Pag Travel Guide
Pag is a long, narrow island in the northern Adriatic attached to the Croatian mainland by a bridge, and it holds two worlds at once. One is the famous party coast around Zrce beach, a summer magnet for young travellers. The other is a strange, wind swept, almost moonlike landscape of bare rock and dry stone walls, home to sheep, salt and one of Croatia’s great cheeses. I came for one and found both, and the contrast is the reason to go. This guide covers what you need to know to get the most out of Pag, whatever side of the island you are here for.
Getting there
Getting to Pag is easy because it is not a true ferry island. A bridge connects it to the mainland, so you can simply drive across, and most visitors come by car as part of a Croatian road trip along the coast. The island lies roughly opposite the town of Prizna and near the bigger centres of the northern coast, so it is a manageable detour from a coastline itinerary. There are also ferry connections from the mainland that add to the options, and in summer buses reach the main towns. A car makes a real difference here because the island’s best and emptiest places need chasing down, and the roads along its long backbone are quick and easy.
Where to stay
Your choice of base depends entirely on which Pag you want. If you are here for the party, Novalja and the area near Zrce beach is where the action, the clubs and the big hostels and apartments are. If you want calm and atmosphere, the old town of Pag on the western side is the better base, with its historic streets, tavernas and a gentler pace, and it puts the lace, the salt pans and the museums close by. There is pleasant accommodation scattered all over the island, much of it in converted stone houses, so you can also pick a quiet village mid island and drive to the beaches and the coast. Work out your priorities, then have the right address.
How long and how to string it together
Pag rewards at least two full days, and it gives you the two worlds easily. A sensible plan is a morning in the old town of Pag, coffee and the museum and a walk through the craft shops, then a drive along the island’s spine taking in the landscape and the coves. Spend the swimming or the party time at Zrce and the coast on the north of the island, and fit in the salt pans and a cheese tasting when you are passing. The island is small enough that you can circle it in a day, but you will be glad of the extra time to stop and swim and eat, because that is the point of being there.
Food and the famous cheese
Food is one of the true joys of Pag. The headline is Pag cheese, made from the milk of the island’s sheep that graze on the salty herbs, and it is firm, sharp and unmistakable, perfect with prosciutto and a glass of local wine. The tavernas do the rest of Croatian coastal food well, fresh fish, octopus, simple salads and pasta. Do not skip the local olive oil either, because the island’s olives grow in the hard conditions and the oil is strong and flavourful. There is no excuse to eat badly on Pag, and the food is a big reason the quiet side of the island is so enjoyable in the shoulder seasons.
Practical tips and what to pack
Pack for two things, the sun and the wind. Pag is famous for its bora wind, which can blow strongly even on fine days, so bring a layer that stops the chill, and strap down anything loose if you are on a boat or a bike. Sunscreen and a hat matter in all the warm months, and decent shoes help for walking the rough, rocky ground. If you come for the party, book accommodation early and in good time, because Zrce fills up fast in season. If you come for the quiet, think about the shoulder months and the old town base. Either way, give the strange landscape and the cheese the attention they deserve, because they are the real Pag underneath the parties.
It is worth a note on money too, because the two seasons differ as much in price as in noise. In July and August the island is at its most expensive, with rooms near Zrce costing the most and charging premium summer rates. In the shoulder months accommodation drops noticeably, and you can afford a better room for the same money, which only adds to the appeal of going in late spring or September. Whatever your budget, plan it around the season you pick, and you will leave thinking of Pag as one of the more surprising stops on the Croatian coast.
