There are lots of theories about how Tragic Beach got its name

It is firmly believed that the name of the small village was corrupted from the original Spanish

And has been lost in translation

I first visited the beach when I was at college with selected friends

It was known more as a hippy hang out in those days but things soon changed

As it became more popular mainly because of a movie shot there in the nineties

One of my best friends was a chap named Zero a failed writer come hippy

He and Jennifer (who I secretly loved) lived in a shack near the beach

Because of my talents as a poet I felt very comfortable there and even kept my books on their shelf

The Drifters by James A Michener was my favourite as it just seemed to float along with those endless summer days

When I brought my early girlfriends to the beach they all remarked how free the lifestyle was

I saw everything from a young male gaze with naked and semi naked women living without inhibition

Many wondered whether this was a paradise or an illusion as everything appeared so perfect

Josie took to Tragic as if she had been born there and in way it shaped her life

And then it all changed after the great storm that caused so much damage

Zero and the other hippies slowly drifted away as their lives had been shattered

I am planning to return to Tragic later this summer with Josie and now Cora

Who has just accepted my sisters invitation to visit Ibiza

I have recently seen photographs of Tragic which has changed a great deal

The geography is the same but the gentle slopes and paths that once led to the beach

Are now lightly covered by holiday villas chic cafes and expensive bars

I doubt if I will find many memories but Claude has told me that my paperback

Can be found behind glass in Bar Tragic as the owner likes to remember the beach as it used to be

Whether this is true or not I will soon find out

I am expecting everything and nothing at the same time

Years have passed but not that many

So our visit will be very interesting



Joe