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The island of Pag, just north of Zadar, is known for its buzzing beachside nightlife and its striking lunar-like terrain. With 270km of coastline, Pag is full of glorious beaches, coves and bays. It has an intriguing landscape with small forested areas, wide expanses of white rocks, villages dotted around the coast, and more sheep than people. The main towns on the island are Novalja and Pag Town.

Novalja

  • Zadar and Biograd

    Rich in history, both areas of Zadar and Biograd have plenty to explore and experience.

  • Pag Island

    Pag Island has charisma, charm and is host to some of Croatia's music festivals.  

  • Zadar Archipelago Islands

    These Islands have an abundance of unspoilt nature, providing some great places to discover off the beaten track. 

Novalja is famous for its amazing nightlife and summer festivals. Zrće Beach is known as the party beach of Croatia, with exciting open air night clubs and a pebbled beach sheltered by forest. Sveti Duh and Strasko are also awesome beaches, and all three beaches have great facilities for swimming, boating, canoeing, windsurfing, water skiing and more. One of the most popular summer festivals is Hideout Festival, a dance and electronica event held on the beach. Other festivals include electronic music Sonus Festival, and hip hop’s Fresh Island Festival. Novalja also has a fantastic waterfront promenade, where you can take in the views of the sea and watch yachts sailing into the marina. For an unusual experience, visit the Pag Triangle, a huge mysterious triangle made out of different rocks from the rest of the rocks in the area near Novalja. No one can explain how the triangle got there and ufologists believe it was made by an alien spaceship.

  • Novalja waterfront 

  • View of Pag Town 

Pag Town

Built in medieval times, Pag Town has quaint narrow stone streets, interesting old churches and a palace. It also has gorgeous little beaches and coves to explore along Pag Bay. If you’re interested in natural healing, visit Lokunja bay where you can bathe in special mud, said to help with skin and inflammation problems. If you visit Pag at the end of August you’ll catch the Pag Summer Carnival, where locals take part in a parade, children sing and tourists dance. Earlier in the year is the Pag Carnival leading up to Lent where locals wear traditional costumes, hold masquerade parties and burn effigies on a bonfire. Lacework is a celebrated old tradition in Pag Town, with a Lace Museum and an annual Lace Festival. There is also a Museum of Salt, dedicated to one of Pag’s main industries - salt production.

Activities

Take a boat excursion to nearby islands or to the mainland. Explore secluded and untouched beaches away from the towns for an uninterrupted swim. Tour the island by bike, along tracks through untouched nature. Go diving and see shipwrecks, caves and an underwater cathedral near neighbouring island Premuda. There are diving schools and guides to show you the best spots. Go windsurfing, water skiing or boating at one of the many beaches. Party all night in Novalja or explore historical Pag Town.

Food and wine

Pag’s most famous food is its sheep’s cheese, a strong and salty cheese, often served with olives. Another speciality is succulent Pag lamb, often served grilled or roasted with potatoes and seasoned with sage - a herb which grows naturally on Pag. Sage is also used for making honey, and sage blossom honey is available to buy or taste on the island. Pag is home to a variety of vineyards, some of which have restaurants and wine tastings. Pag has a range of restaurants, cafes, tavernas and bars which serve a lot of seafood and Mediterranean food.

Beaches

The best beaches are Zrće, Strasko, Sveti Duh beaches in Novalja. Zrće is a Blue Flag beach, great for swimming or partying, with open air night clubs. Strasko is a lovely pebbly Blue Flag beach with lots of facilities, including a children’s area and a separate naturist area. Sveti Duh is a beautiful sandy beach, also with a naturist area. Rucica, across Pag Bay from Pag Town is worth a visit for its unique setting amongst moon-like rocks.

Transport

You can take a bus from Zadar to Pag Town or Novalja. Once you’re on the island you will need to hire a car or ride a bike if you want to explore less inhabited areas.

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