The Ultimate Backdrop for Play: 5 Pickleball Destinations to ‘Dink’ This Summer

For picklers seeking the ideal pickleball experience (location, company, and post-game recovery), look no further than at Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Early in the morning, you stretch your eyes with a forever ocean view. You take a warm-up walk past gorgeous landscaping toward the rhythmic pop-popping and tick-tocking of a pickleball rally.

The fastest-growing sport in America over the past several years has expanded to mountain getaways, desert resort towns, and lakeside escapes. But nowhere is the pickleball environment more energizing, more beautiful, or more perfect than on the 72 (and counting) pristine courts at Sandals and Beaches Resorts across nine Caribbean islands. It’s such a perfect match that USA Pickleball has chosen Sandals and Beaches as its “official all-inclusive resorts.”

This means guests should pack athletic shorts and performance t-shirts, as non-stop activities like pickleball, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and beachcombing are included with every stay at Sandals and Beaches. So, while fully immersed in a relaxing destination, guests can spontaneously step away from pool time and beach time to ‘dink’ and drop.

“The enthusiasm for pickleball has become palpable in the Caribbean,” says Melody Cargill, Senior Manager of Fitness at Sandals Resorts International. “We’re investing heavily in it because this region truly is the ultimate backdrop for play and pickleball travel destination.”

Whether you're a seasoned player or just now catching the pickle-fever sweeping the nation, Sandals and Beaches make it easy to Pick Up & Play with no court or equipment fees—even for evening games on lighted courts. Newcomers can join free weekly intro clinics, while solo players can find matchups with fellow guests. Want to level up? Book a private lesson, group class, or let the little ones loose in Tiny Tots & Teens sessions made just for junior dinkers.

Ready to try your luck in ‘the kitchen’? Here are five one-of-a-kind pickleball destinations to add to your pickleball bucket list this summer:

Sandals South Coast, Whitehouse, Jamaica

From the appearance of the courts and the sounds coming from them, pickleball was destined for Sandals South Coast. The 50-acre property located in Whitehouse, Jamaica, is loosely cradled between a nature preserve and the Caribbean Sea. Within the lush tropical foliage are 12 perfectly symmetrical pickleball courts that look as if they borrowed a few color ideas from the ocean. With the ability to host up to 48 pickleball players simultaneously, this resort can be crowned the king of hosting pickleball groups. The instruction from certified coaches and playful beats of doink … doink-doink … doink are all here.

Sandals even took the extra steps to angle the lighting of the courts in such a way that guests can pick up and play anytime from sunup to past sunset. The courts at Sandals South Coast are part of an invitation to overall health because a few strides away is a state-of-the-art fitness center where instructors lead classes like HIIT, aqua fitness, and yoga. It’s all included, as are the cooldowns along the two miles of beautiful beach.

The massages at Red Lane Spa, where therapists use coffee from Jamaica’s iconic Blue Mountains for scrubs, are well worth the additional cost.

Sandals Royal Curaçao, Santa Barbra, Curaçao

It’s true. Way down in the southern Caribbean, far from crowds and pressure, the entrance to eight new pickleball courts at Sandals Royal Curaçao is wide open. Guests can pop in for couples’ lessons, group lessons, or private lessons with USA Pickleball-approved coaches. Some might stroll over for pickleball pleasure and some might ride the resort’s included Dutch bikes over to compete in weekly tournaments.

While the Sandals fitness teams helped design the best pickleball centers in the region, the culinary teams have been busy designing healthy dining options. They rely on the types of ingredients they enjoy working with most, freshly picked from nutrient-rich islands. At Sandals Royal Curaçao, for example, picklers can rehydrate with local fruit plates, fresh fish skewers, and can soon sit down for pure goodness at the aptly named Heart & Sol.

Yes, this is how you improve your game — and your overall well-being — on vacation.

Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Buccament Bay, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

There is nothing comparable to an arrival at Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This location in a distant Caribbean cove takes the breath away…and the resort experience is like pushing a personal reset button with soaking tubs in every room, suites with private workout spaces and exercise bikes, over 20 poolside cabanas, a spa, and more. Within this wellness escape are four dedicated pickleball courts that form a beautiful bridge between mountains and sea.

The endorphin rush doesn’t have to stop when pickleball sessions do; the flood of healthy feel-good energy continues with the farm-to-table salad selections at Imoro, the saunas, steam rooms, and cold plunges at Red Lane Spa, and those breathtaking views — wow, the mood boosters are undeniable.

And after playing the “kitchen” on the courts, guests can relax in an open-kitchen dining experience at Buccan, where chefs use unique island methods to complement traditional ingredients with produce sourced directly from the island.

Beaches Turks and Caicos, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Eight pickleball courts on site make family getaways better than ever and this resort a must-add to your pickleball vacation destination list. Younger generations, in fact, account for the majority of pickleball’s most recent growth, and more families are playing because it’s a rare outlet to bond, move, and be outside. And then there’s this: it’s fun. This is why the coaches at Beaches stay busy giving 40-minute lessons in age-appropriate groups — from tots to teens.

Pickleball is just the start of the resort's all-inclusive programming, which includes kayaks and paddleboards, Hobie Cats for sailing, beach volleyball, PADI-certified dive centers, lawn chess, and a 45,000-square-foot water park. It’s like nature’s multivitamin, Vitamin D and Sea, served daily. The resort has even introduced Sunrise Yoga with Sesame Street, a playful way to start the day, where your favorite Sesame Street characters lead a beachside yoga and stretch sessions for little ones and their grown-ups. Pickleball is just the start of the resort's all-inclusive programming, which includes kayaks and paddleboards, Hobie Cats for sailing, beach volleyball, PADI-certified dive centers, lawn chess, and a 45,000-square-foot water park. It’s like nature’s multivitamin, Vitamin D and Sea, served daily. The resort has even introduced Sunrise Yoga with Sesame Street, a playful way to start the day, where your favorite Sesame Street characters lead a beachside yoga and stretch sessions for little ones and their grown-ups.

Sandals Royal Bahamian, Nassau, Bahamas

It’s as close as a 60-minute flight from the U.S. to coastal pickleball courts in The Bahamas. In fact, it’s convenient enough to plan a group pickleball getaway to Sandals Royal Bahamian and score exclusive perks.

The four pickleball courts are just the beginning; surrounding the property are villas with plunge pools, massage tables at Red Lane Spa, stunning emerald ocean water, a boat that transports guests to a secluded private island featuring a tranquil Zen Garden and cycling bikes with epic ocean views.

Now you know that a perfect pickleball match doesn’t start or stop at the net. It’s an island, the ocean, immaculate courts, new equipment, and as much or as little coaching as you want. It’s local food, post-game spa treatments, restorative walks on the beach, dips in the sea, soaks in a balcony tub, epic sunrises, and the best sleep scores you’ve ever had.