Saint-Tropez by Boat: Pampelonne, the Gulf and Porquerolles (2026)

Around Saint-Tropez, a boat opens up the best of the Côte d’Azur. From the harbour you can reach the long sandy arc of Pampelonne by tender, follow the wild headlands of Cap Camarat and Cap Taillat, or push west to the Hyères islands, where Porquerolles and Port-Cros lie inside one of France’s oldest national parks. Here are the harbours, routes, 2025 and 2026 rules and what a skippered charter includes.

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This guide is part of our France by Boat series. The hub on French Riviera yacht charter links every area from Saint-Tropez to Monaco and Corsica.

Harbours and marinas: where boats leave from

Four harbours ring the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Nice Côte d’Azur airport, the main gateway, is roughly 100 km away by road: allow at least one and a half to two hours, far more on summer weekends, when the road into the peninsula is notoriously slow. Toulon-Hyères airport is closer to the Hyères islands.

• Saint-Tropez (Vieux-Port): right in the village. The tourist office lists more than 700 berths in two basins, with the harbour office on Quai de l’Épi staffed around the clock from 1 April to 12 October. Visitor berths in July and August are scarce and expensive, so most day charters pick guests up at the quay or start from the gulf marinas. To stay a night, contact the harbour office well ahead.
• Port Grimaud: the canal-laced lagoon village at the head of the gulf. Calmer, with easier parking.
• Marines de Cogolin: next door, a large practical marina home to many charter boats.
• Sainte-Maxime: on the north shore, facing Saint-Tropez across the water. Staying here avoids the Saint-Tropez traffic, and the crossing to the village is short.

For the Hyères islands, the closest departure points lie further west: Cavalaire, Le Lavandou and the harbours of Hyères.

The routes in detail

Times are estimates for a fast motor boat in calm seas; sailing yachts need longer.

Route 1: Saint-Tropez to Pampelonne (half day)

Round the Pointe de Saint-Tropez, pass the Baie des Canoubiers and stop off Cap des Salins, where clear water over sand makes the first swim. Pampelonne, the long beach on the Ramatuelle shore lined with beach clubs, is a short run further. Most clubs arrange tender pick up from your boat for lunch. About 30 to 45 minutes each way, so four hours is ample.

Route 2: The capes, Cap Camarat to Gigaro (full day)

Continue south past the lighthouse on Cap Camarat to Cap Taillat, a protected headland joined to the shore by a narrow sandy isthmus. Beyond lie the rocky cove of L’Escalet, Cap Lardier and the beach of Gigaro at La Croix-Valmer. The coast is largely undeveloped, with coves, rock shelves and small overhangs rather than famous sea caves; your skipper will pick safe swim spots. Lunch at Gigaro or back at Pampelonne. Allow roughly an hour each way from Saint-Tropez.

Route 3: The gulf at sunset (two to three hours)

From Port Grimaud, Marines de Cogolin or Sainte-Maxime, cross the gulf, run along the Saint-Tropez waterfront for the view of the citadel, anchor on sand off the Canoubiers shore for a swim and return as the light fades. Ideal for a first evening or for families.

Route 4: Port-Cros and Porquerolles (long day)

From Saint-Tropez the islands are about 30 nautical miles away, roughly one and a half hours each way by fast motor boat; from Cavalaire or Le Lavandou the crossing is far shorter. Moor on a day buoy near Bagaud, swim to the underwater trail off Plage de la Palud, then head to Porquerolles for lunch in the village and an afternoon swim off Plage Notre-Dame, anchoring on sand only. On a sailing yacht, treat this as two days.

Route 5: Three days in the Hyères islands

Day one: via Cavalaire to Port-Cros, with a reserved night buoy at Bagaud or a place in the small harbour. Day two: Porquerolles, swim stops at Notre-Dame and La Courtade, a night in the harbour. Day three: Le Levant, then back east along the capes. Night spaces in July and August need early booking.

Port-Cros works like La Maddalena in our guide to Sardinia by boat: buoy fields, reserves and strict anchoring rules.

Rules: national park, protected areas and anchoring

These rules come from Port-Cros National Park leaflets and Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée orders published for 2025 and 2026. They change often, so confirm with your skipper.

Posidonia and anchoring

• Posidonia is a protected seagrass. Préfecture maritime orders ban vessels of 24 m and over from anchoring in mapped seagrass areas along the Var coast, and the national park adds its own limits. Whatever the size of your boat, anchor on sand, or use a buoy where one is provided.
• Within 300 m of the shore, speed is limited to 5 knots. Buoyed swimming zones are closed to boats; tenders use the marked access channels.
• Vessels over 24 m may not anchor anywhere in the Hyères roadstead, a rule in force since December 2020.

Pampelonne Bay

Ramatuelle opened a mooring zone (ZMEL) of 210 buoys in the bay from summer 2025 to protect the seagrass. Préfecture maritime order 177/2026, signed on 3 June 2026, redrew the zones for large yachts: the former western anchoring area for yachts of 45 to 80 m became a zone for vessels of 24 to 45 m within the buoy field, while yachts of 80 m and above keep a separate anchoring zone. According to yachting trade reports, boats under 24 m may not anchor inside the buoyed areas. How reservations and fees work for smaller boats was not clear from our research, so ask your skipper or the Ramatuelle harbour authorities.

Port-Cros National Park

• Speed: 12 knots between 300 and 600 m from the coast, 5 knots within 300 m and in the mooring zone, 3 knots in the harbour.
• Anchoring: banned for boats over 24 m in the marine core zone, and the park leaflet shows a ban for boats over 12 m in certain areas. Only boats with black water holding tanks may anchor in Port-Cros waters.
• Bagaud mooring zone: 68 buoys from 15 April to 15 October, no anchoring. Day use (8:00 to 18:00) is free; nights (18:00 to 8:00) are paid and reserved in advance. One boat per buoy, with someone able to handle it aboard at all times. Bagaud island is a full reserve with no landing.
• Harbour: office open 1 April to 31 October; mooring free from 9:00 to 18:00, night fee paid at the office. Boats over 15 m only at the stone quay, by reservation, up to 30 m. No fuel, electricity or showers.
• Underwater trail at La Palud: six buoys with underwater panels, free, open daily from 15 June to 15 September 2026. A small pontoon takes tenders, and a shared buoy lets you swim from your boat.
• Banned within 600 m: jet skis, sea scooters, towed toys and motorised surfboards. No discharge of any kind, no drones, no spearfishing.

Porquerolles and Le Levant

• 5 knots within 300 m, 3 knots in the harbour; jet skis and towed toys banned within 600 m.
• Landing banned from 15 June to 30 September on Gros Sarranier islet, between Cap Rousset and Plage Blanche, and on the Grand Langoustier peninsula.
• Anchor on sand only at Notre-Dame, La Courtade and Plage d’Argent. The park has been preparing a buoy field for these beaches; its latest published project file (October 2025) shows it not yet installed. Check the current situation with the park or your skipper.
• Most of Le Levant is a military test site with restricted approaches; the part open to visitors centres on Héliopolis, the naturist village. Check current limits with your skipper.

Temporary wildlife closures can appear at short notice; the park’s Nav&co app carries the latest rules.

Boats, what a charter includes, and licences

Types of boat. Fast motor boats and RIBs suit Pampelonne, the capes and a Porquerolles day. Cabin cruisers suit families; sailing yachts and catamarans suit several days in the islands.

Typically included in a private skippered charter: boat, skipper, insurance, snorkelling gear and soft drinks. Often excluded: fuel (usually charged by consumption on motor boats), lunch ashore, beach club tender transfers, harbour and night buoy fees, and extra crew. Get the list in writing.

French licence rules. To skipper a motor boat with more than 4.5 kW (about 6 hp) at sea you need the French permis plaisance, coastal option, valid up to 6 nautical miles from a shelter; beyond that the offshore extension applies. No licence is needed for a sailing boat. Rental bases decide which foreign licences they accept, so check before you book.

Comparison: which route suits you

Best months, winds and practical tips

Best months. June and September bring warm water and fewer boats. August is the busiest month on the water and the roads, with Pampelonne and the island beaches crowded. In May and October some seasonal hotels and beach clubs are closed.

Winds and sea. The mistral, a dry north westerly that can blow for several days, shapes plans here. It can make the island crossing rough, while east facing Pampelonne may stay calmer; easterly winds do the opposite. Your skipper follows the Météo-France marine forecast and may swap your routes.

• Bring reef-safe sun cream, a hat, a light layer and soft-soled shoes.
• Prone to seasickness? Choose the half day route, sit mid-boat and take any remedy before leaving the harbour.
• Book boats for July and August several months ahead, and beach club tables with tender service as soon as your date is fixed.

Where to stay near the harbours

Hôtel Byblos Saint-Tropez

In the heart of the village, a short walk from the Vieux-Port, which makes harbour pick ups effortless. It reopened for the 2026 season on 22 April with new suites, a Spa by Sisley and a new fitness centre; the nightclub Les Caves du Roy is beneath the hotel. Seasonal: check closing dates with the hotel.

Best for: walking to your boat and the village restaurants.

Check rates at Hôtel Byblos Saint-Tropez

Cheval Blanc St-Tropez

On the Plage de la Bouillabaisse, about 2 km from the village, with 32 rooms and suites, a private beach for hotel guests, a pontoon for water activities, a heated pool, a Guerlain spa and the restaurant La Vague d’Or. Open for the summer season only; ask the hotel for 2026 dates.

Best for: a beach base close to the harbour and the gulf marinas.

Check rates at Cheval Blanc St-Tropez

La Réserve Ramatuelle

On the Chemin des Crêtes above the Ramatuelle coast, with sea views from every room, a 1,000 m² spa, indoor and outdoor pools and villas to rent. It lies closer to Cap Taillat and L’Escalet than to the Vieux-Port; ask the hotel about transfer times to your harbour. Our research turned up contradictory information on the season: the tourist office listing shows the property open year round, while hotel announcements describe a seasonal reopening each spring. Confirm with the hotel before booking outside summer.

Best for: privacy, wellness and days on the capes.

Check rates at La Réserve Ramatuelle

Le Mas du Langoustier, Porquerolles

At the western end of Porquerolles in a 50 hectare park facing the Langoustier beaches, with 47 rooms and suites, a heated pool under the pines and the restaurant La Pinède. Open from 24 April to 27 September 2026, with a shuttle service to the village; ask the hotel about transfers from the harbour.

Best for: a night ashore on a Hyères islands cruise.

Check rates at Le Mas du Langoustier

Coming from Italy? Our guide to the Italian Riviera to the French Riviera by boat covers the passage west, and Portofino and the Cinque Terre by boat makes a natural first chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you reach Pampelonne beach clubs by boat?

Yes. Most beach clubs run tender pick ups from boats in the bay; book table and transfer together.

Do you need a licence to rent a boat in Saint-Tropez?

For a motor boat over 4.5 kW, yes: the French coastal permit or a foreign licence the rental base accepts. A skippered charter needs none.

Can you anchor at Port-Cros?

Only on sand outside restricted areas, with a black water holding tank, and large boats face bans. In the Bagaud zone you must use the buoys: free by day, reserved and paid at night.

Is a day trip from Saint-Tropez to Porquerolles realistic?

On a fast motor boat in calm weather, yes, at around one and a half hours each way. Otherwise start from Cavalaire or Le Lavandou, or plan two days.