Vacation on Pag

How to get to Pag?

Pag is very well connected with the mainland. Highway A1 (E65) passes nearby and Zadar airport is about 1-hour drive from the island. Reaching the island from the south is quite easy since there is a bridge connecting the island with mainland. If you are coming to Pag from northern Croatia and inland best option is to take a ferry from Prizna to port of Zigljen on Pag island. During the season (July and August) long queue for ferry and traffic jams near the bridge can be expected. Also, you can find lots of ferry or catamaran lines departing from Zadar and Rijeka daily. For more information on how to get to Pag feel free to contact us.

Pag bridge from Pixabay.com

Island settlements

There are two major settlements on the island. Town of Pag is an island center and administration area. Trough out history there were two Towns of Pag. Old one is situated some 3 kilometers (near the salterns) from the modern Town of Pag. Building a new town started in mid-15^thcentury as a necessity in order to defend the town from Ottoman’s and other invaders. The design of new town was entrusted to Georgio da Sebenico, architect of Cathedral of St. James in Sibenik.

Some 30 kilometers from Pag, Town of Novalja is situated. It is the second largest settlement and the center of northern part of the island. Marked as a popular party destination because of its world-famous beach Zrće where many music festivals are held over the summer and music stars, such as David Guetta, often preforms in local clubs.

On island you will also find a lot of picturesque small villages that are ideal for a relaxing holiday. For more family type vacation, we recommend villages Miskovici and Smokvica. These villages are ideal for all looking for peace and quiet and unavoidable Mediterranean hospitality.

Town of Novalja, from commons.wikimedia.org, author: fotogoocom

Sightseeing on Pag

There is a lot of sites that you can visit while vacationing on Pag. We set aside few that we consider worth visiting.

Pag lace Gallery

On Pag island tradition of making needle lace has been nurtured for centuries. Origin of it dates back to 15^thcentury. Lace was initially used to make ecclesial garments for clothing and tablecloth. In 2009. Pag lace was registered by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Visitors to the gallery can see how Pag lace is made and the techniques that needs to be mastered by the Pag lace makers in order to create it.

Folk costume, Pag; from commons.wikimedia.org, author: Roberta

Museum of Salt

Having a museum that celebrates condiments depicts the importance of salt for the Pag island and its inhabitants. Over the centuries even wars were waged with neighboring cities Zadar and Rab for the right to produce and trade with it. Traditionally salt was extracted through process of panning the sea water and then letting it dry in the sun. Today, modern factory exists in Pag that uses steam for completing evaporation process and it is a larger manufacture of table salt in Croatia.

Pag salterns, from commons.wikimedia.org, author: Andrej Neuherz

City Museum of Novalja

The museum consists of unmeasurable cultural and historical value with about thousand objects dating from antiquity to the modern age. Top attraction is underground ancient Roman aqueduct from around 1. century AD. Museum also, guard’s beautiful coin collection from ancient Roman period among which you can find a counterfeit coin made by the barbarians in order to imitate legal currency at the time.

Olive Gardens of Lun

Olive Gardens of Lun covers about 24 ha and number more than 80,000 trees of varieties of the form grafted on the wild rootstock of the olive Olea oleaster linea. There are about 1,500 trees of five to eight meters high, whose average age is estimated at 1,200 years. This olive grove is unique in the world due to the large number of millennial olive trees on one location.

Olive gardens of Lun, Pag, from commons.wikimedia.org, author: Darinka Kiš-Novak

Rector`s Palace

Located on the main square in Town of Pag for centuries it was the seat of city and island administration. Construction of Rector`s Palace started in the 15^th century. Today, the Rector's Palace is a renovated cultural monument that is used for performances during the summer months, and the “klapa”, traditional way of singing in Dalmatia, performs at the Pag Cultural Summer.

Prince`s Palace on Pag, from Wikipedia.org, author: Zvone00

Congregational Church of the Assumption

Congregational Church of the Assumption is located on the main town square in Pag and is the most valuable monument of sacral architecture in Pag. The cornerstone of the church was laid on May 18, 1443, which marked the beginning of its long-term construction.

Congregational Church of the Assumption on Pag, from Pixabay.com

Flavors of Pag

It would be a pity if you go on vacation on Pag and not taste local cuisine. Here we`ll just mention what fabulous ingredients makes an excellent island cuisine.

• Cheese– a trade mark of Pag island and most valued sheep cheese in Croatia. It has a pleasant spicy taste and color varies from light yellow to dark yellow (depending on age). Uniqueness is obtained from the milk of Pag sheep that graze grass on rocky pastures that are rich in various types of aromatic plants. In addition, a special value is given to it by the salt that remains in traces on the grass after the “bura” - a strong North wind that blows on the island of Pag. That combination of aromatic plants and minerals is the secret ingredient that makes this cheese so special.

Pag cheese,

from Wikipedia.org,

author: Sirena Gligora

• Pag lamb - has a specific taste which world gastronomes consider a top specialty. Excellent flavor is due to the area in which the indigenous sheep live and feed. Bare and rocky island on which various aromatic plants, such as immortelle, grow and are sprinkled with sea salt by heavy winter winds. Traditionally, lamb is prepared on a spit (mounted on a spit it turns slowly over the ember and bakes) or under “peka”. We recommend you try it both.
• Baškotini (toasts)- for more than 300 - years, the Benedictine nuns have been preparing delicious delicacies, golden Pag toasts, baškotini. This special delicacy is still prepared in its original form, and can only be purchased at the monastery of Sv. Margaret in the Town of Pag center.
• Wines- the tradition of making wine on the island of Pag has existed since ancient times. For centuries, viticulture has been one of the foundations of Pag's economy. Today, varietal wines such as "Gegić" and "Burin" are produced on Pag. You can buy good domestic wine in almost every house on the island, sign that says you can by wine is posted next to the road by the house or estate, just make sure you first ask around which household has good wine to sell.

Wine, from Pixabay.com

Things to do on Pag

If you choose to go on vacation on Pag you`ll find out that it offers lots of activities you can partake in. Hiking or bicycling is most popular and island morphology makes it ideal for bicycling or hiking.

Bicycle, hiking & trekking

Pag is a perfect island for cyclists or hikers, mostly because of its length and unlike most Adriatic islands because of its lowland configuration.

Thus, a really large number of paved kilometers are available for fans of more active vacation. The unpaved off-road trails (both cycling and hiking) are well marked and amaze with the landscapes they pass through. There are over 120 km cycling trails, in which amazing wild stone landscapes with rich green fields and dry-stone walls with small forest oases are regularly alternated. Also, there is a very popular trekking route, “Life on Mars”.

Climbing

There are many cliffs and rocks intended for those lovers of heights. The western part of Pag Bay (Slana) is intended exclusively for climbers who are skilled in technical climbing with the help of ropes.

Diving

Sea bed of Pag is interesting for divers due to the richness of the underwater world. We recommend visiting the site of amphorae from a sunken Roman merchant ship from the 1^th century BC, located in the bay Vlaška Mala in the Velebit Channel, not far from the ferry port Zigljen. Pag offers several diving schools that will teach you to master basic skills in just a few days.

For more information or organizing above mentioned activities or more feel free to contact our VIP Concierge Team.

Diving, from Flickr.com

Partying on Pag

Most popular destination on island for young travelers is beach Zrće, 2 km away from center of Town of Novalja. During the summer this beach turns in to Croatian Ibiza. Several night clubs, such as Aquarius, Kalypso and Papaya, offer 24/7 party experience. Party season usually starts in June, but during July & August the top events are held and partying is in its full swing. During the season couple of worlds known festivals are held here. Zrće Spring Break Festival in late May, Fresh Island Week festival, Sonus Festival and Barrakud Croatia Festival are the most popular. Every year on these festival world-renowned artist and musicians, such as David Guetta, Snoop Dogg, Richie Hawtin, Paul Kalkbrenner, performes.

Papaya club on Pag island, commons.wikimedia.org, author: Metaxa754

So much more could be written about this beautiful island and we hope that this blog helped you decide to visit it and that you will share your experience with us upon your return.