You will find Šimuni at the west foot of the highest peak of the Island Pag (St. Vitus, 348 m above sea level), halfway between the city of Pag and Novalja. City of Pag offers great family entertainment and Novalja, with its famous Zrće beach a nightlife hot spot. Both are only 15 minutes away by car. Beautiful and rich with history, city of Zadar is just 45 minutes away.

Šimuni is an ideal holiday spot for families and everyone looking for true relaxation. White pebble beach with cooling pine shades is only few steps away. The village has few restaurants offering traditional cuisine but also pizza and grill. It also has a grocery store and a fruit and vegetable truck that daily sells fresh home grown produce.

At the centre of the village you will find fishing boats, and a market for freshly cought fish. In the northern part of Šimuni bay there is ACI Nautical Marina (open all year round), while in the southern part of the village, just after the pebble beach with natural shade, Camping Šimuni can be found.

Things you should experience

while visiting the Island of Pag

I. Taste Pag cheese (Paški sir)

If you do not believe us, Business Insider featured Island Pag and Pag cheese (Paški sir) on its “50 Places In Europe You Need To Visit In Your Lifetime” list. Hard in texture, pairing exceptionally well with wine, this famous artisanal sheep milk cheese, is one of the Island's and Croatia's most famous gastro products worldwide.

Its unique flavor is derived from the sheep who are kept free on the rocky pastures and graze on the wild fragrant herbs of the island.

The two most famous awarded winning cheese makers on Island of Pag are Paška sirana, and Sirana Gligora. Sirana Gligora offers tastings and cheese factory guided tour in Kolan, just a 5 min drive from Šimuni.

II. Visit history rich City of Pag

City of Pag was built in the 15th century according to the project of the master builder Juraj Dalmatinac. It is a completely planned urban space within the fortified town walls, in a setting of an azure bay to the west and salt pans to the east. The creation of City of Pag was prompted by the decision to relocate the Old Pag (today known as Stari grad) due to its misfortunate strategic position. The Old settlement was built near salt plants which in the 14th century were the biggest salt plants on the Croatian coast.

Walking through the city's streets paved in white stone, you must visit the Gallery of UNESCO protected Pag lace located on the city main square. Even Empress Maria Theresa had local skilled women hand-weave for her exclusively the Pag Lace. The production of salt played an important role in the city's development, and you can learn more about it in the Museum of Salt. If you would like to know more about the lives of locals throughout history, there is also an Ethno-Gallery.

III. Visit century old Olive trees

The Olive Gardens of Lun are home to about 80.000 olive trees, with the oldest tree in the garden of over 1600 years old, which lines it up among the three oldest olive trees in the world. The olive groves of Lun are located in the northern part of the Pag island. You can explore the garden on a 7 km long trail, where you will see the largest number of century old wild olive trees found in one location. The trees grow entwined in stone, creating intriguing forms and surreal contours.

IV. Explore the Life on Mars

If you arrived at the Island of Pag with the ferry, the first impression of the Island must have been you arrived to another planet. The rocky parts of Pag, with their vast stretches of stone where vegetation is scarce or nonexistent, truly do resemble the surface of the Moon or Mars, depending on who you ask.

The rocks represent an unbeatable attraction and the whole landscape is easily linked to the 1970s hit of David Bowie "Life on Mars" so this slogan is used for a trekking race from Metajna - "Pag Trail & Trekk - Life on Mars“. There are three distinctive routes: Light (6 km), Active (14 km) and Challenger (25 km), with the categories devised to accommodate racers of all ages and levels of physical fitness.

The beautiful scenery of the island and the fascinating karst shapes combined with the view of the crystal blue sea, will give you a unique experience.