The medieval hilltop village of Grimaud sits about four kilometres inland from Port Grimaud, perched above the plain on a rocky spur with views across the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. This is the original settlement that lent its name to the planned resort below — a genuine Provencal village of narrow streets, stone houses, arched passageways, and a ruined Romanesque castle at the summit.
Wandering Grimaud takes an hour at most, but it is a worthwhile contrast to the artificial village at the waterfront. The lanes are genuinely old, the restaurant terraces genuinely local in feel, and the views from the castle ruins genuinely panoramic. A tourist train runs between the two, which is the easiest way to get up the hill without a car.