Island of Pag

Pag is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea. It is the fifth-largest island of the Croatian coast, and the one with the longest coastline. In the 2001 census, the population of the island was 7,969. There are two towns on the island, Pag and Novalja, as well as many smaller villages and tourist places. Pag is the only Croatian island that is administratively divided between two counties. Its northern part belongs to Lika-Senj County, while the central and southern parts belong to Zadar County.
The first Croatian wind farm was constructed on Pag island, just northeast of Pag town. The 5.95 MW “Vjetroelektrana Ravna 1” wind farm is composed of seven Vestas V52 wind turbines and has operated since 2004.

Throughout its history, the economy of Pag has been connected to salt production, a traditional activity that has been practiced for more than a thousand years. While the earliest historical records of salt production on the island date to 999, it is believed salt was produced on Pag in Roman times. The origin of the town of Pag is connected with the exploitation of natural suitably shallow coves within the closed bay (the so-called “Valle di Pago”) for salt manufacturing.

The island of Pag is most famous for its production of Paški sir, a distinctive cheese made from the milk of the island’s autochthonous breed of sheep.

Pag is quickly earning a reputation as a party destination due to its increasingly bustling nightlife, a good deal of which is centered on Zrće beach. About 3km southeast of Novalja, Zrće beach is staking its claim as the Ibiza of Croatia. Unlike Ibiza, the clubs and bars are right on the beach. Basically there are three main clubs and a scattering of bars in between, all of which open in late June and close by mid-September. Entrance prices very much depend on the event: nights are usually free at the beginning of the season and as much as €35 for big-name DJs in mid-August. The beach itself is 1km-long treeless and swimming is excellent.