Timeless Harbors of
the Riviera di Levante

Nuzzled between Portofino and Rapallo on the Gulf of Tigullio, there’s no mistaking the jet-set allure of this welcoming respite of Italian aristocracy. Despite its old-world charm, Art Deco edge and self-assured Riviera attitude, Santa Margherita has retained a sense of authenticity that’s rare on the Ligurian Coast. Belle Epoque hotels are scattered across hillsides and brightly painted Ligurian houses huddle behind palms and pines on the elegant promenade. But there’s an unhurried ease you don’t find elsewhere. Locals dine on fresh Mediterranean seafood and sip chilled vermentino as fishing boats bob in the quiet harbor, and regal estates like the 17th century Villa Durazzo dot the slopes above town, where hiking trails lead to hidden beaches and the social squares of radiant Portofino.

1955: a film, an actress, a small fishing village, and a phenomenal success. The film was And God Created Woman, the actress Brigitte Bardot, and the village, Saint-Tropez. BB became a myth, and Saint-Tropez, a legend. Royals, actors, writers, painters, sculptors… all flocked to its shores. "Saint-Trop'," as insiders call it, became the epicenter of laid-back chic.

People adore it for its beaches—of which there are many (Pampelonne, La Ponche, Les Canoubiers…)—and their restaurants; its old port, where yachts and fishing boats intermingle; its narrow streets and ochre-colored facades; the Place des Lices, alive with endless pétanque games; the Voiles regatta, showcasing the most magnificent sailboats; and its “institutions”: morning coffee at Sénéquier and sandals crafted here and nowhere else.

Time, seasons, and trends may come and go, but Saint-Tropez remains: a way of life.

Its story reads like a fairytale: a small fishing village transformed into the world’s cinema capital, thanks to a festival that became the second most-publicized event on the planet, after the Olympics. For ten days, they’re draped in a red carpet, lit by flashing cameras as the world’s biggest stars ascend them.

For over 75 years, the Cannes Film Festival has discovered talent, created legends, and immortalized those who’ve graced the famous Croisette. With beaches and luxury hotels on one side, and designer boutiques on the other, the Croisette is Cannes’ glamorous heartbeat. And even when the festival lights fade, with the Lérins Islands in view and the old town of Le Suquet nearby, Cannes stays forever in the spotlight.