Zrće

Zrće is a long pebble beach on the island of Pag, a short walk from the town of Novalja, and it is the centre of Croatia’s open-air party scene. Along the back of the beach sit a row of large clubs, Aquarius, Papaya and Kalypso among them, that host international DJs and run day-to-night through the summer, giving Zrće its reputation as the “Croatian Ibiza”.

The beach itself is a decent stretch of pale pebble with clear water and pine shade at the edges, and in the early morning it is quiet enough to swim. The atmosphere is defined by the clubs, the festivals and the summer crowds that come for them, so it is very much a place you choose for the nightlife rather than to escape it.

Zrće is easy to reach, Novalja is connected to the mainland by a short bridge at Pag town, with ferries and a catamaran from the mainland. The season runs roughly from June to early September, and outside it the beach is all but empty.

For photographers, the beach and the club terraces read best at golden hour into the night. If the party scene is not what you came for, the rest of Pag, the lunar karst, the salt pans and the lacework of old Pag town, is a completely different island.

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