It’s the fastest growing sport in America – the world, for that matter, too — for a reason. The ease, fun and tremendous workout pickleball provides have quickly captivated players everywhere — and that includes the Caribbean. 

While an increasing number of resorts around the Caribbean and Mexico are starting to develop their pickleball offerings, one portfolio was a pioneer in the sport — and continues to lead the way in the Caribbean: Elite Island Resorts. 

And the all-inclusive brand’s impressive collection of resorts with strong pickleball offerings is concentrated in Antigua. 

Hammock Cove. St James’s Club. Pineapple Beach Club. The Verandah Antigua. They were all early adopters of the sport when pickleball was something of a rarity in the Caribbean, and today they’re all home to world-class, state-of-the- art courts. 

At the all-inclusive, adults-only Hammock Cove, you’ll find a pair of pickleball courts right in the heart of the resort, At the family-friendly, beach-filled St James’ Club, there are three different courts.

At The Verandah Antigua, a lush, fun-filled resort named the hottest new adults-only resort in the Caribbean, you get four different courts. 

And then there is the Pineapple Beach Club, the popular resort set on Antigua’s stunning Long Bay, where you get a whopping six pickleball courts – the most of any resort in the Caribbean. 

While some resorts pay lip service to this sport, these Antigua resorts really mean it — with courts that are equally accessible to the expert pickleball player and those just getting into the game. 

It’s a perfect sport for the Caribbean, and somehow that soothing sound of the pickleball volley fits right in with lapping seas and shaking palm trees. 

And it’s turned Antigua into arguably the number one destination in the Caribbean for pickleball enthusiasts, drawn to the island’s unique blend of beach-filled bliss (there are 365 beaches here) and endless activity options. 

Just make sure you try to get in a game with Anna-Maria Joseph, a local legend who’s been called the “Pickleball Queen.”

You can find more in the latest Elite Island Resorts video below. 

To learn more, visit Elite Island Resorts.