Walking Through Sainte-Maxime
Facing Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime is best read as a shore town: an older core around the Tour Carrée, a clear seafront and districts stretching towards the beaches.
Sainte-Maxime looks across the gulf from the northern bank. That position explains much of the walk: harbour, seafront, old centre and permanent views towards the peninsula come together here.
The old urban core
The centre is organised around short streets, squares and older buildings, among which the Tour Carrée remains a strong landmark. A walking route works best when it starts here before moving towards the church, the market and the harbour.
An open bank facing the gulf
The sea is present everywhere. The seafront, the urban beaches and the views towards Saint-Tropez give the walk a continuous horizon. This is also what makes Sainte-Maxime a good place from which to read the opposite shore.
How to explore it
The most useful route starts in the centre and then follows the shore, either along the beaches or towards La Nartelle. Outside the summer peak, the shape of the bay and the real scale of the town become much easier to understand.
After Sainte-Maxime, you can turn your gaze towards Grimaud or go back to the villages of the gulf page to connect the northern bank, the peninsula and the inland villages.
