On what seemed by far the hottest day since my arrival to Ibiza, I was looking forward to finally getting a chance to take a break from nocturnal partying and be out in the sun for the day, and what better way to do it than on a boat that serves up good music, drinks, and a stunning view of the beaches along San Antonio? In truth, I had never been on a boat party before and was keen to see why over the past few years in tourist destinations, festivals, and even back in the UK now, boat parties have become so incredibly popular.
To collect your wristband for the Pukka Up boat party you have to head down to Itaca along San Antonio bay – not such a bad thing when you see that comparatively, Itaca has the best drinks prices along the bay and can host a pretty lively pre-party. The choice of music there is ideal for getting you in the mood to party and only a short walk to where the Pukka Up boat is docked, so you won’t find yourself racing to down your drink and then making a last-minute dash before the boat leaves.
After queuing up to get on the boat, we made straight for the bar to kick things off. One of the things that I was impressed by was the cost of drinks onboard the boat. A bottle of Budweiser costs 4 euros, which is a steal when you consider that super clubs can charge up to three times more and the boat has a captive audience.
Upstairs, once the boat sets sail, the people on board really begin to liven up and the DJ kicks things off with some real summery sounding house tracks, in particular a mash up of Ultra Nate’s Free and Ben Pearce’s What I Might Do which worked surprisingly well! The DJ continues by playing the most popular current tracks under each genre of house music, which is totally fair as the Pukka Up party is not one that allows itself to be pigeonholed by a particularly genre of music, like many club- based parties on the island. The DJ therefore, has to cater to a broader demographic of music-lovers and make sure that everybody hears something they enjoy, which is no easy feat in a set that is just under three hours. However, the music onboard was some of the most eclectic I’ve experienced so far in Ibiza, switching from deep house to electro and throwing in several classics along the way, including a favourite in Livin’ Joy’s Dreamer, which got the entire top deck of the boat singing.
Pukka Up is a boat party that has a bit of something for everyone. If you want to get into the party spirit just head upstairs to the top deck, get dancing and it’s guaranteed you’ll hear something you like. If you want to take a break from the liveliness taking place upstairs you ca head downstairs, grab a drink and look at the stunning landscape of Ibiza, which in parts can only be appreciated from looking out at a distance. Not only that, but if you aren’t done with partying just yet, the Friday boat party includes entry into W.A.R at Ibiza Rocks, so this is something that you should definitely give a go!
WORDS | Janson Goldberg PHOTOGRAPHY | Pukka Up
