Bungee Site Novalja Zrće Review: We Took The Jump!!!
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Are you an Adrenalin junkee? Ever dreamed of flying like a bird, even just for a few seconds? Well, that is exactly what the bungee jumping activity in Novalja feels like!
And guess what? Novalja Local was invited down by the ultra-cool Bungee Site Novalja Zrće team to give their bungee jump a try!
A big thank you to Iva for arranging this for us.
This particular site is the second-highest bungee jump in the whole of Croatia, with the highest being the jump at the Maslenica bridge - which is actually not significantly higher.
So this one on Zrće beach is a bit of a monster drop! COOL!
And you can’t miss the site, their location is right next to the main entrance to Zrce Beach in Novalja, Croatia. Yep, the monster-illuminated crane next to the car park might give their location a way, a little!
So let’s jump in (excuse the terrible pun), as I share the entire experience of this once-in-a-lifetime adrenaline ride!
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Bungee Jump Novalja: History
Since I can remember, the bungee jump on Zrće has been a focal part of the beach.
My friends have all been regular users since the first-ever Hideout Festival, which if my foggy memory serves me correctly, was way back in 2011.
I can always remember thinking my friends were nuts diving off the tower at 8 a.m. after the festival had closed down for the night! Yep, the Bungee guys do some serious hours!
All day and all night! If you're attending one of the famous Kalypso after-parties, don’t fret, these guys will still be open and jumping!
However, these guys opened long before 2011, they have actually been open since 2004!
So they have two whole decades of experience running their bungee site Zrce Pre-Jump safely, and efficiently and it is no wonder they are such a popular activity down on Zrće beach.
Location and Accessibility
First up, let's chat about getting to the Novalja bungee site down on Zrce!
For many years, this bungee site was located next to Papaya Zrće nightclub, and in 2020 they moved their site to their present location next to the main entrance to Zrće beach which, in my opinion, is actually a much better location.
It is now super accessible and it is meters from the car park, the Zrće shuttle bus stop, and the taxi waiting areas.
So, the bungee jumping place is smack dab at the entrance to Zrce beach, and kind of sat in between two of our favourite places Euphoria Zrće and Kalypso Zrće.
You can just Imagine you're walking to the beach, excited about hitting the festivals or catching some sun rays, and there it is, just calling out your name!
Seriously, you'd have to be playing hide and seek with your eyes closed to not see it.
Or extremely drunk, which could also be the case!
As for the area around the base of the bungee site? It's super cool.
There are some popular snack stalls such as Mlinar and Surf and Fries if you're feeling a little hungry, and there are a few other cool shops if you need to pick up some drinks or some cigarettes before you go “Zrće crazy”.
One thing, I wouldn’t recommend is having a big meal before you do a bungee jump, you know what I am getting at, huh?
Have your Burek post-jump!
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Safety & Harnessing
Alright, before we dive into the exciting part, let's talk about safety at this Zrće based bungee site. I guess that is always the elephant in the room when it comes to people deciding on doing a jump.
Fear comes into play. People genuinely worry about safety or things going wrong!
I get that, I have always thought that too. It is absolutely natural to be fearful because, after all, it is NOT natural to jump off a 55-metre crane tower!
So safety's gotta be top-notch, right? Well, Iva and her team have been doing this for 20 years so they definitely have the safety aspect dialed in.
To start off with you must sign the consent form agreeing to take part in the jump, they then weigh you on a set of scales, and I am guessing that is so your weight is correct for their safety regulations.
Then they just get on with it. You literally stand there and do nothing as their staff first slide a waistline harness up over your legs and after that, they strap these huge braces to your ankles which the bungee cord is attached to.
The bungee cord is neatly laid out in front of you like a resting snake and you just know that this team has done this a THOUSAND times before.
I'll be honest, it made any nerves evaporate knowing they had everything under control.
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There are obviously special rules, sturdy equipment, and all those other fancy safety things that make sure everything goes smoothly.
And the ground staff? Oh boy, they well and truly know their stuff.
They were super professional, answered any questions I had, and double-checked our harnesses.
It was like having a safety superhero team by your side, making sure you're all good to go for the adventure of a lifetime!
We Have Lift Off!
So, as the big moment approached, I felt surprisingly chilled. I was told to stand in the crane’s cage, Iva joined me and the winched ascent to the 55-meter jump point began.
What I thought was really cool was that Iva was super chilled and very relaxed and we had a chat about Zrće beach, the festivals and all the things we could see from this privileged viewpoint.
That certainly took my brain away from thinking, "Whoa, am I actually doing this?"
I liked that, an interesting chat about what we could see whilst the cage gets hoisted 55 meters into the air really does act as a big “fear” distraction and the birds-eye view of Zrće beach really is a sight to behold.
I have lived and worked on this little stretch of beach for many years so to see it from a totally different perspective was GOLD!
Of have to admit though, the excitement was mixed with a little bit of the jitters. But that’s totally normal and your body preparing you to do something out of your comfort zone.
One thing I remember clearly is that I was really surprised at how high we were actually going, I was thinking, “Ok, when is the winch going to stop?”
Eventually, it did and now it was GAME ON!
The View of Zrće Beach
Okay, so when we reached the jump point it was time to look down! The view of Zrće is just...spectacular!
I could see all the famous open-air nightclubs, the massive Zrće car park, all the bars, the stretched-out beautiful beach, and the Velebit mountains towering in the distance.
Plus there were all these little moving dots (which are actually people by the way) - it's like getting a Google Earth view of the entire Zrće beach location. But in real time.
And let's talk about the height again - it's crazy high! Looking down, the scenery is a mix of the water below, the beach, and tiny specks of people looking up.
It kind of makes you think, "I'm about to dive into this gorgeous Croatian painting below me!"
And if you're wondering where all this jumping magic happens, it's right here on Zrće beach in Novalja on the Island of Pag in Croatia.
This place isn't just known for festivals and all-day and night open-air parties, it has all these other fantastic activity opportunities as well!
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The Jump!
Alright, let's do this. Iva then explained to have my arms stretched out, like a cross, whilst jumping and then to fold them back across my chest when the bungee recoiled.
She is also said NOT to grab hold of the bungee at any point as that would cause nasty friction burns. I also vividly remember Iva saying “Just enjoy it because it goes really fast!”
Iva then told me to move toward the edge of the jump platform.
NOW IT ALL FELT VERY REAL!
This was possibly the only time that the nerves really kicked in and I thought, “Can I do this?”
However, what I did notice far below me was Iva’s partner, Mladen, standing with a camera filming my jump!
Honestly, I think that is what made me think “F*** it, just jump, Dex!”
After all, I was doing a review for this amazing experience and I didn’t want to look like a wet salad hesitating at the most important moment. But it did feel very weird, just the thought of jumping off a perfectly safe platform into thin air!
But, I did it. I Jumped!
WHOOSH! I was suddenly dropping like a rock, and it was so fast. Indescribably fast, just like Iva had said only moments before.
All those tales about the thrill and buzz of bungee jumping? Totally true.
Your heart pumps like crazy, your brain's going "HOLY CRAP", and your body's just bursting alive with all this adrenaline rushing through.
The next thing I felt was the bungee cord reaching its extension limit and then snap back and throw me back upwards into the sky.
The feeling? Imagine bouncing on a super trampoline but in the air. Up and down you go, feeling lighter and then heavier, again and again.
It's like dancing with gravity, and trust me, gravity's got some cool moves! Well, we are on Zrće, after all!
I then bounced up and down several times as the bungee ride slowly came to an end.
Iva was right, it really was insanely fast…but what a thrill.
The team then slowly winched me back down to the landing matting below where one of the team, Marija, guided me back to earth before removing all the harnessing equipment.
I just sat that their a little bemused, taking it all in and I remember my mouth had gone really dry! I guess that was the adrenalin taking effect!
What an awesome experience!
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Post-Jump Reflections
Immediate Aftermath
Once I was down on solid ground again, a whole wave of new feelings rushed over me.
Was I glad to be back on earth? Sure! But more than that, I was buzzing with this wild mix of adrenalin, relief, and a big dose of "I-can't-believe-I-just-did-that!"
As for how the jump felt? It was pretty comfortable. I thought it might be a bit jolting, but it was more like a gentle, bouncy bungee hug!
The Staff
The staff were so cool. Iva was brilliant. Her calmness totally made the jump go so much smoother.
After I was back on land, we chatted about the jump, and they even gave me an “I DID IT” certificate which even had a tiny piece of bungee cord attached to the corner which I thought was a very thoughtful touch.
Did I Feel Safe?
Of course, I have to talk about safety, because I am presuming that is one of the biggest fears and hang-ups people have when it comes to this adrenalin experience.
In short, the Bungee site Novalja Zrće Novalja, Croatia was not just about the thrill; it felt super safe too.
At no time did I feel overly scared, fearful, anxious, or worried about what the staff were doing. It's so important to choose a site where you can see and feel that the staff has got your back, quite literally!
The Bungee Site Novalja Zrće has a huge history and with that comes a tonne of experience.
A spot with a long and solid safety reputation makes all the difference, and I'm glad I made my first-ever jump here at the Bungee site Novalja Zrće.
