By Renee & Tom - Casa Botanica · September 14, 2026 · Updated October 3, 2026
There are vacations where you pack a swimsuit.
There are vacations where you pack golf clubs.
And then there are Naples vacations where the pickleball paddles go into the car before anyone remembers the sunscreen.
If pickleball is part of your idea of a great getaway, Naples is one of those destinations where you don't have to choose between playing the sport you love and having an actual vacation. You can play in the morning, spend the afternoon by the pool or at the beach, head out for a great dinner, and wake up the next morning ready to do it again.
And if you're staying at Casa Botanica, you're particularly well positioned for it.
Here's how to plan a Naples pickleball vacation that includes plenty of court time without making pickleball the only thing you see while you're here.
If you're coming to Naples specifically for pickleball, this is the obvious place to begin.
Located at East Naples Community Park, the USOP National Pickleball Center is home to the US Open Pickleball Championships and one of the largest concentrations of pickleball courts you'll find anywhere.
The park currently has 59 pickleball courts plus six championship courts, along with a pickleball pro shop and welcome center.
This is not a couple of tennis courts with pickleball lines added as an afterthought. Pickleball is a major part of the park's identity.
Whether you're an experienced player or simply curious about the sport, there's something fun about playing at the same location that becomes the center of the pickleball world every spring.
This is where choosing where you stay becomes important.
Casa Botanica is located in Naples' Bayshore area, just a short distance from East Naples Community Park and the USOP National Pickleball Center.
That proximity changes the rhythm of a pickleball vacation.
Instead of packing everything you might need for the entire day and disappearing until dinner, you can play in the morning and easily return to the house.
Shower. Swim. Have lunch. Take a nap.
Then decide whether another game sounds good or whether you've earned a beach chair and a cold drink.
We vote for keeping both options available.
It's especially convenient when you're traveling with a group where not everyone shares the same level of pickleball enthusiasm. The serious players can get their court time while everyone else enjoys the pool, Naples Botanical Garden, Bayshore or another activity nearby.
Nobody has to build the entire vacation around somebody else's dink shot.
The National Pickleball Center may be the headline attraction, but it isn't the only place to play.
If you'd like to experience some different courts during your stay, there are additional public facilities throughout the Naples area.
Veterans Community Park in North Naples offers a combination of lighted and unlighted pickleball courts, making it another option if your day's plans take you north.
Pelican Bay Community Park also has a substantial pickleball setup, with 20 courts listed among its recreational amenities.
And there are additional courts and facilities throughout Collier County and the Naples area.
Court availability, fees, reservations and open-play procedures can change, so it's always a good idea to check current information before heading out, particularly during Naples' busy winter season.
But if your goal is simply to play as much pickleball as possible, you won't have much trouble finding opportunities here.
There is one piece of Naples pickleball strategy that has nothing to do with your third-shot drop.
Play early.
Florida sunshine is wonderful when you're floating in a pool. It feels slightly different when you're chasing a pickleball across a court at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Morning play is especially enjoyable during warmer months. You'll generally have cooler temperatures, and when you're finished, you still have most of the day ahead of you.
That's another reason staying close to the courts works so well.
Get your games in early, head back to Casa Botanica and suddenly you're standing in front of a very important vacation decision:
Pool or beach?
There are worse problems to have.
For pickleball fans, April in Naples is something special.
The US Open Pickleball Championships transform East Naples Community Park into an enormous pickleball venue filled with professional and amateur competition, spectators, vendors, food, entertainment and plenty of energy.
The 2026 event brought more than 55,000 fans and 3,750 players from all 50 states and 53 countries to Naples.
The 2027 US Open is scheduled for April 17 through April 24, 2027.
If you've never attended, it's worth experiencing even if you're not competing. Much of the action takes place across dozens of courts, so you're able to watch players at different levels and see just how large the pickleball community has become.
And yes, accommodations around Naples can become harder to find during major events.
If the US Open is the reason for your trip, this is not the week I'd recommend waiting until the last minute to decide where you're staying.
Here's where Naples has an advantage over destinations where the courts are the entire attraction.
When you're finished playing, you're still in Naples.
From Casa Botanica, you can spend the afternoon wandering through Naples Botanical Garden, explore the Bayshore Arts District, bike toward Sugden Regional Park, head downtown to Fifth Avenue South, visit the beach or simply do absolutely nothing beside your private pool.
That makes it particularly good for couples and groups where some people are passionate pickleball players and others are... supportive spectators.
You don't have to convince everyone in your group that four hours at the courts sounds delightful.
They have options too.
If we were designing the day, it might look something like this:
Wake up at Casa Botanica and have coffee outside while everyone negotiates who is actually ready to play.
Head over to East Naples Community Park for morning pickleball while the temperatures are comfortable.
Return to Casa Botanica, change into swimsuits and cool off in the private pool.
Have lunch, relax for a while and decide whether the afternoon calls for Naples Botanical Garden, a bike ride, the beach or possibly no activity whatsoever.
Later, clean up and head toward Bayshore, Naples Bay or downtown Naples for dinner.
Come back, sit around the fire pit and discuss all the shots you almost made.
Repeat as necessary.
That's our idea of a pickleball vacation.
If pickleball is one of the primary reasons for your trip, I'd consider more than the number of bedrooms when choosing where to stay.
Location matters. A short trip to the courts makes early morning play and multiple sessions much easier.
Outdoor space matters. After spending hours on a court, having your own pool and somewhere comfortable to relax feels particularly good.
Laundry matters more than anyone wants to admit. Pickleball clothes have a way of multiplying quickly in Florida.
A kitchen is useful. Especially if you're playing several days in a row and don't want every meal to require a restaurant reservation.
And finally, space for the non-pickleball players matters. A vacation is considerably more successful when everyone has something they enjoy doing.
That's exactly why Casa Botanica works so well for pickleball groups.
Casa Botanica is a four-bedroom vacation home in Naples' Bayshore Arts District that sleeps up to nine guests.
The USOP National Pickleball Center at East Naples Community Park is nearby, but when the paddles are put away, the rest of Naples is right there too.
You have a private screened saltwater pool, a large tropical yard, bikes, ping pong, outdoor spaces for relaxing and plenty of room for everyone to spread out.
Naples Botanical Garden is close enough to walk or bike to, Bayshore restaurants and attractions are nearby, and downtown Naples and the Gulf beaches are only a short drive away.
In other words, you can absolutely come to Naples because you love pickleball.
You just don't have to spend your entire vacation on a pickleball court.
Naples has earned its place on the pickleball map, and there's something pretty special about planning a vacation where you can play at the home of the US Open in the morning and be floating in your own pool later that afternoon.
Bring the paddles.
Bring the competitive spirit.
Maybe bring a little patience with your partner.
Then leave enough room in the schedule to enjoy everything else that makes Naples worth visiting.
Because a great Naples pickleball vacation should include plenty of pickleball.
It just shouldn't feel like training camp.
Casa Botanica is a family-owned four-bedroom vacation rental in Naples' Bayshore Arts District, conveniently located near the USOP National Pickleball Center at East Naples Community Park.
With a private screened pool, tropical yard, bikes, ping pong, full kitchen, laundry and room for up to nine guests, it's an easy home base for players, spectators and the people in your group who would rather spend the afternoon at the beach.
Check Casa Botanica's availability and start planning your Naples pickleball getaway.