Historically, Saint-Tropez Harbour has always been an integral part of the town. Over the centuries in the French Mediterranean it has played a dominant role at different times in several fields: as a fishing port, trading port, marina and now a pied-a-terre for influential ground-breakers and experienced sailors.

It was in 1470 under the governance of Raphaël de Garezzio that the links between Saint-Tropez, the sea and its harbour were forged. A freshwater cove at the foot of the town became a harbour where fishing boats and coasters were moored. In the centuries which followed the harbour underwent several redevelopments to become the legendary harbour you see today.

Development of the town centred around its harbour. It became the focus of the town’s economy, with tartanes that exported produce from Saint-Tropez coming and going, as well as the iconic pointu fishing boats we can still see today. It was a hive of activity that also produced some intrepid Tropezien sailors and master mariners, who sailed the world’s oceans and whose names are engraved in stone and in our history books.

At the time, Saint-Tropez was already a reference for the maritime world and learning. The town’s School of Hydrography taught many sailors from 1791 to 1914. In the late 18th century, Saint-Tropez had the third largest fleet in the French Mediterranean (number of vessels and crew) after Marseille and La Ciotat. It was around this time that Saint-Tropez saw the emergence of boatyards (Bori, Anrigou and Sevoule) which built some of the largest sailing yachts of the era, vessels like Luminy (1836) and the three-mast La Reine des Anges (1860) for the merchant navy.

• Vieux Port: it was in 1965 that the harbour’s main basin was officially named Vieux Port as it has been a hub of maritime activities for five centuries. Being a classified site and having been almost destroyed during the Second World War, it was rebuilt to be identical and improved by the addition of another basin.
• Portalet Jetty: built at the end of the 15th century, it has undergone several improvements over the years including an extension and construction of the first lighthouse in 1869, which in turn was altered in 1999 while staying faithful to the original 19th century version.
• Jean Lescudier Basin: as Saint-Tropez developed it was clear the harbour had to expand. In 1963, it was the then Mayor Louis Fabre who voted to expand it, although the project started in 1965 under the council led by Jean Lescudier. The result was a new basin covering five hectares and able to accommodate vessels up to 21m. It was not until 2009 that it was officially named the Jean Lescudier Basin.
• Saint-Elme Tower: built in 1637 to protect the harbour entrance and is indentical to the Portalet Tower. In 1991, it became the premises of the Harbour Master’s Office. Since 2017, after the renovation works, the tower is open only during summer season to welcome customers.