Pickleball in Nicaragua: where to play, when to go, and what’s coming

Yes, there’s pickleball in Nicaragua, and more of it every season. Five years ago it was a few expats with taped lines on a resort tennis court. Today there are around ten places to play, a free public court where Nicaraguans play most evenings, and tournaments that report to DUPR.

This guide covers every court we know of, what each one costs and how to book it, plus when to come, what to pack and what’s on the calendar. We live in San Juan del Sur, so we checked what we could in person. Where a detail comes from someone else, it’s cited at the end, and every court shows when we last confirmed it.

The short answer

• Where: mostly the south Pacific coast. There are four pay-to-play venues around San Juan del Sur and three resort communities in Tola, plus free public courts in Rivas and two padel clubs in Managua.
• Cost: about $12 an hour per court at the pay-to-play clubs, usually with paddles and balls included.⁵ The Rivas courts are free.
• When: December to April is dry. Play before 9 am or after 4 pm.
• Next event: a two-day coaching clinic at Las Escadas, December 12–13, 2026 (details below).

The scene in 2026

10 places to play, from San Juan del Sur to Managua

200+ regular players, up from about 30 in 2021²

2022 first purpose-built court opens, in San Juan del Sur³

24.3M Americans played in 2025, which is who’s coming south¹⁵

It’s a small scene, and that’s part of the appeal. You’ll recognize faces by your second week, and there are always new players turning up. Most players are North American expats and visitors, concentrated on the coast between San Juan del Sur and Tola, but a growing group of Nicaraguan players has formed around the public courts in Rivas.⁷ Back home the sport keeps exploding, with 24.3 million US players in 2025, up 22.8% in a year,^15,14 and a lot of those players now plan their winters around where they can get a game.

How it started: from taped lines to a World Cup team

The first games were improvised. Around 2020 and 2021, players taped lines onto the tennis court at Rancho Santana and a covered basketball court nearby.¹ In August 2022, Pickleball San Juan del Sur opened in La Talanguera, the first court in Nicaragua built specifically for pickleball, with a launch clinic and plans for a league.^3,19 A year later it had a roof, regular clinics and the country’s first local tournaments.⁴

Las Escadas opened outside San Juan del Sur in 2023 and became the busiest club in the south, followed by Las Alas in Escamequita and Maderas Pickleball near the surf beaches.^5,6 In October 2024 a Team Nicaragua made up of expat players competed at the Pickleball World Cup in Lima, Peru, an event with about 600 players from 32 countries.^11,10 The plan for the 2025 World Cup in Florida was to include Nicaraguan nationals for the first time.¹⁰

Interactive map of every court

Tap a pin, or a name under the map, to jump straight to that club’s details: courts, price, who can play and how to book. Switch tabs for the Tola resorts and Rivas, or the whole country.

Where to play in San Juan del Sur and the south coast

This is where to base yourself if pickleball is the point of the trip. Four pay-to-play venues sit within about 20 minutes of San Juan del Sur, each with lights, and most include paddles and balls in the court fee.⁵ Book ahead in high season, especially for evening slots, which fill first once the heat drops.

Tola and the Emerald Coast resorts

Thirty to forty minutes north of San Juan del Sur, the big resort communities of Tola have their own courts. They’re well kept and quiet at the edges of the day, but they’re for guests and owners.^12,1 If you’re staying at Rancho Santana, paddles and balls are at reception and court time is included.¹² If you’re not, ask us: we can sometimes arrange court time for groups.

Rivas: free public courts, and the best place to play with Nicaraguans

The most interesting court in the country might be a concrete slab in Rivas, the provincial capital 30 minutes inland. At the Polideportivo Modesto Alvarado, a local organizer and donated paddles have turned a bare sports slab into about three courts with temporary nets, and a growing group of Nicaraguan players turns up on weekday evenings and some mornings.⁷ It’s free. Bring an extra paddle and some balls to leave behind; they’ll be put to good use.

Managua: pickleball inside the padel clubs

In the capital, pickleball runs through the padel clubs, which added courts as the sport spread.¹ It’s handy on a long layover or a day of errands in Managua. Session times and drop-in rules change, so message us or the club before you go.

Granada, León and what’s coming

Outside these areas, we haven’t been able to confirm a regular court. Players in Granada, León and Estelí meet informally, and the organizers working on the scene list them as the next places to grow.⁷ We found nothing on Ometepe, Popoyo, Playa Hermosa or Gran Pacifica. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing, so tell us if you know of one.

The big project to watch is a planned dedicated venue in Tola by Palmera Pickleball. The preview calls for eight indoor courts, five outdoor courts and three padel courts.⁹ A land purchase agreement was signed in August 2026, with groundbreaking targeted for early 2027.⁸ It isn’t built yet, so don’t plan a trip around it.

Tournaments and events

Local events are club-run and announced mostly on Facebook and WhatsApp, often only a few weeks ahead. Here’s what’s confirmed:

Coming up

The December clinic is a two-day coaching weekend at Las Escadas: two groups of 16 players, three hours on court each day, led by a former PPA Tour pro, for $200 per person. Sign-up details are on our pickleball page.

Recent results

The biggest local field so far was Nica Moneyball in Tola in 2026: 22 teams and 44 players, with pool play into a bracket and results reported to DUPR.⁸ The organizers have floated more events for late 2026, but nothing beyond the December clinic is confirmed yet.⁸

Is there a Nicaragua pickleball federation? And DUPR?

Not that we could find as of October 2026. Nicaragua isn’t listed among the International Pickleball Federation’s member associations (neighboring Costa Rica is),¹³ and we found no federation registered in Nicaragua. One local organizer expects a padel federation to form first, with pickleball to follow.¹ For now, events are organized by clubs.

Ratings work the same way as at home. Several local events report results to DUPR,⁸ and the strongest local players rate around 4.0 to 4.5, according to the same organizer.¹ If you’re a 3.5 to 4.0, you’ll find good games.

When to go: dry season, heat and the afternoon storms

December to April is the dry season and the best time for a pickleball trip. San Juan del Sur gets between 1 and 30 mm of rain in each of those months.¹⁷ The trade-off is heat: averages of 32–34 °C, with March and April the hottest. From May to November you’ll get afternoon storms, with October the wettest at around 378 mm,¹⁷ but mornings are usually clear and the courts are quieter. Christmas, New Year and Easter Week are the busiest weeks to book courts and rooms.

• Play from 6 to 9 am or after 4 pm. Midday courts are punishing, and mostly empty for a reason.
• Drink before you play and between games, and use electrolytes. You sweat more here than you think.
• Wear a hat and sunscreen, and look for shade between games. Stop if you feel dizzy or start to cramp.

What to pack

We found no dedicated pickleball shop in Nicaragua, so bring what you need. Most pay-to-play courts lend paddles and balls with the booking,⁵ but if you play regularly:

• Your own paddle, plus a spare if you’re here for a month or more.
• Outdoor balls. Every court here is outdoors, and indoor balls crack in the heat.
• Court shoes and a cap. Concrete is hard on running shoes.
• Something to donate. The Rivas courts and the local kids’ programs run on donated paddles and balls.⁷ If you’re shipping a box of gear, our Miami-to-Nicaragua shipping lands it in San Juan del Sur.

Nicaragua vs Costa Rica for a pickleball trip

If you want a big tournament calendar, Costa Rica wins. If you want uncrowded courts, a community that remembers your name and a beach town that costs half as much, come to Nicaragua. Our cost of living guide has the numbers.

Pickleball rules in two minutes

Bringing a partner who has never played? Here are the basics, from the official USA Pickleball rules summary.¹⁶

Bring your group: how our pickleball trips work

We plan pickleball weeks for groups and couples: court bookings at the clubs, transport between them, a place to stay near the courts, an evening game with the Rivas regulars, and the beach, a sunset sail or a fishing trip on rest days. We handle the WhatsApp messages; you play. Everything is on our pickleball page. For a quick airport pickup, see transport.

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