SLIPPING off her swimsuit, Amanda Leigh buzzes with anticipation as she steps into the swimming pool and edges towards a man she has just met.
Moments later they lose their inhibitions and whilst they know they’re not alone in the water, they start having sex as others watch.
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It might sound like a high street curry house but Spicy Island is a top secret location off the coast of Croatia which certainly lives up to its name.
Sex on balconies
It’s a far cry from your budget all inclusive package holiday on the Costa Del Sol as guests are expected to leave all their inhibitions at the door.
Each year, hundreds of people flock there to experience two weeks of blistering sun and plenty of sex.
It’s a swingers paradise, a place where orgies on sun loungers beside the pool are the norm and watching exhibitionists have sex on balconies before breakfast is par for the course.
It isn’t for the fainthearted or the prudish.
It was in the Spicy Island pool where Amanda, a professional dancer, met her partner Alex Christian, 44, last summer – and they’re now counting down the weeks until their next trip – but this time as a couple – in June.
And Amanda has high hopes for their stay.
She says: “Last year I met Alex and this year we’re ready to open our relationship up.
“I want to fulfil the ‘hot wife’ fantasy and I’m looking forward to exploring this further.
“You’re on an island where anything goes but at the same time it feels incredibly safe – absolutely nothing happens without explicit consent.
“It’s like a Disneyland for swingers, with anything and everything on offer.”
Amanda first got into the swinging scene ten years ago whilst working as a dancer in an adults-only resort in Mexico.
She heard about Spicy Island last year when she was introduced to the organisers at a swinging event and after becoming fascinated, she booked a ticket.
The two-week event is organised by a company called Spicy Match, who take over the island entirely to accommodate their 600 guests.
Tickets aren’t cheap – it costs between £1,000 for a bell tent up to £2,500 for a sun lodge with two bedrooms and bathrooms as well as a lounge.
‘Hot wife’ fantasy
Amanda stayed for the full fortnight last summer after ‘playing’ with singles and couples on the swinging scene previously.
“Last year I was planning a ‘hot girl summer’ – imagining all sorts of group interactions,” she says. “Spicy Island is one of the best parties imaginable.
“The event is held at a secret location – you only find out where it is exactly when you board the boat from the port on the mainland.”
What is Swinging?
SWINGING, also known as partner swapping, is a sexual activity where partners in a committed relationship engage in sexual activities with other people.
All parties involved must give explicit and enthusiastic consent.
Open and honest communication between partners is crucial.
Many swingers engage with a community or attend events specifically for swinging.
Such activity can enhance intimacy and trust within the primary relationship.
It provides an opportunity to explore sexual fantasies and desires.
But it is not suitable for every relationship and requires a strong foundation of trust.
Jealousy and emotional challenges may arise and need to be managed.
It was on the hour-long boat transfer where Amanda, who splits her time between Europe and Canada working as a dancer, first set eyes on Alex, a spa technician.
She is completely unabashed about revealing what happened next on the wild isle nestled in the Med, an area which is a hotspot for regular holidaymakers.
“I couldn’t get over how hot Alex was,” she recalls. “We started flirting then and there and by the third night we got together while skinny dipping in the pool.
“The sex was incredible – it was very liberating as we were also able to make love on the beach at sunset, with no fear of getting into trouble.
“And we enjoyed being able to get it on in front of other people as I’m an exhibitionist.
“We couldn’t get enough of each other so ended up not playing with anyone else – which is fine too – there’s absolutely no pressure to take part in group sex.”
It’s like a Disneyland for swingers, with anything and everything on offer
Amanda Leigh
As well as brunch and an evening meal included in the ticket price, guests enjoy a jam-packed and somewhat eccentric entertainment package.
It ranges from exotic dancers and fire-eaters to sex seminars where attendees learn how to achieve multiple orgasms and soak up valuable tips on how to take care of erotic latex outfits.
The event, now in its third year, draws hundreds of Brits as well as others from places as diverse as Israel, Malta, Ukraine and America.
Some fly there on private jets whilst others arrive in Croatia on regular package holiday flights from the UK before jumping on the boat to the island.
Swag bag of condoms
Elsewhere in Croatia, tourists can be fined up to €700 (£585) on the spot in Split and Dubrovnik for inappropriate behaviour.
This includes using drugs and drinking alcohol in public spaces, vomiting in public and walking around in swimwear.
Holidaymakers can also be fined for removing shells from beaches.
However, the small, top secret Spicy Island which is usually enjoyed by regular tourists the rest of the year, appears to be governed by its own sets of rules.
On arrival, guests are handed a ‘swag bag’ of essential items including condoms and wristbands to distinguish them from staff.
The rules are quickly laid out – taking photos and videos of other guests is banned and while nudity is permitted everywhere else, swimwear must be worn in dining areas and at the reception.
The ‘play area’ is where much of the action takes place. It’s divided into sections – one where couples play, another where they can find singles and there’s a different area used solely for BDSM.
The play tent – which is staffed by stewards who hand out towels and extra condoms – is so popular couples queue for a vacant bed.
“People have a view of the lifestyle, thinking swingers are gross or glorified cheaters. But it couldn’t be further from the truth,” says Amanda.
“It’s all about consent and communication with your partner.
“So we’re all very conscious of having safe sex and personal hygiene.
“You are completely free from unwanted advances, there’s no expectations or pressure like you’d see at a standard night club on a Friday night.”
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The island attracts swingers of all ages and retired couple James and Katherine Gordon, both 55, from Ashford in Kent, are regulars – and well versed in the scene.
They’ve stayed on Spicy Island twice and Katherine admitted she loves holidaying there because James can’t keep up with her wild desires.
The couple, who have tickets for this year’s event, got together at 17 and started swinging a year later.
Katherine says: “We’ve been to swingers events everywhere in the world and the island is one of the best there is.
“We’re so experienced that we have no embarrassment, we’ll introduce ourselves with our boundaries. We’ll literally say ‘we’re into full swapping and single men but no anal!’
“You end up meeting people in all sorts of ways. We start chatting on the Spicy Island forum the organisers set up before we fly out to Croatia and might suggest meeting up for dinner in the port town before we head for the island.
“Last year, 40 of us ended up having dinner together the night before we left, so you start making connections before you arrive.”
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Katherine continues: “The meals on the island are communal, so we sit down next to people we think we’ll have something in common with.
“You flirt in the same way as you would in a normal bar or club to see if someone’s interested in taking it further.
“I have a penchant for men in their mid-20s and will happily approach them to join us. James is very happy to outsource, joking he gets s**gged out now he’s older!
“It’s weird as I’m very shy in real life but something about swinging brings out a different side to me.”
The couple booked into a two-bedroom sun lodge for the fortnight and they allocated one room for sleep and one for ‘play’ rather than using the communal areas.
“We prefer using our own space, it’s just more us,” says Katherine.
‘It’s all there if you want it’
“But it’s not only the swinging, it’s the socialising we enjoy. After 30 years of being on the swinging scene we have met lots of friends who we also see on Spicy Island.
“It’s the least judgemental place in the world. You can walk to breakfast and see people having sex on their verandas, or there can be ten or 20 couples making out on a double bed. But equally someone can be sitting quietly reading their book.”
Personal trainer Katie Jones, 38, and her husband Simon, 49, who works in event management are longing for their second trip to Spicy Island this summer.
The couple from Hitchin in Hertfordshire have been together for nine years after meeting online and became involved in swinging gradually.
It was when they were on holiday in the French naturist resort of Cap d’Adge in 2023 that they heard about Spicy Island and visited for the first time last year.
Whilst most couples expect more intimacy on holiday, Katie and Simon love taking it to a whole new level.
Katie says: “We loved being able to swim naked and sunbathe naked.
“We made lots of connections and ended up playing with two other couples – though a lot of the fun is witnessing your partner having pleasure.
“You can go to a secluded part of the island if you want some peace or join in with the crowds at the parties and the pool – there’s an amazing energy.”
People think swingers are gross or glorified cheaters. But it couldn’t be further from the truth
Amanda Leigh
Surprisingly, given the ‘anything goes’ vibe on Spicy Island boozing is sparse.
Katie says: “People don’t tend to get too drunk as they’re there for sex and alcohol doesn’t help with that.
“It’s just a very chilled out and very freeing environment – if people are curious they can come and see what they find.
“You don’t have to swing but it’s all there if you want it!”
- Some names have been changed
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