Pag has one of the oldest olive groves in the world, whose trees have been standing tall for more than a thousand years, growing strong in the Dalmatian sun.
Although its purpose has changed over the years, the olive has through history maintained a strong presence in our lives. Today it is the holy grail of the cosmetic industry and a delicacy in the culinary world, but long ago its precious oil was used as a means of payment. In the small village of Lun, Croatia, the olive trees still remember those ancient times.
A thousand years of growth
The northern cape of Pag hides a small, exotic 24-acre strip of land with more than 80 000 olives. Among them are 1500 trees older than a thousand years that belong to the oblica species, merged with the so-called wild olive, Olea oleaster. This authentic Mediterranean species grows on just two other locations in the whole world (namely in Greece and Israel), but Lun holds a special place among them for having such an unparalleled number of thousand-year-old trees on such a small area. Taking a walk through the grove is unimaginable without a visit to the oldest one, a wild olive that sprouted over 1600 years ago, and is still firmly rooted on the side of the old macadam path.
Liquid gold
As late fall approaches, hardworking villagers handpick the olives from which their supreme olive oil is made of. The clean, gentle taste of Lun oil has been attracting taste buds since Roman times when it was widely appreciated as some of the best olive oil in the world. Croatian olive oil is still renowned for its amazing quality and taste — that you can try for yourself in one of the restaurants in Camping Village Šimuni.
Elsewhere, the wild olive is endangered by deforestation, fires and human negligence, but not in this botanical area, protected since 1963. In this peaceful oasis, the simple olive manages to survive in symbiosis with the blue sea, Dalmatian sun and caring locals. This jewel is just one of the reasons why Pag is worth visiting, and choosing to stay at Camping Village Šimuni gives you the perfect opportunity to explore the beautiful island.