Found on the Zrce beach on the island paradise of Pag, Club Papaya is causing quite a stir. Regularly packing in sold out crowds of up to 5,000 and situated along a coastline that could give Poseidon himself a nostalgic reflex it’s easy to see why.
Night and Day is a four day extravaganza which boasts DJ sets from some of the finest in their field which the current crop of partygoers from Croatia and far further a field gleefully descend upon the island to enjoy.
At first glance it’s as if the beautiful people of the world have come together to unite in joyful celebration of life, love and looks with a tranquil backdrop of sand sea and sensuality. And on further inspection these prior musings are fully confirmed.
Recently voted the world’s best DJ Armin Van Buuren took to the stage to kick off proceedings with a spectacular 3 hour set showcasing exactly why his brand of trance has made this Dutchman the prime mover in his field. The banging beats are interspersed with classical touches and effects all complemented by some visuals which synched in perfect harmony to heighten the musical journey.
The tireless partygoers drank and danced through the night to be rewarded with a breathtaking sunset which revealed itself over the mountains to the left of the stage creating a truly magical moment.
Daytime offers the possibilities of boat trips, diving or just relaxing on the many beaches before enjoying hospitality Croatian style and all at extremely attractive prices.
Calvin Harris offers up indie electro beats, mostly high tempo and would have you believe that this 26 year-old created disco and with his repertoire of 80s throwback tracks you could almost believe it. As comfortable behind the decks as in front of a band he takes the crowd by the scruff of the neck and shakes them all night long. The only greater buzz possibly being the bungee jump beside the stage which would see you plummeting seawards to the beat and then hovering above the animated crowd, an option I could not be convinced to take.
Sunrise sees many revellers spill straight out onto the beach to continue the party long into the afternoon.
Day 3 sees Ferry Corsten take control of the decks to unleash his hallmark trance onto the Papaya faithful. Combining trance and house with subtle atmospherics the Dutch maestro keeps the standards high as the euphoric mass stretch arms skywards in appreciation.
Next day Brighton’s Freemasons create a splash as Papaya makes full use of its facilities with a 4pm start which sees revellers enjoying the set from the pool and the hardcore in front of the stage under the burning sun being hosed down by the previous night’s sexy dancers. The party atmosphere is contagious with cocktails in every hand and the 4 hour set ends with a cry of “anybody wanna shag me” coming from the stage, magnificent.
After a slap up meal and shower its back to Papaya for the final night with Funkerman at the helm. After this afternoon’s Freemason’s party vibe it’s a distinctly darker house mood that grips you. The pumping chunky beats combine with mesmeric visuals which waver from the sinister to sublime but alas all too quickly the party is over and Night and Day has ended.
So as we depart from Papaya I already have a deep seated longing to return. A visit to any of the many festivals and events at Club Papaya is highly recommended before the Euro hike hits this beautiful part of the world and with Exit festival uniquely placed just prior to Night and Day next year it’s hard to imagine many better options.
www.papaya.com.hr
Getting there
The nearest airport to the city Novalja (Island Pag) is Zadar (45 mins), followed by Split (180 mins) or Zagreb (3hr). These times are for traveling by car along the highway. For those with more time for an adventure then other airport options in Croatia are Rijeka, Pula or Dubrovnik. Also not too far away are Ljubljana in Slovenia with Easyjet and Trieste in Italy with Ryanair.
Croatia Airlines is the national airplane company in Croatia
From the UK
www.ryanair.co.uk Stansted or Edinburgh to Zadar
www.easyjet.co.uk Gatwick, Stansted or Bristol to Split
www.wizzair.com Luton to Zagreb
www.germanwings.com Stansted to Zadar & Split / Edinburgh to Split
www.britishairways.com Gatwick to Dubrovnik
www.flybe.com Birmingham or Southampton to Split (Saturdays only)
www.jet2.com Manchester and Newcastle to Split
www.thomsonfly.com Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol & Manchester to Pula or Gatwick & Manchester to Dubrovnik
From Ireland
www.ryanair.co.uk Dublin to Zadar
From Germany
www.germanwings.com Berlin, Cologne-Bonn, Stuttgart to Zadar or Berlin,Cologne-Bonn, Dresden, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart , Leipzig & Zweibrucken to Zagreb
www.tuifly.com Cologne-Bonn,Stuttgart, to Rijeka or Munich & Stuattgart to Dubrovnik
www.ryanair.co.uk Frankfurt , Bremen & Dusseldorf to Zadar
From Holland
www.croatiaairlines.com Amsterdam to Zadar
From Belgium
www.ryanair.com Brussels (Charleroi) to Zadar
From Italy
www.jadrolinija.hr is an overnight ferry that sails from Ancona to Zadar
www.germanwings.com Milan, Bologna & Verona to Zagreb www.ryanair.co.uk from Pisa to Zadar
www.easyjet.com Milan to Split
From Spain
www.germanwings.com Barcelona to Zadar, Barcelona, Madrid and Mallorca to Zagreb or Madrid & Mallorca to Split
From Portugal
www.germanwings.com Lisbon toZadar, Zagreb,Split,Dubrovnik
From Switzerland
www.germanwings.com Zurich to Split, Zagreb& Pula
www.easyjet.com Geneva to Split & Dubrovnik
From Sweden, Norway & Denmark
www.germanwings.com Stockholm & Copenhagen to Zagreb
www.scandjet.se to Split
www.ryanair.com Stockholm or Oslo to Zadar
From France
www.airfrance.com Paris to Zagreb
www.croatiaairlines.com Paris or Lyon to all Croatian airports
Car Hire
... is not absolutely necessary as there will be a shuttle service between
Papaya Club and transporter (www.novalja.com - Transfer Call center: +385 (0)91 253 00 03 (06-24h) ).
However, if you do want to hire a car then we can recommend:
Budget Car Rental www.budget.com or Uni Rent www.uni-rent.net
Accomodation: www.novalja.com
