Polo in Saint-Tropez: the summer season at Gassin

Fifteen minutes inland from the port, on flat ground between the vines and the hills, Saint-Tropez has a polo club with four grass pitches and an international summer season. Most visitors never find out it exists. It runs through July and August, the Sunday matches are open, and it is the only thing in the area that offers shade, space and a drink at four in the afternoon when the coast is at its most crowded.

Where is the polo, and when does it happen?

At the Polo Club Saint-Tropez, in Gassin, on the road between the village and Ramatuelle: about fifteen minutes by car from the port, ten from the Pampelonne beaches, and considerably longer in July and August when the Route des Plages backs up, so allow thirty to forty five minutes in high season. The season runs from spring into autumn, with the international tournaments concentrated in July and August. The flagship of the summer is the Open du Soleil in August, and the Coupe d'Or finals fall in early September.

Match calendars and access arrangements are published by the club each season and vary by tournament. Verified August 2026.

Can anyone go, and what does it cost?

Entry is free on match days and so is the parking, which makes it the cheapest afternoon in the gulf and much less exclusive than the setting suggests. Concerts and the CSIO show jumping are ticketed separately, so free entry does not mean everything on the estate is free. What is bookable, and what fills, is the restaurant and the Sunday brunch alongside the main pitch, which is where the day turns social. Reserve that in advance for a Sunday in August.

Dress is smart casual rather than formal, and the practical version matters more than the aesthetic one: the ground is grass and gravel, so heels are a mistake, and there is very little shade at three in the afternoon in August. Hat, flat shoes, and arrive after the worst of the heat.

Is it interesting if you know nothing about polo?

Yes, for two reasons. The first is that the sport is legible without any knowledge: two teams, a ball, eight horses at speed, and a goal you can see. The rules that matter are about the line of the ball and right of way, and they are explained over the loudspeaker as the game goes on. The second is divot stomping, the half time tradition where spectators walk onto the pitch and tread the turf back into place, which takes about ten minutes and which everyone joins in.

What it is good for is a specific problem: what to do in Saint-Tropez in the afternoon in August. The beaches are full, the village is hot and slow, and the road is a queue. Fifteen minutes inland there is grass, shade, horses and space.

What else is inland worth doing?

The area behind Saint-Tropez is the half of the peninsula visitors skip. Gassin and Ramatuelle are hill villages ten minutes apart, both with views over the whole gulf and neither with a beach queue. The vineyards between them make Côtes de Provence rosé and many take visitors. And the road up to Gassin at the end of the day, looking back down over Pampelonne and the sea, faces west over Pampelonne and the gulf, which no viewpoint on the coast itself does.

That last point is not incidental. When a client asks for photographs in Saint-Tropez in August, the honest answer is often to leave the village: the light inland at seven in the evening, over the vines with the gulf behind, beats the port at any hour of that month.

What should you know before bringing a camera?

Two things. The pitch is open and unshaded, so the middle of the afternoon is hard and contrasty and the last chukka plus the hour after it is where the pictures are. And the club is a private venue: access for a working photographer is arranged with the club beforehand, never on the day, and match access is managed by the organisers. Our Saint-Tropez private event photography page covers days like this, and what to wear for a Riviera photoshoot covers dressing for an afternoon on grass.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the polo club in Saint-Tropez?

At Gassin, on the road between Saint-Tropez and Ramatuelle, about fifteen minutes by car from the port and ten from the Pampelonne beaches. The Polo Club Saint-Tropez has four grass pitches on a hundred hectare estate and runs a season from spring into autumn, with the international tournaments concentrated in July and August and the Open du Soleil as the flagship.

Can anyone watch polo in Saint-Tropez?

Yes. Entry is free on match days and so is the parking, which makes it far less exclusive than the setting suggests, and cheaper than any beach club in the gulf. Concerts and the CSIO show jumping events are ticketed separately. What needs booking in advance is the restaurant and the Sunday brunch alongside the main pitch, which fills for August Sundays. Dress is smart casual, but flat shoes matter more than anything, since the ground is grass and gravel.

Is polo interesting if you know nothing about it?

Yes. Two teams, a ball, eight horses at speed and a visible goal make the sport legible without any knowledge, and the commentary explains the rules that matter as the game goes on. Half time brings divot stomping, when spectators walk onto the pitch and tread the turf back into place. It takes about ten minutes and everyone joins in.

What else is worth doing inland from Saint-Tropez?

Gassin and Ramatuelle, two hill villages ten minutes apart with views over the whole gulf and no beach queue, plus the Côtes de Provence vineyards between them, many of which take visitors. The road up to Gassin at the end of the day faces west over Pampelonne and the gulf, which no viewpoint on the coast itself does.

More reading: what to wear for a Riviera photoshoot, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, and the best places to propose in Saint-Tropez.