About Sainte-Maxime

Sainte-Maxime’s origins date back to the turn of the first millennium when an abbey was built on the site of the current town and named after St. Maxime, one of the saints from the order ofLérin monks who came from the Cannes region. The port grew over the centuries, the main exports being wine, cork, timber and olives and to protect the town La Tour Carrée was built in the 16th century to match protection offered from St. Tropez on the other side of the bay. This tower was deemed so important that it was restored by Napoleon and is now a museum to the area. At the turn of the 20th century, like so many seaside towns on the Riviera, Sainte-Maxime grew in popularity, becoming home to many notables, including the author of the childrens’ Babar books, Jean de Brunhoff and hence why one of the local beaches is called ‘La Plage des Eléphants’.

Though watersports are well catered for in Sainte-Maxine, surprisingly there are also ten golf courses within a half hour’s drive of the town. In the town centre the Boulodrome Prince Bertil is named after the Swedish Prince who bought a holiday home in Saint-Maxime shortly after the end of the Second World War. As mentioned, the marina is exceptionally well equipped and not only is it possible to hire boats of any size, but there is also a sailing school as well as water skiing, diving and jet-ski facilities available. For more family fun there is Aqualand which comprises a series of swimming pools with water slides and coastal boat trips can be taken with either Les NavettesGimaldines or Les Bateaux Verts.

Like so many of the Riviera towns, Sainte-Maxime usually has something going on throughout the year. The town is fortunate to have an excellent venue for music and plays in le Theatre de la Mer, which also plays host to many of the events which take place between June and July during Les Soirées Gala. The festival year starts off with the Corso de Mimosa, the annual fete to celebrate the regional flower, while things hot up in April with the Jetcup held in the bay of St. Tropez for jet skiers. Sainte-Maxime has now become the venue for the Eurofestival Harley Davidson to celebrate the historic motorcycle which takes place every May and for the last five years, every November, the town holds a Festival International du Film d’Horreur.

Saint-Maxime certainly isn’t short of restaurants with a choice of local French and Provençale cuisine together with a number of Asian restaurants. Le Badiane is the only Michelin starred restaurant in the town, the style being described as ‘modern and creative’. The ‘vielleville’ has a daily market from Tuesday to Sunday together with several flower stalls, while fresh fish can be bought again on a daily basis down by the Quai des Plaisanciers. The weekly fresh food market takes place on Thursday mornings in the conveniently named Place du Marché.