Visit to Gassin and Cap Lardier

The interior of St-Tropez peninsula is sparsely inhabited, thanks to government intervention, complex ownerships and the value of some local wines. The best views of this richly green and wooded countryside is from the hilltop village of Gassin, its lower neighbor Ramatuelle, and the tiny road between them, Route des Moulins de Paillas.


The southern tip of the peninsula is a wonderful coastal conservation area. The beach, Plage du Gigaro, is the start of the paths to Cap Lardier. You can continue along the coastal path to Cap Taillat and L’Escalet, and further to the lighthouse of Cap Camarat.

Ramatuelle is surrounded by some of the best Côte de Provence vineyards. We visited first
 Les Celliers des Vignerons de Ramatuelle, which is a wine cooperative. 70 % of their production is rosé, 25 % red and 5 % white. The leading grape variety is Tibouren and the rest of the production is made of the vintage varieties of Grenach, Syrah, Cinsault, Mouvèdre, Carignan and Merlot. The creation of the cooperative in 1954 allowed the small owners to follow the technical evolutions in wine making.    


Gassin is a small hilltop village which is now, of course, highly chic. It is a perfect place for a blow-out dinner or a long leisurely lunch sitting in one of the restaurants offering spectacular views. Today we, however, opted for a simple pizza in La Croix- Valmer because of the planned the seaside hike to Cap Lardier in the afternoon.





When driving from La Croix-Valmer to Plage du Gigaro, you take the road towards Cavalaire and at the roundabout turn left and follow the signs to Plage du Gigaro. There is a spacious parking right behind the small Spar shop.

The seaside trail to Cap Lardier starts from the end of the beach. It is a rugged trail with several steep stairs, so hiking shoes are advisable. It is almost 4 km from Plage du Gigaro to Cap Lardier, and it took us 1 h 10 along the shorter seaside path. On the way back we took the slightly longer inland trail which later joined the coastal path. On a sunny day the hike offers super views in fresh sea air, and the drive back along some small and winding country road