Though France’s Cote d’Azur is better known for its luxury lifestyle and sleek boating culture, pockets of brilliant trails can be found orbiting sandy beaches and bustling town centres. Saint-Tropez is endowed with a coastal trail and some interesting road running routes, at least enough to fill a weekend around a busy dining schedule.

I’ve organised routes with some degree of social sensitivity – they wrap around the town’s culinary epicentres, in case your trying to figure out ways to get to meals without disrupting the flow of your group.

To Pampelonne

To get to the heart of Plage de Pampelonne, head on the main road out of Saint-Tropez, Routes des Plages. Though this road can get busy, there are shallow drainage ditches (paved) and wider sections to take your route. You’ll pass Chateau des Marres and its tasting room before taking on a gentle climb ahead of signposts to the various beaches on your left.

The total route is a swift 7km with a modest 100m in elevation gain. Take this route out if you’re looking to get the legs moving after a long journey. Though I walked it, there is a possible return via the beach itself, skirting east along the coast in the direction of the town

Though I walked it, there is a possible return via the beach itself, skirting east along the coast in the direction of the town centre. As you would imagine, the sandy on Pampelonne has a luxuriant softness and doesn’t pack down hard – carry your shoes then slip them on once you hit the coastal path and commence your 5km return.

My mapped Strava mapped landed me at Nikki Beach.

To Plage des Salins

Half road, half trail, this route finishes at La Plage des Salins, a restaurant, and bar with a small beach and parking. The road on the way out of town is quiet, while the trail takes on part of moderate Sentier du Littoral (map).

If you’re feeling up for it, you can extend this route by completing the coastal trail all the way back to the town centre (image above).

My route map

Citadel Hill intervals

Saint-Tropez is graced with its own fortress (La Citadelle de Saint-Tropez), which also makes for a neat hill interval that’s just under 200m and a 12% grade. Tourists will take a set of stairs to the top, your shortcut back to the start of the segment. The road itself runs right up to the fortress and has limited traffic (none during my 20-minute session).

This patch of tarmac as a segment on Strava – Storming La Citadelle.