Pag Island Moon Trail

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Pag Island Moon Trail: Life on Mars on Pag’s Karst Coast

Published 17 July 2025 Updated 5 June 2026

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HikeList Score

Pag Island Moon Trail scored 74/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Very Good

See score breakdownHide breakdown

Ideal length 55
Balanced challenge 100
Scenery & wildness 78
Varied terrain 64
Accommodation 66
Food & support 61
Path quality 98
Season flexibility 76

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

The Pag Island Moon Trail is best treated as the Life on Mars / Moon Trail area near Metajna and Novalja on Pag, Croatia: an indicative 14 km, 1-day, moderate hike across exposed coastal karst above Pag Bay. It suits hikers who want a stark Adriatic day walk on rough limestone, with sea views, almost no shade and simple logistics from Novalja, Metajna or Pag town. For more island hiking ideas, see our Croatia hiking guides.

Route Overview

This is not a surveyed loop from Pag town. The real walking is on the marked Life on Mars / Pag Outdoor routes around Metajna, usually starting near Ručica beach and crossing bare karst towards places such as Beritnica beach, Stogaj rock, Slana Bay, Seline cove and Metajna, depending on the variant. Treat it as a point-to-point coastal-karst walk, often returned by the same path or with a pick-up. Access to Pag is by the southern road bridge or the Prizna–Žigljen / Prizna–Pag ferry in the north. If you like Croatian island routes, compare the Cres Island Coastal Path, the Hvar Island Ridge Trail and the longer Adriatic Long-Distance Trail.

Pag’s Moon Landscape and Slana Bay History

Pag’s bare, lunar look comes from both nature and land use: centuries of sheep grazing and salt-laden bura winds off the Velebit stripped soil and vegetation from much of the island. Pag town later became known for salt, lace and sheep’s cheese. On the Life on Mars route, Slana Bay adds a darker layer: it was the site of a 1941 Ustaše concentration camp. The modern Life on Mars trail was developed near Metajna, with a sea-level via ferrata added in 2020, though that section has since been reported out of service.

Notable highlights

The lunar karst: Pale, cracked limestone covers much of Pag and gives the island its Moon Island nickname. On foot, the lack of trees makes the landscape feel unusually stark and exposed.
Beritnica beach and Stogaj rock: Beritnica is a wild pebble cove with three wind-shaped rock pinnacles. Above it, the Stogaj tower is a distinctive climbing landmark with bolted routes.
Slana Bay: A quiet karst inlet on the route, but also a sombre Second World War site linked to the 1941 Slana concentration camp. It is also associated with the Life on Mars via ferrata.
Views over Pag Bay and the Velebit channel: The open rock gives clear views across Pag Bay and the Podvelebit channel to the Velebit mountains on the mainland.
Aromatic Pag scrub: Sage, immortelle and other hardy herbs survive in cracks in the limestone. This salt-and-herb landscape is closely associated with Pag’s well-known sheep’s cheese, Paški sir.

Challenges to expect

Expect sharp limestone, stony ground, short coastal scrambles and little shade. Carry all water: there are no facilities, shelter or reliable resupply on the lunar sections. Navigation is marked but can be sparse across open rock, so take a map or GPS. Spring and autumn are best; summer heat is harsh, and the bura wind can be strong outside summer. Do not rely on the Slana Bay via ferrata being open.

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Ranked #800 of 974

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