Padel was invented in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969, but recently, the popularity of this addictive racket sport has exploded. Now, there are roughly 35 million active padel players around the world, according to the 2025 FIP World Padel Report.
“Anyone who plays padel has heard that it’s the ‘fastest growing sport in the world’, and the travel industry is now starting to catch up too,” says Nick Wade, Founder of Global Padel Adventures, a company that plans padel-focused vacations around the world. “Whilst traditionally, padel travel involved booking onto a clinic or camp at a well-established club in Spain, the growth of the sport internationally means that destinations around the world are opening up to the opportunities presented.”
While tennis courts have typically taken up real estate at resorts around the world, padel courts are quickly popping up. “There are new padel clubs opening every day at the moment, trying to keep up with what is available is endless, but I see resorts too promoting their new courts,” says Wade.
From practicing your backhand by the beach in the Maldives to farms in the countryside of Europe, here are some of the best places to play padel around the world.
Playing padel in paradise? Perfection. This luxurious private island in the Indian Ocean has not one, but two padel courts for guests to use at the drop of a hat. Surrounded by palm trees and sand, the resort has in-house instructors to teach you the basics or practice your bandeja with you. And on occasion, they have world-class tennis pros, like Spanish padel expert Marta Marrero, come to the island to play alongside guests.
Padel pairs perfectly with pizza. In the stunning Tuscan hills, surrounded by Tuscan cypress trees, COMO Castello del Nero offers a complimentary grass padel court, racquets and balls for all guests. Padel pros are on-call, should you be interested. And post-game, you can relax in the resort’s 82-foot heated outdoor pool.
This Mexican retreat has a padel court alongside its pickleball and tennis facilities inside the Mayakoba Sports Club. Although this Riviera Maya resort is designed for lounging by the beach, sipping on margaritas and relaxing in its award-winning spa, there are plenty of ways to stay active. If you’re playing padel solo, don’t worry, they have a whole team of professionals who can pick up a racquet.
This Southern California resort has a thing for racquet sports. It’s ranked the #1 tennis resort in the state, but don’t worry, they have padel too. There are a whopping three padel courts surrounded by orange groves and flowering gardens. These enclosed turf courts are managed by pros, on top of a calendar of padel retreats, clinics and drop-ins from padel experts.
Padel is big in Dubai, and no courts are more picturesque than the Four Seasons. This enclosed, blue turf court sits right next to the ocean, with group workshops, private lessons, and padel packages available to anyone. Afterward, walk right into the ocean or book a sports massage at its sprawling spa, The Pearl Spa and Wellness Jumeirah.