Croatia’s ‘Moon Island’ Looks Like Another Planet – And It’s Ideal for a Spring Getaway
Wanna Hike the Moon? Try this Croatian island this spring
Local guide reveals Croatia-s extra terrestrial secret, island that looks like the Moon
When you think of Croatia, you probably picture pine forests, medieval towns and turquoise coves. But one island looks like it belongs on another planet.
The northern side of Pag is so stark and rocky that locals call it the “Moon Island”, a wind-carved landscape of pale stone, rolling ridges and almost vegetation-free terrain that stretches for miles.
And according to Toni Hrelja, founder of Croatian rental company Villsy.com, spring is when it’s at its most extraterrestrial.
“People expect Croatia to be green and Mediterranean,” he says. “Then they arrive on Pag and feel like they’ve landed on the Moon, or even Mars. It’s raw, dramatic and completely unexpected.”.
Why Spring Is the Best Time to Visit
Pag’s lunar landscape offers almost no shade, and in summer, temperatures regularly hit 30°C.
Spring, however, is ideal for hiking and exploring:
⦁ March: 13–15°C
⦁ April: 16–18°C
⦁ May: 20–22°C
“There are no trees and very little shelter,” Toni explains. “The scenery is spectacular, but summer heat can make hiking tough. Spring gives you the same otherworldly views without the intense temperatures.
The Four Most ‘Extraterrestrial’ Spots on Pag
⦁ Metajna (Northern Coast)
This is where Pag earns its Moon nickname.
This stretch of Pag looks lunar because it’s been stripped almost bare by centuries of fierce Bura winds blowing down from the Velebit mountains, carrying salt that killed off vegetation and eroded the soil. What’s left is exposed karst limestone; pale, cracked and sculpted into rolling ridges with barely a tree in sight.
In bright light, the stone turns chalky white and the landscape becomes stark and monochrome, giving it that unmistakable Moon-or-Mars feel.
⦁ Beritnica and Stogaj
At Beritnica, the coastline is stripped back to bare, sun-bleached limestone, with three huge boulders sitting eerily in the shallows as if they’ve fallen from the sky. Above the beach rises Stogaj, a dramatic, sculpted rock column carved by wind and salt into sharp, almost unnatural shapes.
With hardly any vegetation to soften the scene, the pale stone, harsh textures and vast open sky combine to create a stark, crater-like setting that feels far closer to the Moon than a typical Mediterranean beach.
⦁ Sveti Vid Plateau
The plateau around Sveti Vid, the highest point on Pag, is exposed, treeless and carved from pale karst rock that stretches out in cracked, uneven slabs. With almost no shade, little vegetation and wide, empty horizons, the terrain feels stark and elemental — just stone, wind and sky. In strong sunlight the limestone turns chalky and colourless, creating a vast, open landscape that mirrors the desolate, high-ground feel of a lunar surface rather than a typical Adriatic island.
⦁ The Pag Triangle
Set within the stark, vegetation-free karst near Novalja, the Pag Triangle sits pressed into pale, cracked limestone that already looks stripped and otherworldly. The geometric imprint — measuring 32x32x22 metres — appears lighter than the surrounding rock, heightening the sense that something unusual happened here. Surrounded by bare stone, wind-swept ridges and almost no greenery, the setting feels more like a mysterious marking on a lunar plain than a natural feature on a Mediterranean island.
Pag, just a few hours away from the UK
March is still off-season, so the easiest way to reach Pag is to fly into Croatia’s capital, Zagreb. Ryanair operates direct flights from the UK, with fares sometimes starting from around €50 (£43), meaning your “ticket to the Moon” doesn’t have to cost the Earth.
From Zagreb Airport, hire a car and drive south; Pag is around 3.5 hours away via the motorway, with dramatic mountain scenery along the way.
About Toni Hrelja:
Toni Hrelja is the founder of Villsy, a Croatian rental company specialising in villas and local stays. A nature enthusiast and local expert, he regularly guides visitors through Pag’s lesser-known landscapes.
The best moonlike scenery on Pag
This landscape was shaped by porous karst limestone and the strong Bura wind from the Velebit mountains. Over centuries, the wind stripped soil, spread sea salt inland, and, together with past deforestation left the bare, pale rock you see today.
⦁ Join The ‘Life on Mars’ Trail – With a Cliffside Via Ferrata
If there’s one place on Pag that truly earns the “Moon Island” nickname, it’s the Life on Mars Trail near Metajna. And yes, it’s called Mars!
From the moment you set off, the scenery feels stripped of Earthly comforts. There are no pine forests, no shade, barely a tree in sight, just endless ripples of pale limestone, cracked rock and rolling ridges bleached almost white
Drive to Metajna, park the car, and start the Life on Mars on foot. On one side is the deep blue Velebit channel, pale rocky ridges that look like a different planet on the other.
Why it’s special: The trail includes one of the few Via Ferratas in Croatia built directly over the sea — a 100-metre protected climbing route along the cliff face, connecting Slana beach and Cape Sušac. Get tired? You can always just jump into the sea. The annual Life on Mars Trail race is held every March — this year on March 28, 2026 — with three distances: Light (7 km), Active (15 km), and Challenger (24 km).
Who it’s for: Hikers and climbers looking for something genuinely different. Spring is ideal — mild temperatures, quiet trails.
1. This secluded pebble beach is famous for the three large stone boulders sitting in the shallows and the Stogaj rock, a spectacular natural column that towers above the beach. The contrast between the turquoise water and the pale, sculptural rock is unlike anything else on the Adriatic.
Why it’s special: Stogaj is a serious rock-climbing destination with nearly 70 marked routes. While you can reach the beach by kayak or a boat trip from the town Novalja, the easiest way is to drive to Metajna and take a short, scenic hike along the coast.
Who it’s for: Beach lovers, climbers, and photographers. The beach itself is only reachable on foot or by boat, which keeps it beautifully quiet in spring.
2. Sveti Vid Peak: The view from the top
For the best view of Pag’s dual personality, climb to Sveti Vid (349m), the island’s highest peak. From the summit, you get a 360-degree panorama — moonscape and Velebit on one side, the greener, more populated side of the island on the other.
Why it’s special: Three trails lead to the top. The path from Pag town is the steepest; the routes from Šimuni and Kolan are gentler, merge halfway up, and take around an hour and a half. Both pass a small lake — locals call it Lokva Sv. Vida — originally built for sheep, now full of frogs. Don’t be surprised by the noise. If you’d rather skip the long hike, a macadam road from Šimuni takes you almost to the top, leaving just 15 minutes on foot. At the summit, you’ll find the ruins of the 14th-century St. Vid’s Chapel.
Who it’s for: Spring or autumn hikers. With no trees and no shade on the exposed karst terrain, the climb in summer can be brutal. Spring keeps it manageable — and the views are just as good. The macadam shortcut makes it accessible even for those who don’t want a full hike.
Pag isn’t the Croatia you see on postcards. It’s stranger, quieter and more dramatic. In spring, before the summer crowds arrive, it’s at its best. If you want a getaway that genuinely feels like another world — this is it.
3. The Pag Triangle — Near Novalja
A few kilometres from the town of Novalja, a perfect isosceles triangle is pressed into the rocky ground — measuring 32x32x22 metres, with rock inside that is a distinctly lighter shade than everything surrounding it.
Why it’s special: Discovered in 1999, its origin has never been explained. Geologists, palaeontologists, and ufologists have all visited. None have produced a convincing answer. The most popular theory? A UFO landing site.
Who it’s for: Curiosity seekers and hikers. The site is accessible via a marked path from the main road, and the walk itself takes you through classic moonscape terrain.
ENDS
About Villsy:
Villsy.com is a Croatian villa rental company offering hand-picked villas with pools across Istria, Kvarner, and Dalmatia. Founded by Toni Hrelja, Villsy provides local expertise and a curated selection of properties for travellers who want to experience Croatia beyond the tourist trail.
*This is a collaborative post
