WHEN I launched the first pickleball tour in Spain back in 2014, my goal was clear: to offer a unique travel experience that combined two of my greatest passions: the country of Spain and the great sport of pickleball. Thus, Pickleball Tours Spain was born and travelers from all over the world have been coming to experience the best that Spain has to offer along with plenty of pickleball along the way. We’ve built a local team who participates in activities on and off the courts so that travelers have the opportunity to interact with the locals throughout their journey to cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Granada, Girona, and Ronda. The result is a unique, behind-the-scenes look at Spain’s rich history and vibrant culture, together with playing with the locals, great instruction, and friendly competition.
As our traveler base grew, so did the interest in exploring more countries outside of Spain. People asked, “Where to next?”— and we listened. So in 2025, we launched our first pickleball getaway outside of Spain, exploring Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia with the same commitment to authentic, personally designed, immersive experiences. Because we’re now offering pickleball vacations to new countries, we knew we needed to change our name.
After careful thought, we chose a name that reflected who we are and would allow us to offer trips anywhere in the world: Mickle Pickleball Trips.
The name “Mickle” has personal significance. It was a childhood nickname given to me by my dad — “Mickle the Pickle.” Years later, when I began playing and promoting pickleball in 2009, the nickname really took hold, though only among family and close friends. So as we began exploring new name ideas, Mickle Pickleball Trips became the obvious choice. The new name honors my dad, allows us continue expanding destinations for our travelers, and it emphasizes the personal nature of our trips — boutique tours that are handcrafted with care by a small team that’s deeply connected to the places we visit and the experiences we provide.
Whether in Spain or beyond, we remain focused on creating meaningful travel experiences that combine culture, community, and the joy of pickleball. Every pickleball trip itinerary is designed to provide travelers with a deeper understanding of the places we visit — the people, history, gastronomy, sights, and traditions. And because of our years of involvement in helping pickleball to expand throughout Spain and Europe, we’ve developed strong bonds with the local pickleball communities, which allows us to bring the locals to the courts to play with us wherever we travel.
This interaction with the locals on the courts is magical, and now with the new destinations we’ll be exploring, Mickle Pickleball Trips offers travelers the opportunity to meet and play with locals in new destinations. We look forward to continuing to expand our offering and bringing pickleball travelers to new places throughout the world.
We’re excited about this next chapter and invite you to join us on an unforgettable pickleball journey. Same team. Same philosophy. Same quality. Just with a new name that better reflects who we are.
Mike Hess and the Mickle Pickleball Trips Team
