Pickleball in the Sun: Mexico Style
By Laura Gainor
Take a trip down the pristine Pacific Coast with Pickleball in the Sun as we travel to Baja California Sur, Mexico to take in the undeniable beauty of Tres Palapas, the premiere Baja Pickleball Resort.
Tres Palapas Baja Pickleball Resort: a one-of-a-kind top global pickleball destination in the heart of Los Barriles, Mexico. Just minutes North of the popular tourist destination of Cabo San Lucas, Tres Palapas offers tourists an unbeatable combination of competitive pickleball, sand beaches, good eats, and sunshine. With a passion for pickleball and vacation combined, Tres Palapas was built by Paul Bland and Sally Meecham who just 7 years ago went all in to purchase land, build a unique pickleball destination, and have since perfected the secret sauce for “community tourism.
“We are proud of our contribution to pickleball, to Mexico and the wonderful community of Los Barriles, just north of Cabo. Now in our 6th season of operation as a ‘top global must-see pickleball destination,’ we can say with confidence we have gained a solid understanding of the business and economics of pickleball and community.”
The perfect destination to cater to the competitive pickler, the enthusiastic social pickler, or those just looking to get some sunshine on the courts. If you happen to be a local (lucky you!) Tres Palapas offers membership opportunities. The venue boasts ten welcoming pickleball and championship courts that have come to be recognized as “The Number One Pickleball Destination in Mexico,” the #4 “Top Global Destination,” and “2018 Top Baja Must See.”
In addition to casual play, Tres Palapas offers a variety of events each month across all ten of their courts. From happy hour pickleball sessions to the Tres Palapas Hot Summer Night Pickleball series, the venue provides players with a chance to get together and play the sport on both a social and competitive basis. Additionally, Tres Palapas provides members with chances to attend clinics, take pickleball lessons, as well as opportunities to participate in exciting tournaments throughout the 2022 season.
It is not uncommon for pickleball enthusiasts to return year-over-year to Tres Palapas. Mike Branon, author of the book ‘Pickleball & The Art of Living’ already has his next trip planned for May.
“A typical day might consist of an early morning walk on the beach, coffee or a smoothie at the great cafe at the club, several hours of pickleball, and lunch in town followed by a poolside or beachfront siesta,” said Branon. “For the more adventurous, there are ATVs for rent, paddle boarding, kayaking and kite-surfing. I recommend a full week here so you can fully explore and relax into the Mexican vibe.”
While Tres Palapas is home to courts only, there are a variety of convenient vacation and rental properties just moments away from the venue. On-site accommodations are under construction and are expected to be ready this March.
Visit TresPalapasBaja.com for more information on booking your next “Pickleball In The Sun” vacation.
Photo credits: Julie Shipman Photography
About Mike Branon
After his childhood spent bouncing around military bases up and down the East Coast and in Panama, and a decade of living the entrepreneurial life, Mike walked away from business success and retired at the age of 40 to explore the art of living. This gave him the opportunity to travel the world, raise a couple of great kids, work with many nonprofit organizations, study philosophy and explore Buddhism. His accidental discovery of pickleball allowed him to turn his lifelong love of sports into a passion for playing and teaching this fast, fun, social game. You can find his books on Amazon here. For more information about Mike and his book, “Pickleball & the Art of Living,” visit MikeBranon.com.