The calendar of Sainte-Maxime, season by season

Our tenants often say it: they came for the summer, they stayed for October.

Spring opens the walking season. You can walk the hills behind the Préconil, and the route du Plan de la Tour takes you into the hinterland in a few minutes. The beaches become usable again from May, well before the holidaymakers arrive.

The exact programme changes from one year to the next. So we do not copy it out here: the official diary of the Sainte-Maxime tourist office remains the only up-to-date source, and it takes two clicks to check. What does not change, however, is the rhythm: a full town in summer, calm and liveable the rest of the year.

The tenant's own calendar, alongside

Alongside the town's events, a tenant's year has its own rhythm. Tenants mostly give notice in spring, so homes free up in summer. The choice is therefore widest between May and July.

Conversely, very few homes change hands from November to February. If you are looking at that time of year, widen your search to the neighbouring towns, or send us an application and wait for spring.

You prepare for the school year the same way: start looking in May, apply in June, sign in July. The homes available in September have been promised since spring.

Summer, at full tilt

From mid-June to the end of August, Sainte-Maxime changes scale. The population rises sharply, the seafront fills up and the terraces never stop. Shops take on staff, opening hours stretch, and the town stays up late. This is the season that drives the local economy.

For a year-round resident, summer calls for a few habits. In practice, you shop early in the morning, you avoid the coast road between eleven and two, and you keep your parking space. Anyone with private parking sails through the season without a thought.

Summer brings its rewards too. Events follow one after another, the sea stays warm until September, and you can cross the gulf by boat.

What is more, many of our tenants work during those weeks: the season remains the area's biggest employer.

September and October

From the second half of September, the town eases off. The holidaymakers leave, the parking spaces reappear and the sea stays warm. The terraces stay open, with no queue. Our tenants all come back to this point: September and October make the whole year worthwhile.

Everyday appointments become easy again. Indeed, you get a slot with the doctor, the hairdresser or the beauty salon within the week, sometimes the same day. Tradespeople call you back. Restaurants take their time.

This is also the best time to view a home. The town shows itself as it lives eleven months out of twelve. So we always advise an off-season visit to anyone hesitating between two neighbourhoods.

Winter belongs to residents

From November to February, Sainte-Maxime becomes a town of eight to ten thousand residents again. The market runs, the schools run, the local shops hold firm. A few seasonal addresses close for a few weeks, but the essentials stay open. The climate, meanwhile, stays mild.

Provençal traditions set the pace in December. The year-end markets, Christmas Eve and the nativity scenes belong to the local calendar. January and February then offer bright days and empty trails. This is the walkers' favourite season.

As for the home itself, winter mainly calls for good insulation and proper heating. So we state the energy performance certificate and the heating system on every listing. What is more, reversible air conditioning is fitted in several of our flats, which settles the question of extra heating.

Spring

March and April wake up the hinterland. You can walk the hills behind the Préconil, and the route du Plan de la Tour takes you to the vineyards in a few minutes. The days grow longer, the terraces reopen, and the town gets ready.

In May the beaches become usable again, well before the holidaymakers arrive. The sea is still cool, but the sand is empty. So residents enjoy the coast for a good six weeks before everyone else.

Spring is also the moving season on the coast. Indeed, many owners take their homes back for the summer. We have done the opposite since 1971, and that is exactly the moment of the year when the difference shows best.

The market, every week

The market in the centre sets the rhythm of the week all year. In summer, you struggle to cross it before eleven. In winter you take your time, and the producers stop to talk.

It is also the best place to understand the town before settling here. Indeed, you see who lives here all year. So a visit on a Thursday in November tells you more than a brochure.

From the Préconil valley and the chemin des Virgiles, allow a quarter of an hour on foot. From rue Léon Gaumont, a few minutes. From the heights, you still need the car.

Working here all year

The local economy lives on tourism, but not only on tourism. Shops, tradespeople, public services and the businesses of the gulf employ people all year. What is more, remote working has grown a great deal here in recent years.

Many of our tenants work in the gulf: in Sainte-Maxime, in Saint-Tropez, in Cogolin or in Grimaud. Others travel to Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël or further afield. In practice, the daily commute often decides the neighbourhood.

The season remains the biggest employer from spring to autumn. It offers short contracts and long hours. On the other hand, it is not enough on its own to cover a year-round rent: that is why we look at a whole situation, and not just a payslip.

Moving at the right time

On the coast, the moving calendar follows the season. Many owners take their homes back in spring to let them out in summer. As a result, year-round homes become scarce exactly when everyone is looking.

We do the opposite. Our departures spread across the year, in step with the notice periods. So a home can come free in February just as easily as in September.

The right move is therefore to apply in advance, even when nothing is available. We call these applicants back before we publish a listing. In practice, that is the only way to hear first.

The climate, month by month

Winter stays mild, with bright days and rare frosts by the sea. Spring arrives early: the terraces reopen in March. Summer is hot and dry, with nights that can turn heavy in July and August.

Autumn brings the rain, often short and heavy. It washes the town and lets the fine weather return. So November regularly delivers days of full sunshine.

For the home itself, this translates very simply. Good insulation counts as much in summer as in winter, and reversible air conditioning is fitted in several of our flats. What is more, an east-facing terrace is far more pleasant than a south-facing one in August.

What the season changes

The season decides almost everything: the traffic, the parking, the waiting times for appointments and the noise in the town centre. Yet it lasts only two months. In practice, for ten months a year, the town belongs to its residents.

That is exactly what we offer, and that is why we never let by the week. A home lived in all year keeps the schools and the winter shops alive. On the other hand, it earns less than a holiday let : we have stood by that since 1971.

If you are still hesitating, come on a Tuesday in November. Walk from the harbour to the market, then follow the seafront. You will then see the town as you will live in it, and not as it is photographed.

In short

Sainte-Maxime lives two months at full speed and ten months on a human scale. Summer brings the buzz, the seasonal work and the warm sea. Autumn hands the town back to its residents, and that is the season our tenants prefer.

Winter stays mild, lived in and perfectly workable. Spring opens the hinterland and the beaches before everyone else. So each season has its use, and none is like the last.

To see what we are letting today, open the page of flats to let. Each listing gives the floor area, the rent, the service charges and the availability. What is more, you can send your application online, even if nothing suits you on that date.

Frequently asked questions