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This market square, immortalized by the painter Charles Camoins (see St-Tropez, la Place des Lices et le Café des Arts), still has some of the atmosphere captured in his work. Crowded with open-air cafés shaded by plane trees, it is the perfect place to watch locals playing pétanque (see Place des Lices, St-Tropez).

The 17th-century ramparts surround a fort built to protect the village from Barbary corsairs. There are fine views of the village from the walls.

The quayside of the Old Port, quai Jean Jaurès, is lined with leisure vessels year-round. In summer the waterside buzzes with artists, and pedestrians hoping for a glimpse of someone famous.

Close to the Vieux Port, a pretty 16th-century chapel has been wonderfully converted to house a world-class collection of paintings by artists connected with St-Tropez, including Bonnard, Derain, Dufy, Matisse, Rouault and Signac (see Musée de l’Annonciade, St-Tropez).

St-Tropez’s beaches begin 4 km (2.5 miles) southeast of the town, on the long bay called the Anse de Pampelonne (see Pampelonne Beach, St-Tropez). The 9-km (5-mile) sweep of sand is divided into smaller stretches, each with its own name.

The ebullient, Italian Baroque church, built in the early 19th century, contains a gilded bust of the town’s patron saint, Tropez (or Torpès). The Roman legionary converted to Christianity and was martyred by Emperor Nero, but he was pushed out to sea by the Romans and his body was washed up where the town now stands.

Built in AD 880 by Guillaume I, Duke of Provence, this round tower overlooking the harbour was once part of a larger castle, the Château Suffren. Nearby, quai Suffren is the mooring point for flotillas of showy motorboats.

La Ponche is the core of the original fishing village. With narrow streets, painted shutters and white-washed walls, it looks much as it did before tourism came along.

The small La Fontanette beach, just east of La Ponche, is not as spectacular as those further afield, but is the only one within walking distance of town and ideal for a midday swim while exploring St-Tropez.

The “Customs Officers’ Path” is part of a sentier littoral (coastal path) with spectacular views of the coast. The tiny pebbly or sandy bays offer bathing opportunities away from the crowds. The energetic can follow the path for 35 km (21 miles) to Cavalaire.