The popularity of pickleball — a hybrid of paddleball and tennis that’s less physically demanding than either but still packs plenty of competition — has been well-documented. An estimated 36.5 million Americans played pickleball between August 2021 and August 2022, according to the 2023 APP Pickleball Participation Report, representing growth of 39.3 percent in just two years.
And Caribbean resorts have taken notice. In a region where tennis has long dominated in paddle sports—the only Rafael Nadal tennis academy outside Mallorca is here, and people even play tennis on the beach—a growing number of resorts are adding pickleball courts or (more to the chagrin of tennis players) converting tennis courts to pickleball courts or making their existing courts dual-use for both sports.
Whether you’re an experienced “pickler” or are interested in trying out this fast-growing sport, these resorts have some of the top pickleball programs and facilities in the Caribbean.
Pineapple Beach Club, Antigua Elite Island Resorts has been at the forefront of the growth in Caribbean pickleball, and the company’s adults-only beach resort in Antigua has an impressive pickleball offering anchored by six courts designed by top firm Agile Courts.
