La Ponche

La Ponche is the old fishermen's quarter of Saint-Tropez, at the eastern end of the harbour, and it is the part of town that best preserves the village that existed before the celebrity era. For centuries Saint-Tropez was a small fishing community, and La Ponche was its working heart, with low houses, narrow lanes, boats pulled up on the beach and nets drying in the sun. The name itself is local, and the neighbourhood retains a special feel, quieter and more intimate than the main quayside with its yachts.

The quarter sits just inside the old town walls, and a gate, the Porte de la Ponche, gives access to a small sheltered beach and a tiny harbour where traditional wooden boats are moored. The lanes behind rise past houses painted in warm shades of ochre, pink and orange, with shutters and flower pots, and the buildings are packed closely together as in a Mediterranean fishing village. The old ramparts and the remains of towers recall the town's defensive history, since the coast was subject to raids for many centuries. The local legend of the town's name is also tied to the sea: according to tradition, the body of the Roman martyr Torpes arrived on the shore here in a boat, which gave Saint-Tropez its name.

La Ponche is also tied to the story of the town's modern fame. In the 1950s, the film director Roger Vadim shot scenes of the film And God Created Woman, starring Brigitte Bardot, in and around Saint-Tropez, which brought international attention and began its transformation into a fashionable resort. A small hotel in the quarter, the Hôtel La Ponche, became a favourite of artists and film people, and the quarter attracted writers and painters, including the author Boris Vian, who spent time in the town.

From La Ponche it is a short walk to the other sights of Saint-Tropez. The Port de Saint-Tropez, with its famous quayside cafés, lies to the west, the Citadelle Saint-Tropez with its maritime museum stands on the hill, and the Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption has a colourful bell tower. The Place des Lices is the lively market square inland. Beaches such as the Plage de Pampelonne, the Jardin des Salins and the wild capes of Cap Taillat and Cape Camarat offer more of the coast.

The quarter is free to explore and open at all times. It suits walkers and photographers, especially in the morning and at sunset, and anyone who wants to see the quieter side of Saint-Tropez.