Veliki Svetojanj, on the north shore of Pag, is a bay for those with an adventurous spirit, who want to try something different. It is located opposite the old town of Novalja, in a landscape which we might rather call a moonscape. The bura has lashed the limestone on this side of the island to such an extent that only a few bushes and blades of grass have survived. Veliki Svetojanj, divided from its neighbour, Mali Svetojanj, by a rocky outcrop, winds its way about 600 metres inland. At first, it is exposed to the east, then it continues south, before finally settling in an east-west direction. A hundred metres from the base of the most secluded part of the bay, there is a huge reef which rises above the sea level and provides additional shelter in this part of the bay, so this is the best place to anchor, even when the bura is blowing hard. In former times, fishing boats used to shelter here, if they were caught by the bura on their way back to the coastline below Velebit. If you decide to stop here, drop anchor and tie up to the reef. During the day, there are many excursion boats ferrying swimmers from Rab, but in the evening, it is pretty much deserted. The ruins of a large castle can be seen on the 40-metre dome-shaped rock separating Veliki and Mali Svetojanj. Since this location provides a good view of the fort of Sveti Damjan on Rab, the building probably dates back to Justinian times, when it formed part of a navigation surveillance system. The strategic importance of this navigation route is borne out by these remains, high up on a completely wild, inaccessible part of the island.