Pag: 'Life on Mars' hiking trail (11/2021)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 11 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,804 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,804 ft
- Max elevation
- 525 ft
- TrailRank
-
63
5
- Min elevation
- 0 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 6 hours
- Time
- 7 hours 28 minutes
- Coordinates
- 3212
- Uploaded
- November 19, 2021
- Recorded
- November 2021
near Metajna, Ličko-Senjska (Hrvatska)
Viewed 2620 times, downloaded 128 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Physical difficulty: 2.5/5
Note #1: This trail is famous for a 100m long ferrata along the rock face, on the Slana beach, just above the sea. We skipped it, choosing to go around on an unmarked path before descending back on the marked trail.
Note #2: The same beach is also infamous for being the site of a notorious WWII concentration camp. During only 3 months (Jun-Aug) in 1941, more than 8,000 (estimated) men, women and children were tortured and killed there.
Note #3: Pag is vegetation-wise the most barren of the inhabited Croatian islands. This trail is perfect evidence of this: it offers NO SHADE anywhere, and is 95% on barren rocks/karst.
Note #4: Besides the sun, it can also get windy, especially on the eastern coast of the trail.
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We started the trail on the beach Ručica (2nd official entrance). The 1st entrance is in Metajna, near the playground (easily seen on the map). Whichever way you go, you will be walking through mostly naked karst landscape, inhabited only by sparse grass, succulents and an occasional free-roaming flock of sheep.
The trail got it's s name due to its resemblance to the Martian landscape, similar to the "Moon Plateau" trail near Baška on Krk island.
The trail is long, but it can be shortened in several ways. Technically it's not difficult, no special equipment is needed (if you go around the via ferrata). Some parts require extra care because of loose rocks. Physically, difficulty increases dramatically during the summer, due to no shade. Plan accordingly. Read waypoint descriptions for additional info.
Overall this is a very remarkable and visually stunning trail.
Waypoints
Car park
Intersection
121 ft
Intersection #1
Continue straight
Waypoint
161 ft
Stogaj - rock climbing pillar
Stogaj is a famous rock pillar that attracts climbers from all over the country (and beyond)
Panorama
71 ft
Panorama #2 - Slana Beach
View of the Slana beach; it's also the site of a ruined concentration camp.
Intersection
63 ft
Intersection #2 - ruins of infamous WWII concentration camp
This is the main intersection of the entire trail. 1. You can go downt o the Slana beach, and continue through the ferrata to the Malin beach 2. You can go up on the hill to go around the ferrata part, continuing on to Malin beach. 3. You can cut the trail short, skip Malin beach entirely, and go around the other side of the hill you just came to return to Metajna. This is also the site of the Slana WWII concentration camp where, supposedly, around 8,000-12,000 men, women and children were tortured and killed, among other atrocities. The remains of a few stone outposts are still visible today.
Waypoint
50 ft
Slana beach - via ferrata
The ferrata should be around 100m long. We skipped it, but experts say that due to the angle of the ferrata your body leans outward from the rock, so it's necessary to have security equipment and good arm strength and stamina. Also, you can swim around the rock, with the water depth reaching about 1 - 1,5m.
Waypoint
320 ft
Descent back to the proper trail
This is the easiest way we've found to come down safely back to the marked trail, from the ferrata detour.
Beach
20 ft
Malin beach
The beach also has a small basin filled with freshwater spring, which is drinkable.
Waypoint
121 ft
'Martian' gorge
The next 1-2km in the small gorge are one of the most peculiar and interesting parts of the trail.
Religious site
13 ft
Chapel
Chapel in Metajna, on the walkway around the tiny peninsula near Metajna
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Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Staza je odlična. Preporuka je da je izbjegavate ljeti jer je vrućina nemila <3