Padel has done that very modern thing of arriving quietly and then suddenly behaving as if it has always been here. One minute nobody could quite explain it without waving their hands and saying, “It’s like tennis but… smaller? With walls?” and the next minute every other friend is saying, “Can’t, darling. Padel at nine.”
Courts are sprouting up everywhere. Country hotels. Members’ clubs. Chic resorts that used to think a croquet lawn was enough. And honestly? Good for it.
Do I need to have played before?
Absolutely not. Many guests will be complete beginners. Padel is famously easy to pick up, and our sessions
are designed to be welcoming, not intimidating.
Is there coaching?
Yes. There will be structured coaching sessions for those who’d like to improve, alongside relaxed social
games. You can participate as much — or as little — as you like.
How fit do I need to be?
Reasonably mobile, but not marathon-ready. Padel is doubles-based, played on a smaller court than tennis,
and more about reflex and fun than stamina.
What should I pack?
Activewear, trainers and your usual holiday wardrobe.
Do I have to play every day?
No. If you’ve been padel-curious, or simply fancy a few days in Ibiza, this is your moment.
At first glance, yes, it’s a racket sport. A sort of charming love-child of tennis and squash. Doubles, enclosed court, satisfying rebounds off glass. But the reason padel has exploded is not technical. It’s emotional.
It is gloriously un-intimidating.
You do not need a tragic childhood spent being shouted at by a tennis coach. You do not need a whites-only wardrobe. You need three other people, a loose grasp of the scoring, and a willingness to laugh when you completely miss the ball. Which you will. We all do.
And this is why people are now booking padel holidays.
Because padel fits into a day in the most civilised way imaginable.
You play in the morning, before the sun has decided to become aggressive. You feel wildly accomplished. Possibly athletic. You then swim. You have lunch. You retell, in great detail, The One Excellent Shot. You agree to play again tomorrow. Or you don’t. Both feel correct.
It is activity without tyranny.
Unlike golf (four hours, minimum, goodbye) or serious tennis (bring electrolytes and emotional resilience), padel asks only for an hour. It leaves space for reading, wandering, long lunches and doing absolutely nothing - which, frankly, is the point of being away.
And for women travelling solo, it’s a quiet genius. You don’t have to sit across a table making strained conversation about where you’re from. You just play. You laugh. You clap a good shot. Afterwards, perhaps a drink appears. It’s connection without interrogation.
Which is why it fits so beautifully with the way we travel at Club Avandra.
We’ve always believed in balance. Something to do, matched with plenty of time not to. Opportunities to meet interesting women - but never the horror of enforced bonding.
Padel sits lightly in that rhythm. Join in, sit out, improve, spectate. It’s all socially acceptable.
Which brings us to Ibiza.
Our upcoming trip weaves proper coaching (for those who want it) with swimming, eating beautifully, exploring the island and switching off entirely. Some guests will arrive as enthusiasts. Others will pick up a racket for the first time.
Almost all will leave slightly obsessed.
Because padel holidays aren’t really about padel.
They’re about having something joyful, easy and faintly addictive threaded through a holiday that was already rather wonderful.
