The Ibiza-styled Gianpula, a few kilometres east of Rabat (signposted en route to Żebbuġ), is a huge open-air club that kicked off in 1980 and is still going strong.

Sougia has two open-air clubs that can get surprisingly lively for such a small resort.

L Map At the southern end of the malecón, river breezes swing through this open-air club, which pulses with salsa and reggaetón.

And the Venetian ramparts now frame an open-air club, the Garden, (Liburnska Obala 6; 385-23-364-739; www.thegardenzadar.com), which is owned by James Brown, the drummer for UB40.

The women queue up for water at the intersections, it's their open-air club through the winter.

One woman complained about puke on the pavements and the racket coming from open-air clubs scattered along the nearby River Spree.

Young well-dressed revelers converge onto Cumhuriyet Caddesi, which visitors call Bar Street, before heading to behemoth discos like Halikarnas, an open-air club that resembles a nearby amphitheater.

A large and always popular open-air club, leaning heavily on compas, with regular live bands.

Even in the illegal gun market in town, a kind of open-air club where men play billiards outdoors while others examine $750 pistols and $1,200 machine guns, there is a sense of civic pride.

The streets were buzzing, though, and there was music everywhere, from bands in cafes to loud reggaeton in central Viñales on Friday night and brilliant salsa in an open-air club.