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Four Unforgettable Day Trips from Saint-Tropez

Your villa in Saint-Tropez is exactly where you want to come back to in the evening: a glass of rosé on the terrace, the scent of pine trees, the sun sinking into the Mediterranean. But by day the whole Côte d’Azur beckons — and it is surprisingly small once you approach it the right way. With a helicopter, a private boat or simply a well-booked lunch table, “an outing” turns into a story you will be retelling for years.

Here are four day trips that make the difference between a holiday and that one summer. All of them can be combined with a stay in one of our villas — and all of them can be arranged by our team, right down to the table reservation.

1. By helicopter from Nice to Saint-Tropez (or the other way around)

The drive from Nice airport to Saint-Tropez easily takes an hour and a half to two hours, often with a traffic jam near Le Muy thrown in for good measure. By helicopter? About twenty minutes — and what a twenty minutes it is. You lift off above the bay of Nice, skim past the red rocks of the Esterel plunging straight into the turquoise sea, and set course for the Gulf of Saint-Tropez as the yachts below shrink to toy boats.

It is the most stylish way to begin a holiday: you step off the plane in the morning and have your feet in the sand before lunch. Expect roughly €1,400 to €2,100 for a private flight — a figure that suddenly feels very reasonable once you factor in both the transfer time and the view. We arrange the helicopter, the chauffeur at both ends and the timing around your arrival.

Tip: book the flight so that you return around sunset. The golden light over the Gulf is downright spectacular from the air.

2. A day in Monaco — arriving by helicopter

Fancy tasting the other extreme of the Riviera for a day? Then Monaco is the perfect counterpart to easy-going Saint-Tropez. By road it is a fair drive, but by helicopter you are there in no time, high above the coastline of Cannes and Antibes.

Once there, a day of contrasts awaits: an espresso on the terrace of the Café de Paris overlooking the Casino, a stroll through the palace gardens, lunch in the old town high on the rock, and — for those who wish — a look inside the Oceanographic Museum or along the Formula 1 circuit that runs straight through the city. At the end of the afternoon you lift off again and trade Monaco’s glamour for the calm of your terrace in the Var. Two worlds, one day.

3. By private boat to La Guérite in Cannes

This is perhaps the most beloved day trip among our guests. In the morning you board a day charter in the port of Saint-Tropez — a sleek motor yacht with a skipper — and cruise along the coast towards Cannes. On the way you drop anchor for a refreshing swim in a deserted cove; champagne on board optional, but highly recommended.

Final destination: La Guérite, on the little island of Sainte-Marguerite off Cannes, reachable only by boat. What began in 1902 as a fisherman’s hut has grown into one of the most atmospheric addresses on the Riviera. You lunch with your feet quite literally in the sand, under cane parasols and umbrella pines, with the Mediterranean-Greek cuisine of chef Yiannis Kioroglou and fish that was still swimming that very morning. Music, sun, sea views — and then back on board for the journey home. The restaurant is open daily from April to October, from noon.

Tip: reserve both a table and the boat well in advance. La Guérite is no longer a secret, certainly not in July and August.

4. A long lunch on the paradise island of Porquerolles

A little further to the west lies one of the best-kept secrets of the French coast: the island of Porquerolles, part of a national park, with white sandy beaches, eucalyptus woods and no traffic — just bicycles and footpaths. With a day charter from Saint-Tropez you cruise along the coast to this green jewel.

The highlight is lunch at Le Mas du Langoustier, a Provençal manor on the western tip of the island, surrounded by pines and two private beaches. The Michelin-starred kitchen celebrates Provence at its finest: soupe au pistou, grilled fish, crayfish and vegetables grown on the island itself. A shuttle collects you in the village and takes you across the island to the restaurant. It is refined, remote and gloriously unhurried — exactly what a luxury holiday should be.

Let us arrange it

The beauty of a stay with Cyrus Villas is that you needn’t worry about a thing. Helicopter transfer, private boat with skipper, the right table at the right moment: our team knows the addresses, the skippers and the pilots personally and arranges it all from start to finish. All you have to do is enjoy.

Looking for the perfect base for these day trips? Browse our villas in and around Saint-Tropez or get in touch with Sylvana — she will happily help you plan your ideal week on the Côte d’Azur.

Would you like us to put together a complete day for you — from morning flight to evening dinner? Let us know via WhatsApp or email and we will make a tailor-made proposal.

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