Colombia – Primal Tennis

As an avid tennis player, when I first arrived in Medellin, Colombia my first thought was – where are the tennis courts? So, I went on a mission to find out… The best places to play tennis in Medellin, Colombia are at Estadio Stadium, Unidad Deportiva de Belen, Parque Providencia, and Maria Luisa. There are also several private tennis clubs available, as well as tennis courts in Envigado, a municipality just south of Medellin. Medellin, Colombia is a city that is passionate about their tennis. There is an abundance of tennis clubs, enthusiastic players, and frequent tournaments. One tennis instructor told me that he considers tennis the #2 sport in Medellin behind futbol (soccer). Pickleball has also taken root in Medellin, Colombia, thanks to Ed Osterman and many others for nurturing a strong pickleball community into existence. Check out the YouTube channel, David Shoup’s Travel Adventures, for loads of information. Everything you need to know about pickleball in Medellin is on his channel, including extra insights on traveling in Colombia. https://youtu.be/UaeC7sJW6wI Tennis in Medellin - Important Info Here is some important information you will want to know about before playing tennis in Medellin. Altitude The altitude in Medellin, just under 1500 meters (5000 feet), is sure to impact your tennis game. You will notice two effects immediately: 1) Less oxygen in the air makes it harder to breathe and you will be out of breath quicker, and 2) Shots that would normally be inside the court will fly a few feet farther, sailing out. Solution: I tried stringing my racquet a few pounds (1kg) tighter than usual, which helped minimally, but the real solution is to just get out and play. *Ever wanted to play tennis in the Philippines?! Check out my Cebu City Tennis Guide. How to Find Players: Medellin has lots of hobby WhatsApp groups because it is the preferred method of communication here. Go to MDE Community, and scroll down and click on the “Tennis” group. This will give you access to the Medellin Tennis WhatsApp group where you can find partners and information about tennis courts. How to Book Courts: Almost every facility in Medellin requires a court reservation to play tennis. Depending on which facility you choose (from the list below) will determine which app you need to use. The EasyCancha app is available on the Apple store and on Android, and it is widely used in Medellin to reserve tennis courts. You will need to download the app. My recommendation is to go to Estadio Stadium tennis facility and have the office help you get set up and show you how to use it. You will need to create an account, give your email, passport ID, etc. and it is easier to let them do all that for you. Some facilities only use the Inder website to reserve courts. As of 2023, it is not fun to register with Inder and use their website to reserve courts, but many people use it everyday. This YouTube video (how to make a reservation on Inder) is the best resource I have found to proceed in doing so. *Also, tennis is awesome in Thailand. Check out my Bangkok Tennis Guide. https://youtu.be/AEUSXAY08hU *Three Tennis Clubs I loved in Medellin Tennis Courts Here are five tennis clubs that I highly recommend checking out in Medellin. Estadio Estadio is the premier public tennis facility in Medellin, Colombia. They have 10 red clay courts, a double-sided hitting wall, and six mini-sized tennis courts for juniors. The official name, Liga Antioqueña de Tenis de Campo, is the club’s name on Google Maps. However, the locals call this club Estadio Stadium tennis courts because it is located at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot Stadium sports complex where they play professional soccer (football) matches. Me hitting a serve at Estadio tennis courts I was impressed with the junior academy at Estadio. In the afternoons, starting around 3pm every court is full with junior academy play. Estadio has a robust amount of tennis instructors and hitting partners for reasonable prices. They have a small restaurant and beverage shop on-site, as well as a pro shop where you can buy racquet restringing, balls, shoes, racquets, and accessories. They also have tennis tournaments nearly every month. Estadio uses the EasyCanch phone app to make court reservations. As of 2023, it costs 20,000 pesos (about 5 US dollars) to walk in and play, or you can pay 190,000 ($40 US dollars) pesos for a one month membership. Unidad Deportiva de Belen – Tennis and Pickleball Unidad Deportiva de Belen is a sports complex with nearly every sport you can imagine: Tennis Pickleball Soccer (Futbol, Football) Basketball Swimming (3 pools) Volleyball (Beach and hardcourt) Archery BMX riding Track & Field (Full track) Free outdoor gym And lots more! Located in Belen, a part of Medellin, it is one of the best places in Medellin to go for free, outdoor exercise and sports. This sports complex has four tennis courts, all outdoor hard courts. They have instructors onsite for hire and have a small pro-shop for equipment and racquet restringing. To make a reservation, use the EasyCancha phone app. Pickleball Unidad Deportiva de Belen is also the home of Medellin Pickleball, which is located under the covered roof near the rear entrance. Pickleball is played about 5 days per week and has a healthy community of about 30-40 players that show up each time. https://youtu.be/MWWIswljhjg There is no need to make a reservation, just show up and join in the pick-games. The cost to play is 5,000 pesos ($1US dollar) and they have extra racquets you can rent for another 5,000 pesos. For up to date information on pricing and times check out this video, and also, David Shoup’s Travel adventures YouTube channel. *Also check my article on Tennis and Pickleball in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Pickleball is thriving there too! Maria Luisa Calle Unidad Deportiva María Luisa Calle Unidad Deportiva is another tennis facility in Medellin. The locals call it more simply, Maria Luisa. I didn’t get to play there much because the courts were full and I found Estadio to be my preferred tennis club. However, it is a very popular tennis club and my friends love playing there. They have a nice selection of tennis instructors and some of them speak good English. This is not common at other clubs. They also have a tennis shop where you can buy accessories and get your racquet restrung. Maria Luisa uses the EasyCancha phone app to make reservations. Canchas de Tenis Parque Providencia Located in Poblado, Parque Providencia has two red-clay tennis courts, with a beautiful view of the mountains in the background. Although they only have two courts, the nice thing about Parque Providencia is that they are usually not busy. Every time we tried to play there, we got a court. Unfortunately, Parque Providencia uses the Inder website to make court reservations. I could not figure it out, but luckily my Spanish-speaking friend knows how to use it. I hear they are working on making the Inder website more user-friendly. Envigado – Inder Envigado (Canches de tenis) Envigado, a town connected to the south of Medellin, is a popular place for expats who like to stay long-term in Medellin. They also have a decent tennis facility. Inder Envigado is a sports complex in the heart of Envigado with a large variety of sports. They have four outdoor hard tennis courts and a double-sided hitting wall. Although, the courts are unpainted and are plain asphalt, they are in good condition and have a beautiful view of the mountains. In the afternoons, the Inder Envigado tennis courts have junior clinics so the courts are usually full at that time. However, during the mornings, early afternoons, and weekends the availability is better and you are more likely to get a court. Reservations are required using the Inder website. However, I showed up and was able to play without a reservation because courts were open. ***** I hope this article helped you on your tennis and pickleball journey in Medellin, Colombia. Also, please check out my YouTube channel and Instagram page for more worldwide coverage of tennis.