Pag Island

Pag Island is well known amongst the Balkan people, particularly for Paški Sir, the tasty Pag cheese that seems to be served in every restaurant on the Dalmatian coast. It sports some scenic beaches, quiet countrysides and is linked to the mainland making it much easier to get to than most Croatian islands.

I was recommended Pag by the helpful girl in the tourist office in Zadar, so off I went to explore and see what I could find. Pag town itself was very picturesque, Novalja has a nice marina and some reasonable restaurants, but the views to the Velebit mountains across the water were what stole the show.

Ruins of a small castle on a promontory at the far east end of Pag Island, guarding the waterway.

Pag Island was only connected by bridge to the rest of Croatia in the 1990s.

I couldn't resist going to the castle to have a little look around.

A little lighthouse is completely dwarfed by the looming distant Velebit mountains of the mainland.

Povljana, a small village on the south coast of the island, has a popular beach and again that spectacular view to the Dinaric Alps behind.

Some of the more barren scenery seen from Pag Island.

Pag town itself sits between the sea and some salt pans. Great views on the road up and onwards to Novalja.

I stopped off in Novalja to find something for dinner, including of course Pag cheese. Novalja is near to Zrće Beach, the Ibiza of the Balkans, but I couldn't hang around to see how the night was going to pan out there.

Small church in the centre of Novalja. There are also the remains of an underground Roman aqueduct nearby.

Some of the local brew at a harbourside café as the sun drops down into the Adriatic. Perfect.