Pag is a strange, beautiful island, a long strip of bare grey limestone that looks like the surface of the moon, swept by the bura wind and stripped of most of its trees centuries ago. The town of Pag sits in the sheltered bay at the southern end, a neat grid of stone houses around a small harbour and a church square. It was planned in the fifteenth century by Juraj Dalmatinac, the master builder who also worked on Šibenik cathedral, and the regular streets show his ordered mind.
The island is famous for what it produces despite the harsh ground. The sheep graze on salt-sprayed herbs and sage, and their milk makes the hard, sharp cheese called paški sir, one of the most prized in Croatia. The meat of the lamb is just as good. Fine lace is another local craft, and women still sit in doorways making it. Salt has been harvested from the shallow pans next to the town since the Middle Ages, and the white heaps glittering in the sun are part of the view.
For a rider, the road across Pag is a lesson in wind and space. A bridge now ties the island to the mainland at its southern end, and the road runs north in broad curves with the sea on both sides and not a tree to hold off the gusts. The bura can be dangerous, and the bridge is sometimes closed to motorcycles and high-sided vehicles in strong winds, so look out for the warnings. The surface is good, the traffic heavy in summer, particularly when holidaymakers head for Novalja and its beach clubs on the north-west coast.
Fuel is available on the island, but Gospić and Zadar are the larger towns, so if you are low, fill up at the stations before the bridge. In town, order a plate of cheese with local olive oil and a glass of white wine. The best seasons are May, June and September, since high summer is hot and crowded, and the bare landscape offers no shade.