Location: Montañita, Ecuador
Capacity: 2,500
Lost Beach, the clubbing oasis in the town of Montañita on the Ecuadorian coast, has become used to thriving in adversity, overcoming obstacles to put on parties often against the odds. The latest tricky situation is the small matter of martial law being imposed in Ecuador by new president Daniel Noboa in January, in an attempt to combat drug gangs. Despite this, and various curfews in 2023, Lost Beach still managed to host the likes of Mochakk, Apollonia, wAFF, Franky Rizardo, Solardo, Josh Butler, Yousef, Latmun and Doc Martin last year, an epic 80-hour Taraka event helmed by GORDO, and the week-long Trotamindo festival — co-organised by Un_Mute from Miami — which foregrounded underground DJs, “helping us find our identity again since tech-house, which was mostly played at the club these past few years, has become so commercial,” Lost Beach head honcho Kami tells DJ Mag.