Explore Island of Pag, Croatia
Discover the island of Pag from In Excelsis Hotel — turquoise beaches, UNESCO Pag lace, award-winning cheese, salt pans, olive gardens and five national parks nearby.
Pag — Croatia's Most Extraordinary Island
The island of Pag has a personality unlike any other in the Adriatic. Lunar landscape. Wild herbs. Famous and awarded Croatian sheep cheese. Lace on the UNESCO list. Salt produced here for over a thousand years. And beaches so clear they look digitally enhanced.
Pebble and sand beaches ring the island while the Velebit mountain range dominates the Eastern landscape of Pag. The southern part of the island is covered with thick and high reeds and driving around makes you feel like you are in some kind of jungle.
In the north of the island you reach the picturesque, historic town of Novalja.
In Excelsis is your base. Everything below is within reach.
Novalja
Situated in a picturesque cove amidst beautiful sandy beaches and pine trees, Novalja provides exciting holidays and authentic Croatian experiences. Rich in gastronomy, especially in cheese production and olive oil, this island and its vibrant town of Novalja offer memorable insta –worthy moments.
Novalja attracts young people from all over the world. Croatia’s most popular beach Zrće has over the last two decades become one of the hottest world destinations for clubbers with biggest DJ names in the world! Therefore, the city of Novalja, in domestic and foreign media, is called the ‘Croatian Ibiza’.
But Novalja and surrounding area are offering so much more – rich cultural heritage, mecca for recreation and sports, gastronomy paradise, beach heaven.
Paški sir is produced from the milk of Pag sheep that graze on salt-coated grass. Sea salt is carried by strong bura wind, aromatic herbs such as immortelle, sage and rockrose give specific taste of milk. It is the most internationally awarded Croatian cheese and a protected designation of origin product. Every year in July, Novalja hosts the traditional sheep and cheese fair.
Pag Cheese — Croatia's Most Awarded Sheep Cheese
Pag Lace — UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
First recorded in the 15th century. Exceptional beauty of patterns and the centuries old tradition of making. The patterns and technique have been passed from mother to daughter for six centuries. Today you can still see women making lace in the narrow streets of Pag Town. The Gallery of Pag Lace and the Benedictine Monastery of Santa Margherita are unmissable stops. Benedictine nuns of the Monastery were the main initiators of the lace craft in Pag. Inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
80,000 olive trees, some over 1,500 years old, in a protected botanical reserve at the northern tip of the island. One of the most extraordinary natural sites in the entire Mediterranean. Declared a strict botanical reserve.
Olive Gardens of Lun
Turquoise Beaches of Novalja
Babe, Beritnica, Ručica, Metajna, Jadrija, Caska, Planjka — pebble and sand beaches with water so clear the bottom is visible at depth. The Life on Mars trail (opened 2019, 16 km, 4 marked routes) connects the most spectacular beaches via a trekking route through Metajna.
Pag salines are among the oldest and most productive on the Croatian coast. The Salt Museum in Pag Town tells a thousand-year story. Pag salt is sold across Croatia and is prized by chefs for its mineral richness.
Pag Salt — White Gold Since Roman Times
The Pag Triangle
A natural land formation near Novalja in the shape of an isosceles triangle, where the rock structure inside differs measurably from the surrounding terrain. Unexplained and associated in local legend with historic UFO sightings over the island. A curiosity worth a visit.
One of the greatest archaeological treasures on the island. A Roman-era aqueduct, preserved and displayed in the Novalja Town Museum. Rarely mentioned, always impressive.
Ancient Aqueduct — 1st Century
LIFE ON MARS TRAIL
One of the most beautiful trails in Croatia “Life on Mars”. Follow the trails which lead through Metajna in Novalja to experience an unforgettable spiritual journey and discover the most beautiful beaches of the island of Pag. Trekking League has marked 4 trekking trails with a total length of 16 km. The cosmic beauty of Ručica, Beritnica, Slana and Seline beaches will take your breath away.
The Pag sheep is a native Croatian breed. They live throughout the island of Pag. Sheep breeding and tourism are the most important economic sectors in the area. The sheep are kept out in the open day and night throughout the year, so it’s an common sight for a flock of sheep to block your way and make your day.
PAG SHEEP
PAG DRY WALLS
Originally built for the purpose of delineating the terrain, nowadays they are an essential of the island’s tourist attraction. The specialty of the dry stone wall lies in its simplicity – in order to construct it, only natural stone is used. Created by piling up rocks, are one of the most representative examples of indigenous architecture.
Ridley Scott’s The Terror, the Netflix comedy DJ Ibiza and the BBC series The Grand Tour all filmed on Pag. Oscar-winning director Gabriele Salvatores included Pag in his film Stranieri alle Porte. Three editions of Vogue conducted fashion editorials on Novalja beaches. The island’s unusual landscape makes it one of the most sought-after filming locations in Croatia.
Filming Location
Nightlife — Zrće Beach
Croatia’s most famous club beach, two decades in the making. Open-air clubs, famous DJ names, summer music festivals. Clubs on Zrce beach each year raises the ladder of entertainment quality successfully defending the epithet of ‘Croatian Ibiza’. If the quiet side of Novalja is In Excelsis, Zrće is its counterpoint — five minutes away by taxi. Both are Novalja.
Sv. Vid peak (the island’s highest point) · biking trails · hiking · trekking · diving · rock climbing · Nordic walking · sailing. The Life on Mars trail is officially marked and open year-round.
Recreation & Sports
Nearby National Parks & Islands
The excellent geographic position of Novalja and its traffic connections allows visitors to enjoy a full sightseeing programme of the coast and other worthwhile places in Croatia.
Rab, Lošinj, Silba islands · Zadar city · National Parks: Kornati, Krka, Plitvice Lakes, Paklenica, Northern Velebit. Five of Croatia’s eight national parks within day-trip distance of Novalja. One hotel. Five national parks. Endless options.
