Polo Clubs Are Booming in the Hamptons of South America
As the wealthy converge on Punta del Este, developers are building luxury polo clubs to boost the beach town’s cachet and attract new audiences to the sport.
Illustration: Isabella Cotier for Bloomberg
A half-hour drive from the site of Cipriani’s future oceanfront casino, the Fasano gated community and luxury hotel debuted its polo field in Punta del Este last December, outfitted with a private air strip for guests and a golf course curated by the late Arnold Palmer. Nearby, Estancia Santa Cruz hosted almost 200 horses at its roughly 250-acre polo club and resort, which boasts superb Tifton grass for optimal play. On the coast, billionaire Eduardo Costantini has teamed up with polo legend Adolfo Cambiaso to build an all-inclusive destination for the so-called “sport of kings.”
It’s all part of a polo renaissance underway in Punta del Este, Uruguay, the beach retreat for Latin America’s rich and famous that’s enjoying a wave of wealth management offices opening and solidifying its reputation as more of a year-round hub for old and new money alike. A growing number of Europeans and Americans also call Uruguay home for at least part of the year, seeking a sunny refuge in a safe haven for global investors and retirees.