Saint-Aygulf

Enjoy Saint-Aygulf, with its beautiful beaches, cozy town center with restaurants and terraces.

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Practical and tourist information Saint-Aygulf

Saint-Aygulf is a seaside resort village, located between Les Issambres and Fréjus. It has several private beaches, of which the Beach Bleu et Blanc is the best known, since when you come from Nice and drive through to Les Issambres, you will see this on your left hand side just before passing through the city center. But even a part of the Bleu et Blanc beach is public, meaning that you can use the beach without paying any fees. There are a few public beaches as well, such as the Plage de l’Argent, the only public beach in Saint-Aygulf that allows dogs on a leash.

PROPERTIES

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Beautiful local sights and attractions

Discover a selection of the most beautiful places and attractions in Saint-Aygulf

History

Sainte-Aygulf owes its name to a monk from the monastery de Lérins who lived from 630 to 675. His name was Ayoul, which after he was murdered by monks...

Population

The number of permanent residents in Saint-Aygulf is 4,970...

Climate

Saint-Aygulf has a Mediterranean climate, with the following average temperatures per month: January 10 February 10 March 12 April 14 May 17 Jun...

BEAUTIFUL SAINT-AYGULF

Standing in one of the observation points at Ponds Villepey, time suddenly becomes unimportant watching the elegant pink flamingos, the various ducks and the swans with their cygnets. Surrounded by the natural colours of the area, the yellow mimosa and dark green pines as well as being bathed in golden sunshine, a holiday in beautiful Saint-Aygulf encourages holidaymakers to reconnect with nature... Situated on the coast between Cannes and Saint Tropez and just five kilometres from the historical town of Fréjus, Saint-Aygulf lies in the heart of the French Riviera amidst pine trees, palms and mimosa and is bathed in sunshine for nearly 300 days each year. This area was first inhabited by the Romans who developed a bustling town in nearby Fréjus. A small fishing harbour was established at Saint-Aygulf and the rich soil of the area was used for agriculture. The Romans also mined green sandstone and blue porphyry in the vicinity. Over the centuries, time seemed to stand still in Saint-Aygulf as it remained a small cluster of attractive houses built around a pretty square. In the 1930s the whole area was 'discovered' by artists, poets and writers as well as the 'jet-set' and they were followed by the first tourists who fell in love with the colours and fragrances of Provence, its wonderful beaches and of course, it’s beautiful sunshine. Several hotels were built around Saint-Aygulf and a number of holiday houses and villas. Today, the centre of the village is still its square which is surrounded by small shops including several really good bakeries. Interestingly, one of them is part of La Tarte Tropézienne chain named after this wonderful local creation and definitely worth a taste! Saint-Aygulf has more than five kilometres of beautiful gently sloping beaches; some with the finest sand and others with pebbles smoothly rounded by the sea.

Water sports

There are numerous small coves fringed by the clear blue water of the Mediterranean which are perfect for swimming, fishing and snorkelling. The Plage des Esclamandes is the largest beach. It is a huge sandy beach with shallow water making it ideal for families with children and it is manned by lifeguards during the summer. There are a couple of little beach shops that stock cold drinks and ice creams- and importantly there are toilets too! At the northern end of the beach (the Fréjus end) there is a naturist section. First thing in the morning and again in the early evening, it can be breezy on the beach, but in the summer months this is lovely and refreshing! There are 800 kilometres of coastline in France and much of it has a walking trail which dates from the end of the 18th century when it was formed as a way of monitoring smugglers and smuggling. Today, a section of the 'Chemin des Douaniers' - ' the Road of Customs Officers’ is enjoyed in Saint-Aygulf by many walkers. The path leads for about 12 kilometres from Saint-Aygulf to the San Peïre Beach at Les Issambres. Just outside Saint Aygulf there is La Gaillarde which is large Roman ornamental fish pond, believed to be about 2,000 years old. For those keen to learn more about the whole area, there are guided walks along this stretch of the coast in the summer, led by knowledgeable naturalists. Saint-Aygulf is perfect for enjoying the simple pleasures of the sea. If for you this includes swimming and snorkelling, the sea near La Gaillarde is really clear and rich in marine life because the posidonia meadows of sea grasses lie not far offshore, so there are sea urchins, rockfish, octopus and red sea anemones to see as well as numerous limpets on the underwater rocks. For those who enjoy water sports with an adrenalin rush, there are surf and paddle boards to hire at the harbour in Saint-Aygulf and there is a designated kite surfing beach situated at the far end of the Saint-Aygulf beaches – just before the entrance to Fréjus.

Etangs de Villepey

If you have always wanted to try jet skiing, Jet Fun Evasion is by the harbour and is a really good company with clear easy-to-follow instructions given in French or English. It is great fun travelling past the Saint-Aygulf coastline on a windsurfboard, but for your first attempt, best to book a 25-minute slot as your arms will get incredibly tired. If you are keen to try more water sports there is a wide selection available along the coast in both directions. If on the other hand, you fancy exploring the coast in a leisurely style, motor yachts can be hired in Les Issambres. Water taxis (Les Bateaux Verts) offer boat trips from the harbour to the famous resort of Saint-Tropez further east which has long been connected with celebrities and the jet-set. Tuesdays and Saturdays are particularly good days to make the trip to see Le Marché Saint-Tropez – the market – which must be the hippest and most colourful one in the whole of the South of France! For walkers and cyclists there is a wealth of routes to explore from Saint-Aygulf. The Ponds Villepey also known as 'Etangs de Villepey’ meaning 'sweet and salty water' are found seven kilometres away from the village. Situated in beautiful countryside between Maures and Esteral, the ponds cover an area of more than 250 acres. The ponds are one of the major wetlands of the Var region. They have changed dramatically in recent years as they were suffering from human intervention until conservationists started working with the local authorities to reduce the amount of human activity in the area and to carefully manage the various natural habitats. Observation points have been constructed and trails and bridges created with the result that more than 200 different species of water birds and various other wildlife have been recorded there and it is a paradise for ornithologists. The trails in the area are popular with walkers and mountain bikers.

Provençal cuisine

Areca Park is situated on the edge of Fréjus and is an attractive botanical garden filled with bamboo, palms and an oak grove. It is ideal for children as there is a large play area with a large pirates' ship, climbing frame and swings. With children in mind, there is Aqualand on the edge of the village and a Luna Park plus a kart track. If you are a golfer, this whole area is an important one as there are seven beautiful 18-hole golf courses all within easy reach including the famous golf courses of Valescure and Esterel. France is well known for its traditional markets and what better place to buy some of the local fruit and cheeses? The market in Saint-Aygulf is held on a Tuesday and Friday morning and as well as fish, vegetable, fruit and cheese stalls there are often stalls selling toys and furniture too. The market is held in La Place de la Poste in Avenue Castillon. On a Thursday, there is a small flea market and art sale at the same spot. There are plenty of other markets in the surrounding towns and villages to enjoy and a particularly nice one is the Brocante (flea market) which is held every Sunday morning in Grimaud, the Puces. There is always a fascinating collection of trinkets, including old vintage clothing and bags, pieces of embroidery, lace and interesting old prints and books - it's a really great way to find an unusual gift or souvenir! The food of Provence is known the world over and Saint-Aygulf is lucky enough to have a number of delightful restaurants including Les Moulins de Saint-Aygulf and Le Dit Vin that both showcase the delicious local cuisine perfectly. For those who are particularly fond of freshly caught fish and shellfish, Le Cercle, just a few kilometres away in Roquebrune-sur- Argens is well worth discovering.

Perfect family beach holiday

With so much glorious coastline, fish and shellfish appear on most menus and the local fish soup is particularly good. This is usually served as a starter in the form of just the soup with a little fish, or as a main course in the form of a Bouillabaisse, so with a lot of fish. In both cases cheese and Rouille are served. If you are in one of the boulangeries (bakeries) in the village, as well as freshly baked croissants and baguettes a definite 'must try' is the Tarte Tropézienne (also known as La Tarte de Saint-Tropez). This delicious cream filled brioche was first created by Alexandre Micha, a patisserie owner in Saint-Tropez in 1955 for the actress Brigitte Bardot who was filming Et Dieu Créa la femme… in that town – which launched her career as an actress and changed Saint-Tropez forever! Now the Tarte Tropézienne has become a chain store with branches in many cities all over de French Riviera. One can even find a branch at Nice airport, both accessible for everybody at the arrival hall, or only accessible for passengers that have cleared the passport control for international flights, so they can take one of these delicious cakes back home with them. As the sun begins to set, the coastal promenade is popular as are the several little beach bars there where people sit and relax with a cool drink and watch the world go by. For night birds there is the club Bleu et Blanc where dancing continues long into the night. Interestingly, the coastal promenade is popular as the sun rises too with those who enjoy watching the splendour of another day unfurling in front of them Saint-Aygulf for perfect family beach holidays, water sport fans, walkers, cyclists and dreamers...