A familiar sight met our eyes as we rounded the corner turning onto the Es Paradis side-street of San Antonio. The footpath was blocked by a hefty queue of pretty things, all waiting to start their summer off at the jewel of San An – Es Paradis. Unfortunately summer queues did not equate to summer temperatures, and those who had gone for the less-is-more approach to costuming were feeling the bite of early season air.
Once inside Es Paradis, however, it seemed a universe away from the San Antonio street outside. It's as if you've just dropped into a fantasy land, where the ceilings, walls and pillars are cloaked in ivy and bougainvillea, a tall, airy pyramid shaped structure is split into many levels and areas, all with sweeping curving architectural lines and a sparkling white finish. A place designed by Lluis Güell, who also designed the iconic white sails of Café del Mar. A place where jeweled mirrors bounce reflections from pillars on the dance floor and sparkling dancers swing from ropes overhead and prance along suspended staircases. A place for exploring, dancing, making new friends and looking faaaabulous.
Pete Gooding, DJ Eibhlin, Angel Linde and Steeve Valverde all crossed the decks over the course of the evening, playing a mix of modern deep House, funky House classics, pop remixes and electro. The DJs were doing a great job but it was not just about the music that night. There's so much for the eyes to feast on at an Es Paradis party that you'd never catch everyone facing the same way. And I mean that in a good way of course; thanks to the complex design of the club it never feels too stage or DJ focused, clubbers are encouraged to engage with every corner of the space around them and most importantly with every other clubber they find themselves dancing next to. The DJ sets were occasionally interrupted by acrobatic interludes – during which eyes and fingers would suddenly point upwards as acrobats swooped and swung over the dancefloor, just out of reach from the outstretched hands of all present.
Es Paradis delivers all this… only fifty metres away from the beach! Way to go Ibiza super clubs, glad to have you back.
