Pickleball in Paradise? Yes Please.
| July 11, 2023
During these strange times, a vacation away from all the stress and uncertainty can be just what the doctor ordered.
We found the sun, fun, and tranquility that we were looking for far away in Costa Rica at a remote resort called Hotel Punta Islita. Only reachable by car if you don’t mind fording rivers and bouncing over dirt roads, we opted instead for a mini airplane ride. Split between the five of us, it wasn’t too expensive and got us there in thirty minutes rather than the five hours we would have spent in the car.
Hotel Punta Islita features beautiful villas and rooms and has easy access to the beach, beach bar, surfing, swimming, and suntanning. There is a hotel restaurant, as well as local cuisine just down the road in a village of fewer than 100 inhabitants. The food is very good and authentic, but even better is the view and environment. We stayed all together in a beautiful villa with a swimming pool and enjoyed fresh fruit, bread, and juice at breakfast every morning!
There are also plenty of activities available to visitors, many of which are complimentary. We tried horseback riding, ziplining, candlemaking, and mixology. Rob Nunnery, a friend, and a pickleball professional currently ranked 24 in Men’s Doubles and 18 in Mixed Doubles, discovered his newest passion just might be horsemanship while we were there. Ben Johns, World #1 in pickleball, took some time away from the sport to learn how to mix up authentic Costa Rican cocktails (good thing he’s 21 now!).
Even better than all of this was the real reason we’d come so far off the beaten path for a secluded getaway – the private pickleball courts (could have seen that coming, right?). Adam Stone, Rob Nunnery, and Ben Johns enjoyed some epic play (and a little goofing off) every morning on these gorgeous courts! Check out some of the fun in these videos.
(Almost) as wonderful as the pickleball were the wide private beaches at the foot of the mountains. The water stays warm all year long and the big rocks that are uncovered as the tide goes out just look awesome! We also heard tell of some amazing caves that can be explored along the coastline. However, we opted to stay safely at home after our waiter explained that we had to be very careful about when we entered the caves since they fill up when the tide comes back in. shivers
Although we didn’t spend too long in San Jose (duh, no convenient pickleball courts) it features delicious food and lots to do! Ben Johns seemed pleased to be there.
Oh, and the San Jose sunsets are phenomenal if you don’t mind taking your life in your own hands and braving the nearly vertical drive up the mountainside along narrow, dirt roads where no one seems to follow traffic laws. It’s a bit like the Wild West, but it’s worth the effort.
If this pickleball adventure sounds like it’s up your alley, check out the details at Hotel Punta Islita Pickleball!
