Pag & Novalja

A resort town in northern Pag, famous across Europe for its summer parties on Zrće Beach, on an island of moonlike limestone landscapes, ancient olive groves, Pag cheese and lace.

Pag is a long, narrow island in the northern Adriatic in Croatia, about 60 km long; the north belongs to Novalja in Lika-Senj County and the south to the town of Pag in Zadar County. Battered year-round by the bora wind blowing off the Velebit mountains, the east coast is nearly bare, a moonlike wasteland of white limestone, while the west coast is lined with coves, pine forests and sand-and-pebble beaches. Novalja is the resort hub of the north, where Zrće Beach's open-air clubs and music festivals draw young people from all over Europe in summer; for somewhere quieter, head to Caska, Straško beach or the thousand-year-old olive groves of Lun at the northern tip. In the south, Pag Old Town preserves its Renaissance grid of streets and is known for UNESCO-listed Pag lace, salt pans and Pag sheep's cheese. The best time to visit is June–September, with July and August the busiest and most expensive; in May–June and September the sea is already warm, crowds are thinner and prices lower, while in winter most hotels and clubs close. Getting there: from the Rijeka side, travel via the island of Krk or take the ferry from Prizna to Žigljen (about 15 minutes); from the Zadar side, drive onto the island over the Pag Bridge, with Zadar Airport about 1 hour 15 minutes from Novalja; in summer there's also a fast boat from Rijeka to Novalja. Buses on the island are sparse, so driving is recommended. Plan on 3–5 days: a day at Zrće Beach, a day in Pag Old Town and the salt pans, and a day at the Lun olive groves and the northern coves. During party season, watch your safety and belongings at night and never drink and drive; there's no shade on the east coast, so bring plenty of water and sun protection for outdoor activities.

Top sights

• Zrće Beach – Croatia’s most famous party beach. Swim on the pebble shore by day, and dance all night at open-air nightclubs by night.
• Lun Olive Gardens – A plant reserve at the northern tip of Pag Island, with about 80,000 wild olive trees, the oldest more than a thousand years old.
• Ručica Beach & Metajna Moonscape – A white-pebble bay beside Metajna village, backed by barren limestone wasteland that looks like the surface of the Moon.
• Gligora Dairy – An award-winning Pag cheese dairy where you can join a guided tour and taste the savory Pag sheep’s milk cheese.
• Caska & Ancient Cissa – A quiet bay near Novalja where the ancient Roman town of Cissa is said to have sunk, and where underwater ruins can be seen.
• Novalja City Museum & Talijanova Buža – A museum in the town center showing archaeology and olive culture, with access to an underground aqueduct carved in the Roman era.
• Pag Triangle – A light-colored triangular rock face about 30 m on each side on a hillside, which became a popular photo spot thanks to UFO legends.
• Kolansko Blato Ornithological Reserve – A wetland bird reserve in central Pag Island, with about 170 recorded bird species, observation towers, and trails.
• Straško Beach – A long pebble beach on the south side of Novalja, with pine shade, shallow gentle waters, and suitability for family swimming.
• Pag Bridge – An arched bridge linking Pag Island to the mainland, with the ruins of a castle nearby and views over the strait and the Velebit Mountains.

Where to eat

• Boškinac Winery Restaurant – A winery boutique hotel restaurant surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, holding a Michelin star since 2020 and sho…
• Konoba Prtorić – A family farm eatery beside the Mandre–Šimuni road, serving charcoal-grilled and bell-roasted lamb raised on the family…

Itineraries

• Kvarner Coast, Krk & Pag Islands – An island-hopping self-drive route heading south from Opatija along the coast, via Krk and Pag islands, to Zadar.