At the very northern tip of the island of Pag, near the village of Lun, lies one of the most extraordinary olive groves in the world. The Lun Olive Gardens are home to more than 80,000 wild olive trees, over 1,000 of which are more than 1,000 years old — making this one of the oldest and largest concentrations of ancient olive trees anywhere on the planet.
How old are the trees?
Estimates vary, but the average age across the grove is around 1,200 years, with the oldest confirmed tree reaching roughly 1,600 years. Some researchers believe a handful of trees may be as old as 2,000 years — meaning they were already growing during the Roman era. The oldest and most celebrated tree in the grove is known locally as the “Queen”: its trunk is around four metres wide, and for a long time it was mistaken for three separate trees that had grown together over the centuries.
A protected natural reserve
Because of their age, scale and ecological value, the Lun olive groves were declared a protected natural reserve in 1963. There is nowhere else in Croatia — or arguably the wider Mediterranean — with such a large concentration of thousand-year-old olive trees in one place, which makes Lun a genuinely unique stop for visitors to the island of Pag.
Visiting Lun
Lun is roughly a 30-40 minute drive from Novalja along the northern coast road, and makes for a peaceful half-day trip away from the beaches and nightlife of Zrce. Marked walking paths wind through the grove past the oldest trees, and the village itself is a good spot to try locally produced olive oil. Combine a visit with a stop at one of the small coves along the way for a swim, and bring water and sun protection — there’s very little shade once you’re off the marked paths.
