Visit Novalja
Sea, trails, boats and the odd night at Zrće.
Most people know Novalja for one thing: Zrće. The clubs are real and the parties are big, but they are only one part of what you can do here. Push off from the shore in a kayak and the island shows you white cliffs, sea caves and coves with no road to them. Get on a bike and a few hundred metres inland the pines give way to dry-stone walls, vineyards and the bare karst that gives this end of Pag its “Life on Mars” nickname. Take a boat for the day and you can be in a walled medieval town on Rab, or on two car-free islands in the Zadar archipelago.
This page collects our guides to the things worth doing around Novalja: sea kayaking in Pag Bay, boat day trips, marked cycling trails, diving spots, family beaches and what to do when the bora blows. The season is longer than most people think. The sea is still warm in September, Pag has more than 120 km of marked cycling routes for the cooler months, and autumn brings the olive harvest in Lun and cheese and wine tastings without the crowds. Pick a topic below, or scroll down for all our latest To Do stories.
The guided kayak trip along Pag Bay starts at Ručica beach near Metajna, Stara Novalja is good for SUP, and you can rent a small boat without a licence.
Zavratnica and Rab is the classic full-day trip; Silba and Olib are car-free islands in the Zadar archipelago.
Marked trails start at St. Anthony's church outside town: easy loops past vineyards and Michelin-starred Boškinac, or a climb to a Byzantine fort.
Underwater caves, canyons and reefs around Pag, from the Pag Gate canyon to archaeological sites on the seabed.
Papaya, Aquarius, Kalypso, LIFT and Nomad on a Blue Flag beach, with jet-skiing, parasailing and bungee jumping by day.
Shallow Blue Flag bays, real sand at Planjka, pine shade at Straško and a Roman tunnel for windy days.
Marked trails through the Mars-like Metajna canyon, open all year, and a trail race every spring with 25, 15 and 7 km routes.
When the bora blows: the Roman aqueduct under the Town Museum and cheese tastings in Kolan. In autumn: mild days, empty trails and the olive harvest in Lun.
Three easy day trips by car from Novalja: Zadar’s Sea Organ and sunsets, the tiny royal island town of Nin with its sandy Queen’s Beach, and the wild Velebit coast with turquoise Zavratnica cove.
Novalja town has its own relaxed night scene: harbour cocktails, sunset beach bars and live music, all within walking distance. Here is how to do an evening in town before you head to Zrće.
From the 348 m summit of Sveti Vid to the wild Life on Mars coast and the olive trees of Lun, here are the best hikes near Novalja and how to do them safely.
Where to slip on a mask around Novalja: easy pebble coves near town, the Roman shore at Caska, quiet bays at Metajna and Lun, plus the safety basics.
Travelling to Pag with your dog? Here are the Novalja-area beaches with a section for four-legged guests, plus shade, paw and campsite tips for a stress-free beach day.
Novalja does not have to drain your wallet. Here is where the money really goes on Pag, and how to save on beds, food, beaches and nights out.
Planning to camp near Novalja? Meet Straško, the big campsite 2 km from town, and compare the other campsites around Pag for families, festival-goers and quiet-seekers.
No car? No problem. Here is how to get around Novalja and out to Zrće by foot, local bus, taxi, bike and boat, and when a rental car is actually worth it.
How parking works in Novalja and at Zrće: who runs it, how to read the zone signs, when it gets tight in July and August, and smart ways to avoid the hunt.
Plenty. Spring and autumn are good for hiking and cycling on Pag's marked routes, the sea is usually still swimmable in September and early October, and autumn brings the olive harvest in Lun and cheese and wine tastings without the summer crowds.
No. Zrće is about two and a half kilometres from the town centre. The rest of the area is shallow family beaches, quiet villages like Metajna and Stara Novalja, cycling trails, boat trips and Roman history.
Yes. From the town centre it is a shuttle bus ride or roughly a twenty-minute walk along the coast path.
Visit the Town Museum and the Roman aqueduct Talijanova buža under the town, taste cheese at a dairy in Kolan, or drive to Pag town for salt and lace, then finish with a long dinner in a konoba.
Novalja has direct coach links to Zagreb, Rijeka, Zadar, Split and many smaller towns, and the bus simply rides the ferry or the bridge with you on board. Search times and buy your ticket here: