In late July, I got decked out in my best pool-party-meets-festival attire and took the 1.5-hour (9 EU) bus ride from Zadar to Novalja. While the white buildings climbing the Mykonos hillside are indeed picturesque, this Croatian landscape is a party girls’ dream: the beautiful, sandy coastline has one long cement “sidewalk” down the middle; day beds, lined row after row, garnish the edge of the water; a set of roofless clubs, each bearing their own unique theme – evidenced by their architecture, burst from the desert terrain; and bungy jumps, jet skis, and other water sports are ready to entertain. I took one look at Zrce beach and felt my inner rave girl come back to life. In fact, I forgot I was over thirty.

While Noa Beach Club – jetting out into the water with its multiple levels and multiple pools and hot tubs – might just be the most amazing music venue I’ve ever seen and Kalypso is both sexy and outrageous, it was Papaya Club that truly stole my heart. Killing time before heading to Noa for the DJs I’d paid in advance to see, I was pulled into Papaya by a pretty promoter who offered me a free drink. This, however, was no ordinary drink. A bright blue concoction filled an entire bottle service carafe with a neon straw long enough to reach the seemingly endless bottom. Now, I’m pretty particular about my liquor – you know, the whole I’m-over-thirty-and-know-what-will-make-me-the-least-hungover thing – and generally stick to straight tequila, but the flourishing fragments of my former youth had taken charge and the blue drink was beckoning. This thing tasted like pina colada heaven, and I was committed. The scene itself was the real winner, though. Surrounding what can best be described as an adult kiddy pool (ie. only thigh-deep) are tables that look ready for exclusive bottle service but are instead open to the public. Vines drape across the top and purple and orange puffballs – that reminded of me of Chinese lanterns on acid – dangle from the flora. It felt like being inside Alice’s Wonderland. . . if her Wonderland was on a tropical island.