Top raver, booth infiltrator and our very own AM to PM girl, Lissy Lübeck is back for summer 2023, sharing her thoughts, experiences and inner musings from Ibiza's clubland. A year older, but a year wiser? Probably not.
If you heard it from anybody else, you'd dismiss it as hyperbole, but Lissy Lü's real life is like that.
Partying as a profession is a hard life... but somebody's got to do it!
Sunday 1 October
Back home, the first day of October would involve digging out the thick winter coat, researching Halloween outfit ideas and getting home from work in the dark. On Ibiza, it entails heading to Nikki Beach and lapping up the sun. I know which one I prefer.
My good island girlfriends Charlotte and Lucy accompanied for our adventure to Santa Eulalia. I felt a little smug being in thirty degree heat sipping on a tasty mocktail by a pool, when the weather back home looked so depressingly dismal, but c'est la vie.
Dubbed The Last Sunset, the vibe at poolside today was by far the most lively I've experienced at the beach club. With dancers, drummers, sax players and a DJ, the crowd felt like one big family. After a few drinks everyone was mingling with one another and getting involved. Even the staff couldn't help but bust a little boogie out on the dancefloor.
The waiters here are always highly attentive and make sure each bed is looked after. After a cocktail each, we enjoyed a sharing platter of some deliciously food, which included tacos, mini burgers, sushi, salads and fruit. It was the perfect lunchtime bite.
We moved between the pool, beach and sunloungers throughout the day whilst topping up our tans. It was other two's first time at Nikki Beach and they absolutely loved it. I actually ended up leaving them there, joining the clubbing team for dinner to welcome back Jo (The Darg Horse).
We tried out Can Pou, just a two minute drive from our villa. A traditional little restaurant, I beelined straight for the steak, chips, veg and lashings of peppercorn sauce. We each demolished our dishes and left no trace. I'll definitely be returning before summer is out.
Tuesday 3 October
Today was special day. Not only is 3 October my little nephew's 7th birthday, but it also happens to be the birthday of our clubbing editor Stephen! We woke him up with one of Mercadona's finest birthday cakes, before heading off to theHUB to get some work done.
As we had made Steve's birthday plans for Wednesday instead, we decided to keep it a low-key evening with a celebratory meal in Playa d'en Bossa at Rosa Indian. Picked by Steve after hearing advertisements for it on Ibiza Global Radio, I went in with zero expectations for the place, but I can honestly say that the whole Spotlight team were very impressed.
Mango lassies, all types of naan bread and rice, dishes that were not only bursting with flavour, but spicy - I will definitely return next year. The staff were super friendly and it was clear to see that they had already built a great reputation on the island within just four months of opening.
We then headed back to the villa to get an early night ahead of our hike with Balearic Outdoor Adventures the next morning.
Wednesday 4 October | Paradise closing party
By my own admission, long treks and hiking aren't my preferred choice of activity, but when you're in Ibiza, you need to try everything the island has to offer. The chance to see it in all of its natural glory, meeting new people and getting some much needed exercise - it's essential.
Planning the route
At 10:00 sharp, we rendezvoused with Stivi from Balearic Outdoor Adventures at the Can Sulayetas meeting point near San Miguel. Here we parked ours cars and studied a map of the route. Stivi showed us where we would be heading. Before we'd even set-off, he was already coming out with these interesting facts about almost anything he could think of.
I had never been to this part of the island before and the whole way down to our swim stop was filled with incredible views of the sea and clifftops, as well as ruins from hundreds of years ago of various farmland and old buildings. Things I would usually pass without thinking twice about, Stivi would point out and inform us with incredible knowledge.
When we finally arrived at Es Portixol, I was in absolute awe.
I had never seen anything like it. The water was so blue and there were two jute boats floating away, which genuinely looked like something out of a Dolce and Gabbana campaign. We had a little dip, rehydrated and had some sugary snacks for the ascent back up. I also collected some gorgeous shells from the beach as a souvenir of this summer.
The second half of the trek was by far the most challenging.
Almost at an 80 degree gradient, we managed to walk back up to 300 metres above sea level in just 50 minutes. To be honest, I think think we absolutely smashed it, only stopping briefly to catch our breath and admire the views. Stivi was a great support, checking in on everyone as we climbed.
By the time we reached two-thirds of the way up, it's safe to say that everyone was hot, sweaty and ravenous. The restaurant end-goal gave us tunnel vision - an incentive for the final push. When we saw it in the distance, we instantly perked back to life.
Once we reached Can Sulayetas, we filled our bellies with delicious sandwiches, salads and fries and were reborn. What an invigorating experience. We have vowed to do a hike once a month next summer.
What's that? A closing party round-up is lacking parties? Let's put that right, shall we?
Friends had already been at The Martinez Brothers after party since 10:00, so after getting back I got ready straight away. No time for a siesta.
To say this villa was in the arse-end of nowhere would be an understatement. Out towards Cala Llonga, it was well off the beaten track, down a single lane country road with stables. I prepared for the ultimate blag to get in, but the security at the villa let me walk casually through. Win!
There is never a signal at these villas so I wasn't even sure if Charlotte was still there. Luckily I found her amongst the crowds and we partied on till about 22:00. The music was unreal and the vibes were great. We shuttled it back to Charlotte's place, which was just ten minute away.
We met the others for a few quick beverages in San Antonio before heading to Amnesia of Paradise closing party. Last year we learned the hard way, as we arrived too late and queued for two hours. This year we arrived at midnight to ensure a speedy entry.
Our plan worked and we didn't have to wait too long. Joseph Capriati was in full swing as we walked into The Terrace. Musically, his set was the best I've ever seen him play all summer.
Thursday 5 October
Another day, another villa party. I'm starting to get into the habit of waking up and using my network to uncover the location of the next after party. It's a vital skill.
Today was the after party to celebrate another summer of Paradise at Amnesia. I met Charlotte and her housemate Daisy in San Antonio to hitch a lift over to Las Salinas, near to where the villa was located.
There were already dozens of people outside the main gate waiting to be let in when we pulled up. All of this was being overseen by Paradise promoter, Nick Yates, who having his patience tested by the argy-bargy on the door. The police had already been to the villa earlier in the afternoon, so tensions were understandably high.
Nick kindly popped us in a car to get us through the back entrance into the villa.
I was struck by the extravagance of the complex compared to the others I have been to this week. There was an infinity pool, a free-standing bathtub in the garden, an annex (where the DJ booth and dancefloor were) and various food and drink stands dotted around the villa.
From fresh fruit platters to cocktails, pizza to paella, they had the full works.
William Djoko, Alisha and Wheats all took turns playing. To keep the noise down, the music had to be contained inside, making it one giant sweat box. Condensation was dripping from the glass doors and you could feel the heat hit you in the face as soon as you stepped foot inside. This is typical of most villa parties I've been to here.
With so much going on outside, I kept it alfresco for almost the full seven hours I was there. Me, Charlotte and Mia, one of the Paradise dancers, moved from group to group causing mischief.
Jamie Jones himself went back-to-back with Joseph Capriati until the end - giving us a little preview of Amnesia's closing next weekend. I was outside in the garden when I heard them play my favourite tune, Yours by Steffi & Virginia. I ran inside the moment I heard it. It's a track I've played in all my three sets out here.
Things started to wind down around 22:00, which is when the crowds started to disperse.
I decided it was time for extraction (a term I've picked up from Tim, as he used to come and save me from various villas last summer). As luck would have it, I found a taxi with a green light at the rear of the villa and made my way back to San Antonio for food.
This was one for the memory book.
Friday 6 October
This diary entry is dedicated to Steve, our beloved clubbing editor, whose trip to the beach took an unexpected turn.
Context: shortly after arriving at the beach, against his better judgement, Stephen consumed an entire mushy edible. Ten minutes later, he was out for the count on the sand until our taxi arrived at 19:30. He was missed, but he had a lovely time - so he tells us.
Dear Steve,
I am writing this to you so that you can feel a part of what was a fun-filled, team outing for the Ibiza Spotlight gang at Sa Trinxa, Las Salinas.
During your lengthy nap, curled up on the sand, me and the girls held the fort with the rest of the gang. I don't want to rub it in, but I thoroughly enjoyed my first time at this beach and will definitely be returning.
The waters are perfect for swimming, while the vibes are equally suited for dancing or chilling (see Steve). Jon Sa Trinxa soundtracked our day. Once the tables were cleared out, the crowds from the beach decamped into the restaurant to dance their way into the dwindling daylight.
The funniest part of the day was everyone being too inebriated to realise the sea was rushing in.
Suddenly, we were submerged in water as the incoming waves drenched everyone's belongings. It was absolutely calamitous seeing everyone scramble to save their stuff. A sobering experience, even Steve snapped out of his trance.
Some were more helpful than others (*cough* Phil), who just looked on as an amused bystander. I had to take a photo to capture the moment, so to be fair, maybe I wasn't much help myself.
The afternoon flew by and before we knew it, our taxi driver was waiting in the car park for us. At least I got to see a sunset at Las Salinas for the second day in a row.
Hayley managed to lose her beloved denim shirt in the wave and Steve's shirt was another casualty. We ended up at David's in San Antonio for a spot of cheap dinner, before heading back to the villa for an earlyish night before The Vortex - Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza's Closing Party.
What a funny day.
Saturday 7 October | Soul Heaven closing party & The Vortex
Saturday, the team spent the day in super chill mode at O Beach for Soul Heaven. That's what I love about this venue - you can either get involved in the dance or completely switch-off, listening to the music from the comfort of your own sunbed.
Gifted with a huge bottle of Belvedere vodka and a complimentary sharing platter between the four of us, we were set up perfectly for the day. Lucy Jane also happened to be playing, which was nice to catch her for the final time this summer.
Later that evening, we headed down to Playa d'en Bossa for The Vortex - the joint Closing Party for Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza. We got there mid Bicep set and managed to secure a great space behind the pool, with the perfect head-on view of the stage in all of its glory.
The light show and pyrotechnics were on another level for the closing. These alone were a spectacle in themselves.
Peggy Gou headlined the event and opened with an unreleased Spice Girls edit, which absolutely went off. Her second song was a bit of tease, as she played the intro of her summer hit anthem (It Goes Like) Nanana, which she later dropped fully towards the end of her set. There was also a really beefy Bass House track that sampled Da Hool's Meet Her At The Love Parade.
I love seeing her in the flesh. I'm a big fan of her as a music artist, but also for her contribution to the world of fashion. She's got it all going on. This was also one of the few times a female artist has headlined a closing party. Epic! Let's hope we see some more of this in the future.
Thirsty for more misadventures in clubland? The next entry from Lissy Lü's dancefloor diary is online now, as our heroine enters her final week on the island.
Read previous weeks' capers here:
Ibiza closing parties: part one
Looking after Cleo
Storm clouds gather
Lissy makes her O Beach debut
For daily insights, you can keep up to date with the life and times of Lissy Lü by following our TikTok channel here.
