Grimaud: all about this beautiful flower village in the south of France!

Grimaud is a Provençal village in the south of France. It is located just inland, just northwest of Saint-Tropez. The well-known Port Grimaud is also part of Grimaud, but this blog really focuses on the old center of Grimaud. Grimaud is beautiful and completely different from the garish Saint-Tropez. If you are in the area, this village is definitely worth a visit.

How much time do you allocate to Grimaud?

Half a day is enough time to see the whole village because Grimaud is not big. However, it is the perfect base for the amazing surroundings. From here you can visit the most beautiful beaches of the Côte d’Azur, or take a day trip to Saint-Tropez. Do you want to enjoy a relaxed holiday and see everything this area has to offer? Then we recommend that you spend at least two days here.

Curious about what you can do in Grimaud and its surroundings? Then read on quickly! Most of Grimaud’s highlights that we describe can be found in the old town.

1. Stroll through the old center of the flower village Grimaud!

Grimaud is one of these places where you have the feeling of going back in time. Built on top of a hill, overlooking the sea, lies this romantic medieval town. Every corner you turn seems to hide an even more beautiful view than the last! And this idyll is enhanced by the large amount of flowers that can be seen everywhere. In containers under the windowsills, growing down like a waterfall from balustrades and in large flower pots by the doors.

Grimaud is nicknamed the flower village for a reason! And in the summer months, this is the perfect place to stroll around for a few hours and admire all those brightly colored flowers. But this is not the only thing that makes Grimaud so attractive. The buildings, sometimes even dating back to the 12th century, look great! Including beautiful lavender blue shutters, stairs and narrow alleys that take you higher up in the village and a stone-old church.

Restaurant tip Grimaud:

There are more than enough restaurants in Grimaud. Since Grimaud is quite touristy, you will also find the typical tourist attractions here. But if you are looking for a good restaurant in Grimaud, then I have a tip for you: La Marquise restaurant.

Yes, the prices are relatively high and indeed, the owner is typically French, a bit savvy towards non-French people. But the food is great! Large portions with fresh vegetables, fish and delicious desserts! You will find mainly locals here, who sit outside at one of the terrace tables to enjoy the Provencal cuisine. Inside there are several floors, decorated separately and full of trinkets. Click here for the location.

The ruins of the castle of Grimaud rise above the old center of Grimaud. Not much more than a few walls, stairs and a tower remain, but from here you have a great view of the entire bay of Saint-Tropez.

This old castle was built in the 11th century. It was expanded and modernized in the 13th and 17th centuries, but during the second half of the 18th century it was abandoned and has not been used since. It once symbolized Grimaud’s great success. At that time, the lords who mastered the gulf of Saint-Tropez lived in the castle, descendants of the Grimaldi family. Then the plague spread in France around 1370, there were many wars and poverty was the most normal thing in the world, the inhabitants of Grimaud sought refuge in this place and built a large protective wall around it. Later the famous Castellane family lived here. They continued to expand the castle. During the French Revolution, the castle was dismantled and ran wild.

Today it is a historical monument and the stairs leading to the castle often host concerts & shows.

You are here in the Côte de Provence, the largest wine region in Provence. Many delicious (rosé) wines come from here. Often you can just visit a winery and ask for a (often free) tasting. Sometimes it is also possible to do a tour of the wine estate and of course you can buy wines here.

Domaine de La Giscle is a winery near Grimaud. Inside the wine cellar, which is full of oak barrels, you can taste different rosé and white wines. We bought a few bottles of the “Le Rosé Moulin de l’isle”, a delicious rose that is easy to drink. Sadly, this winery is temporarily closed after being hit by the terrible forest fires that raged in the south of France last summer. Be sure to keep an eye on the website to see if they’re open again. And if so, then a visit is absolutely worth it (and this way you support them in the reconstruction)!

Another tip is the Fondugues-Pradugues winery. This is near the beach of Ramatuelle and therefore a short drive from Grimaud (15 km). What makes this winery so special are the various picnic & lunch options. Throughout the summer you will find the “L’émphémère” pop-up food trick and wine festival here and you can picnic among the vineyards. During the rest of the year you can book a wine tasting with lunch/snacks via “Le Chai”. Very idyllic.

Grimaud is close to a number of other highlights of southern France. Here you will find the fashionable city of Saint-Tropez. Famous for the rich & famous who have been coming here for decades and known for its harbor full of luxury yachts. Port Grimaud, the harbor built in the 1960s, is located in the bay of Saint-Tropez and also belongs to Grimaud. This is harbor is sometimes nicknamed “French Venice” because there are bridges everywhere and the village has more than two kilometers of quay.

Further inland you will find the pretty village of Plan-de-la-Tour. Time seems to have stood still in this Provençal town. Only 2500 people live there, but in terms of area the village is very large. There are many beautiful holiday homes spread over the almost 4000 hectares of land spread over the hills. Have a look here. A nice restaurant in Plan-de-la-Tour is Le Comptoir de la Poste where you can eat a delicious daily menu.

Grimaud is slightly inland, but not far from a number of fine beaches. Depending on traffic (which can sometimes be very busy in this area) you can reach the beach in twenty minutes. The most beautiful beaches near Grimaud are:

• Plage de Pampelonne near Ramatuelle. This is one of the most famous beaches in the area. Here you will find luxury beach clubs such as Indie Beach, LouLou and Le Club 55.

• Plage de Gigaro: A long stretch of beach that turns into a beautiful nature reserve where the Sentier du Littoral runs, a beautiful coastal path that leads you along small bays. You will also find the popular hotel Lilly of the Valley here with associated beach clubs Pepe and Brigantine.

• Plage de Sainte Claire: A little further west, you’ll find this lovely little bay. Less pretentious, with more locals. The route to this beach from Grimaud is also beautiful: winding coastal roads lead past villages, bays and sometimes along high cliffs.

Below are three nice B&Bs in Grimaud or its surroundings. They have different price ranges and keep in mind that during peak season, prices can skyrocket.

Grimaud campsites

Unfortunately there are no campsites in the old village of Grimaud, but there are some very nice campsites in the area such as Cap Taillat.

Have a look here for more hotels in the surroundings!

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