Drage

The small coastal place of Draga is located in an enviable position between Lake Vrana and the Adriatic Sea in the northern part of Dalmatia. Drage is an integral part of the municipality of Pakoštane, which is located in the southern part of Zadar County. This peaceful and quiet place is ideal for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, and at the same time serves a rich offer of natural beauty and an entertainment program.

The village of Drage is surrounded by many natural beauties such as the clear blue sea with numerous islets on the edge of the Kornati National Park, numerous stone and pebble beaches, Lake Vrana with an ornithological reserve, etc. Porat beach is a natural cove with plenty of shade, which makes it ideal for families with children, and Dolaška Draga beach offers stone plateaus and pebble as well as shade in the pine forest. An unforgettable view of the islands of the Zadar archipelago can be seen from the Čelinka viewpoint. This place is surrounded by four national parks and two nature parks. On its northern side, the place touches the Vrana Lake Nature Park, which is the largest freshwater lake in Croatia, and the Telašćica Nature Park is not far away. The national parks of Kornati, Krka Waterfalls, Paklenica and Plitvice Lakes are also located in the relative vicinity of Drage.

Nearby Drage visitors can enjoy numerous activities to have fun during their vacation, so they can ride pedal boats on the sea, jet ski boats, ride quads in the beautiful nature, go on bike trails, go on a trip to the Bak Krklješi cave and the Bak viewpoint , visit the Vrana Lake Ornithological Reserve, but also see interesting historical remains such as Roman villas, parts of the Roman breakwater in the sea, and the westernmost monument of Ottoman rule, i.e. the renovated Turkish residence of Jusuf Mašković called Maškovića Han. In this residence people can get to know the rich gastronomic offer of Mediterranean cuisine alongside autochthonous medieval experience.

In the past, this small place called Drage was mainly rural fieldworker and fishing village. Fifteen years ago most of the inhabitants here were engaged in agriculture, while today it relies mostly on tourism, which is why it is abundant with restaurants, private accommodation and campsites. Due to the increasing development, Drage is becoming an increasingly important tourist destination in this area. The fact that there are more than 250 tourist houses in the Dolaška Draga tourist resort speaks volumes for this.

According to the 2021 census, Drage has about 930 inhabitants.