If it's morning in Ibiza and I have a full face of make up on, it's normally safe to assume that I just haven't got round to taking it off from the night before, however yesterday I flouted my questionable lifestyle and was up, showered and ready for the day before most of my house mates had dragged themselves out off bed. Why? To go and have a gander at the west coast's hottest daytime party spot, Ocean Beach, for its Friday Pool Party.
It was my first visit to the al fresco venue and when I arrived, sun cream at the ready, I was happy to see that its impressive reputation lived up to the hype. A sparkling turquoise pool surrounded by sun loungers, palm trees, poolside bars and soft green astro-turf underfoot (it seems they've improved the stuff since my days of P.E.), this beach-club come actual-club is the ultimate venue for a pool party.
A day down at the beach for those who don't fancy the thought of rinsing sand from places you didn't even know was possible, and who would much rather be sipping on a cocktail than a six pack that after ten minutes under the Balearic sun tastes more like warm dish water than the ice cold pint you'd envisaged.
The place was full with party-goers splashing around in the pool and dancing under the sun to an assortment of party house and bass-heavy disco. The resident DJs which included the South London house-loving siblings The Fernando Bros, and international tech-house DJ and producer Giuliano A.L. kept the crowd on their feet with chart-friendly dance tracks like Gorgon City feat. Yasmin's Real and Jess Glynne's syrupy vocals on Route 94's My Love, mixed in with sing-along classics from The Jackson 5 and Jamiroquai's Space Cowboy.
Entertainment is clearly high on the priority list at Ocean Beach, with dancers and performers for you to feast your eyes on at every turn. At one point a giant martini glass overflowing with glittering woman was lowered into the party, suspended over the awe-struck crowds, and this was followed by aerial acrobats performing over the pool with long white ribbons.
With these sorts of spectacles, Ocean Beach certainly feels like an exclusive L.A. beach club, with bottles off bubbly that cost more than my rent, white clad waiters ferrying platters of sashimi to the poolside day beds, and Tom Crane among the residents behind the decks - whose relationship with ex-girl-band star Sarah Harding sees him in the tabloids nearly as much as the celebrities he plays to in the VIP area - its easy to see why Ocean Beach is considered Ibiza's playground for the rich and famous. However I'm pleased to confirm that the party venue is a place that everyone can party (including workers like me and our pitiful budgets). Tickets start from as little as 10€, with plenty of promoters around San An giving further offers and deals, meaning it attracts an eclectic mix of VIPs, workers, holiday makers and locals, all there for the same reason, to have a good time.
