A real pétanque court, right in the garden

Boules, drinks and endless games — a private court in Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, not a makeshift patch of lawn.

There's always someone up for a game of pétanque on holiday — the tricky part is rarely finding boules, it's finding a real court. At Les Jardins de Bonnemie, the court is there: packed gravel, wooden edging, shaded by an olive tree, set against a wall painted with a colourful mural. Enough to keep playing from the evening drink until well after dark.

1 private pétanque court

3 houses around the same garden

1,200 m² of shared private garden

A story born a few hours down the road, in 1907

Pétanque was born in La Ciotat, near Marseille, in 1907. Legend has it that a certain Jules Lenoir, a champion of the regional game jeu provençal kept from playing by rheumatism, watched his friends invent a new way to play for him: players stand still, feet "planted" on the ground — hence the Provençal term pèd tancats, which became "pétanque". The first official competition was held in La Ciotat in 1910, and the French Pétanque and Jeu Provençal Federation (FFPJP) was founded in 1945. Since then the equipment has been strictly codified: a boule weighs between 650 and 800 g with a diameter of 70.5 to 80 mm, and the jack (cochonnet), in wood or synthetic material, must weigh between 10 and 18 g with an exact diameter of 30 mm.

Why pétanque players feel right at home

A real court, to official dimensions

13.5 m by 3.5 m, packed gravel and wooden edging — a court built for serious play, not just for the photo. LED lighting means the games can carry on well after dark.

Benches for spectators

Benches set along the sides of the court, in front of the mural, so you can follow the game seated, drink in hand, without leaving the garden.

A rustic table right by the pitch

Boules, jacks and drinks stay within reach on a rustic table set beside the court — no need to walk back and forth to the terrace between games.

How to book

Les Jardins de Bonnemie is the ideal address for a stay on Île d'Oléron, with everything close at hand — garden, terraces and pétanque court included. The court is a shared space in the garden, open to guests whichever house they book — La Lavande, Le Romarin, Les Oliviers, or the whole estate for larger groups of up to 12. No need to rent all three houses to enjoy it.

See the three houses and their rates →