At the end of the main harbor jetty, a squat tower has stood watch since the 15th century. Tour du Portalet keeps an eye on the cove of la Glaye and the comings and goings of the old port. No frills, just blonde stone and arrow slits that have seen galleys, pirates, and now the varnished hulls of yachts glide past.
When Saint-Tropez was easy prey for Barbary raids, Genoese nobleman Raphaël Galesio fortified the village in 1470. He repaired the harbor and built the towers of Portalet and Saint-Elme to keep watch over the sea. Together with Tour Vieille, Tour Jarlier and Tour Suffren (now gone), they formed a tight defensive network. Every sentinel scanned the horizon. At night, watchmen looked for suspicious fires out at sea.
Today, you can't go inside. But no one really cares: it's outside where everything happens. The mistral whipping through, reflections dancing on the water, the ballet of pointus coming home to port. You walk along the jetty, take your time, let the rushed tourists pass. At the foot of the tower, you breathe: salt, sea spray, a hint of iodine. Sometimes, in late September, the regatta of les Voiles de Saint-Tropez begins from here. More than 300 sailboats on the water; quite different from the jet skis of Pampelonne.
