Kolan is a picturesque village just 5 kilometers from Novalja. It has always been very much an agricultural hub of the island. Locals grow vegetables, wine, olives, and also produce cheese at one of the Pag Cheese factories, including the most famous, Gligora.
The small village is host to scores of visitors in the summer months! Its location is very central to Novalja, Zrce, local beaches, campsites, and the beautiful village of coastal village Mandre.
Mandre is also very popular with summer visitors and has an array of restaurants, bars and rental apartments on offer.
Kolan and Mandre Apartments
Kolan and Mandre are small locations on Pag and they do not offer any hotel or hostel accommodation.
The type of accommodation available in Kolan and Mandre is a mixture of 2, 3, and 4-star apartments.
However, Kolan is based a little further inland and it is recommended to have your own transport whilst Mandre is based just a few kilometers away on the Adriatic seaside.
You will find private apartments to meet all types of summer vacation and we have listed some of the most popular Kolan apartments here.
Gligora Cheese (Paski Sir) Kolan
Kolan is the capital of the renowned cheese-making region of Pag Island.
There are several factories creating world-class Paski Sir (island cheese) but the most famous is the Gligora Cheese company.
They have their headquarters and factory in Kolan which visitors to the island can visit.
The factory was built in 2009 and is the most modern dairy of such size in Croatia.
It consists of the production area on the ground ground, the ripening area in the basement, and offices and tasting rooms on the first floor.
The factory is fully operational all year round and next to the dairy is one of their most famous Gligora stores.
Kolan Beaches
Kolan town itself is located a little inland with the local beaches being around 1-2 kilometers away.
One of our favourites, Sveti Duh Beach, is the closest and is a very popular beach with incredible views of the Pag bay and Velebit mountains.
Remember, there are a string of picturesque stone and sandy beaches leading from Sveti Duh beach all the way down to the festival location of Zrce beach.
Kolan Restaurants
There are a few excellent konoba restaurants in the town of Kolan itself.
Obviously, the famed local cheeses and spit roast lamb are a big part of their menu selections. The foods on offer in the region are nothing short of delicious.
If you venture into Mandre you will also find restaurants offering a range of pizza, meats, seafood, and local specialty dishes. Enjoy!
