Los Cabos—Mexico’s Pickleball Mecca

Cabo Sports Complex at night.

Sometime in the future, when we look back at the growth of pickleball in Mexico, we will always remember that the epicenter of growth was Los Cabos, Baja California Sur. Although other communities started playing pickleball around the same time, no other location can match the growth of pickleball in Los Cabos.

With more than 200 courts in the area, it isn’t difficult to understand why this is happening. Yes, a large population of Americans and Canadians who live permanently or temporarily there have contributed to the growth, but also, very importantly, it is the magic of the place.

Los Cabos has the most breathtaking sunsets and natural sightseeing that I have ever seen. The sunset colors remind me of playing evening tennis during my college years in the Texas desert, but with that special magical touch the ocean brings. Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo have amazing world-class hotels, golf courses, restaurants and wine cellars. It is certainly the perfect romantic place for any couple to fall in love, spend their honeymoon or renew their vows.

It is also a great destination for the adventurer spirit, with many water and off-water activities such as fishing, sailing, ATVs, snorkeling, camel riding, ziplining, yacht tours, and shopping. It is regarded as the “Mexican Beverly Hills” since many international celebrities use it as their hideaway. Although the summer is very hot, the rest of the year the weather is incredible. Perfect for pickleball.

The pickleball community is a very intense and passionate one. People take their pickleball seriously here. Although there are many courts, most are in private locations or hotel properties like Chileno Bay, El Dorado, Esperanza, Maravilla and Querencia. There are some cases of pickleball clubs open to the public like La Huerta, Tres Palapas, Buenavista Oceanfront and Club San Lazaro that have done an incredible job of promoting the sport in the area. But we need more open courts for the growing number of players in the region and recreate the experiences the private exclusive clubs offer.

With that in mind, the LPPM has just signed an agreement with the owners of the Cabo Sports Complex (CSC) to implement a pickleball center there. The CSC is the host of the ATP 250 Los Cabos Tennis Open that was recently held. The venue will be one of the best and most beautiful pickleball venues on the Pacific Coast.

This year, we will host our own Los Cabos Open pickleball tournament Oct. 27-30 that will focus on offering our players not only a great competitive event, but also a fun and rich tourist experience. For any information on the Los Cabos pickleball community, please contact me at javier.regalado@lppm.mx.  •

Los Cabos pickleball players.