shellona or Casa Amor. A quieter day, feet in the sand? Indie Beach. And if you’re after the spectacle rather than the table, Bagatelle, Gigi Beach, Verde Beach and Byblos Beach each play their own tune on the same stretch of sand.
The two seatings, and what they change
This is the mechanism to understand before booking anything. Most clubs serve in two waves, and those two waves have nothing in common.
- First seating, 12:30 or 1pm, calm, family-friendly, the beach is still a beach. It’s the one I systematically book for families, and the one that leaves the afternoon intact.
- Second seating, 3:30 or 4pm, the DJ climbs, the magnums come out, the tables end up standing. It’s a party, and that’s fine, provided you chose it.
- In the most festive places, children are generally not admitted at the second seating. I’ve seen a family refused entry after crossing the whole bay: one question at the time of booking prevents that.
The row, which nobody mentions
A detail worth more than the choice of club itself. Front row facing the water or third row behind the service walkway is not the same day, and often not a large price difference. It’s negotiated beforehand, when booking, never on arrival where you’ll be put wherever there’s space.
Getting there, and where to park
Pampelonne isn’t in Saint-Tropez but in Ramatuelle: allow ten minutes by car from the village out of season, and up to forty-five on an August Saturday.
Three ways to get there, in order of preference. By boat, dropped by tender in front of the club, by far the most pleasant, and it settles the question of getting back. By car with a driver, who drops you and returns for you, avoiding the car park and the question of who’s driving at seven in the evening. And in your own car, provided you arrive before noon.
And if you want a beach, not a club
It happens more often than people think, and I find the request very healthy. Les Salins beach, on the north of the peninsula, is more sheltered and infinitely quieter. The coves at l’Escalet and around Cap Taillat offer the finest water in the area, without a sunbed in sight. You have to walk a little, there’s no service, and that’s exactly the point.
When to go
June and September, without hesitation. The water is good, the clubs are open, the teams have time, and you get a table and front-row sunbeds within forty-eight hours. In August the same request is made three weeks ahead and you don’t always get the row. Same sand, same menu, same DJ, and two completely different experiences.
