Port Grimaud; great family hang-out

Planning a trip with kids is never easy and my two don’t get excited about much other than a sofa with easy access to an iPad or a friend – so a trip to the St Tropez area had to involve some serious kids fun…. Dreamy villages were off the agenda (kids truly have had enough of that) as were those three course set french brasserie lunches where the option was either steak hache or a slice of ham – any discussion around an alternative for them was always greeted with a pretty defiant NON….. ok ok fine!  Steak hache it is again kids…  Sorry!!

So this trip I chose Port Grimaud; a stunning architectural experiment made up of four little islands sitting on a network of canals and linked by bridges.  Two decades after it’s creation it is known as the ‘Venice of Provence’ and sits between St Tropez and St Maxime on the French Riveria.   We rented a charming pastel fisherman’s cottage complete with flower filled garden and waterside location and boat just for us.  BINGO…. what a change!  away went the iPads and out came my new sailor daughters…

We had opted for Port Grimaud 2 around the corner from the more touristy Port Grimaud 1.  This spot is more tranquil with gorgeous little windy streets of pastel pink houses all leading to a charming square complete with tabac, restaurants and  La Grimaudoise; deli, cafe, bar and restaurant (a place you never want to leave).

We loved it  – days spent pottering around on OUR boat and trips to see the mega yachts in the helicopter sky filled area of glitzy St Tropez bay  TRULY MEGA!

The really dreamy bit of the trip (for the kids at least) was the water park, Aquasplash in St Maxime……… normally my kind of hell!  We arrived out of international school holidays to a truly peaceful place with a smattering of local kids.  My daughters were ecstatic!!!!  A whole day of empty water slides slipping and sliding and flipping around the park like a couple of dolphins.  I kept a low profile on the sun-bed!!!!!  My other half was roped in to one too many fast swirling trips down a slide.  I eventually gave in… grabbing the mat before a horrid descent – and a SPLASH! Ouch my back!! (I’m happy to swim with dolphins but I don’t want to be one!!!!)  Didn’t have to negotiate a steak hache lunch situation either… hot dogs and pizza all the way!!

That perfect day finished with a meander around the achingly pretty town and little beaches of the holiday resort St Maxime and a truly top French treat of Tarte Tropiezienne from their patisserie before returning back to the boat and the pastel cottage on the water.  The kids were happy….

Finally time for me to end my holiday by escaping to the DREAMIEST of all hill top villages; Grimaud, five minutes away from the seaside.  Perfect!!!!