Gulf of Saint-Tropez Guide - Part 2

Do you think you know the Gulf of Saint-Tropez?

I was born here.
And I can tell you one thing: the Gulf never reveals everything at first glance.

Let's go for three levels.
Tourist. Local. Expert.
Goal: make you shine, but with elegance.

Level 1 – Curious Tourist

Jacques Chirac's childhood in Rayol-Canadel.

Yes, it's here.

During the German invasion, young Jacques and his parents found refuge in Rayol-Canadel, in the Villa Casa Rosa, owned by his father's boss. The Gulf became a shelter.

He attended the village school, now Salomé Sport.
And legend has it that he even cut telephone lines installed by the Germans.

Since his death in 2019, a plaque commemorates this discreet passage of history in this corner of the Mediterranean.

The Gulf is not just scorching summers.
It's also winters of resistance.

If you knew that, you're starting to talk like a local.

Level 2 – Local

The Valaurie Mines.

Between Le Plan-de-la-Tour and Saint-Maxime, hidden in the garrigue, are the Valaurie Silver Mines.

750 hectares.
The equivalent of 1,000 football fields.

Exploited since 1909, their galleries descended 90 meters underground. Silver-bearing lead and zinc were extracted there. Another wealth of the Gulf, far from postcards.

Closed in 1929, they can now be discovered on the surface thanks to a marked hiking trail.
You walk among the pines, and beneath your feet still lie the industrial scars of the last century.

The Gulf is multifaceted.
Maritime, wild, but also mineral.

Level 3 – Expert

Ramatuelle, the deepest wreck in France.

On March 4, 2025, off Cap Taillat, an exceptional discovery.

At a depth of 2,500 meters lies a 16th-century merchant ship.
The deepest wreck ever found in French waters.

Inside:
200 pitchers marked with the monogram of Christ.
Cannons.
Plates stacked as if time had stopped in mid-crossing.

The Gulf doesn't just hold secrets on the surface.
It protects them in the abysses.

That's what I love here.
A territory where history hides in a villa, under a hill, or 2,500 meters under the sea.

Did you know that?

See you soon for more.
Heading for a blue journey.