+2020 & TV SERIES
The F**k it List (2020)
Agent Kelly (2020)
The Legion (2020)
Way Down (2020)
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Rifkin’s Festival (2020)
The Roads Not Taken (2020)
Ron Hopper’s Misfortune (2020)
Granada Nights (2020)
It Snows in Benidorm (2020)
State of Prey (2020)
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Trevor (2020)
Chasing Wonders (2020)
Black Beach (2020)
A Perfect Enemy (2020)
One Glorious Sunset (2020)
The Odd Perspective (2020)
Us (2020)
Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)
The Music Island (2021)
Last Letter from your Lover (2021)
Off the Rails (2021)
The Eternals (2021)
The Internationalist (2021)
Borrego (2021)
True Things (2021)
Gunfight at Dry River (2021)
Don’t Come Here (2021)
SAS: Red Notice (2021)
Under Spanish Skies (2021)
Red Notice (2021)
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)
The Nanny’s Night (2021)
Send it! (2021)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
The Anarchist’s Dream (2022)
The Matador’s Cape (2022)
Uncharted (2022)
Asteroid City (2022)
Operation Mincemeat (2022)
The Man from Rome (2022)
Marlowe (2022)
Renko (2022)
The Covenant(2022)
Hustle (2022)
The Mother (2022)
A Man of Action (2022)
Who Killed Che Guevara (2022)
Planet of the Astronauts (2022)
Dead Man, Don’t Die (2022)
Awakening: a Mermaid’s Tale (2023)
What About Love (2023)
Lucas (2023)
Fyre Rises (2023)
American Star (2023)
Catching Dust (2023)
Uncancelled (2023)
Journey to Bethlehem (2023)
Bird Box Barcelona (2023)
See You on Venus (2023)
Agent of Solitude (2023)
Fast X (2023)
Ibiza Dark (2024)
Venom 3 (2024)
The Assessment (2024)
Den of Thieves 2 (2024)
Daniela Forever (2024)
Killing Rainbow (2024)
The Path Less Travelled (2024)
Once Upon a Time in Spain (2024)
Argylle (2024)
Vanilla (2024)
Run Baby Run (2024)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
The Penguin Lessons (2024)
Damsel (2024)
Raqa (2024)
The Room Next Door (2025)
In the Grey (2025)
The Island (2025)
Divine Remedy (2025)
The Gentleman (2025)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Hot Milk (2025)
The Beast (2025)
Journey to You (2025)
The Woods Encounters: The Movie (2025)
People we Meet on Vacation (2025)
Deep Water (2025)
The Map that Leads to You (2025)
To Barcelona, with Love (2025)
To Barcelona, Forever (2025)
Signs of Life (2025)
Code Red: Spain (2025)
My Fault: London (2025)
Mare’s Nest (2025)
Dead Souls (2025)
Day Drinker (2026)
The End of It (2026)
The Mummy (2026)
Rosebush Pruning (2026)
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026)
The Night House (2026)
Above and Below (2026)
Belle Isle (2026)
Just Play Dead (2026)
The Last Druid (2026)
The Last Sunrise (2026)
F.A.S.T. (2027)
TV Series Made in Spain
1 Game of Thrones
2 House of the Dragon
3 The Witcher
4 Black Mirror
5 Westworld
6 Silent Witness
7 The Crown
8 Doctor Who
9 Berlin Station
10 White Lines
11 Emerald City
12 The Spanish Princess
13 Hanna
14 Killing Eve
15 The One
16 Soulmates
17 Warrior Nun
18 Wheel of Time
19 Foundation
20 The Mallorca Files
21 Penny Dreadful
22 Years and Years
23 Rosemary and Thyme
24 Coronation Street
25 Eastenders
26 El C.I.D.
27 The Love Boat
28 In From the Cold
29 La Fortuna
30 Little Birds
31 The Head
32 Snatch
33 Utopia Planitia
34 The Bounty Hunters
35 Genius: Picasso
36 Top Boy
37 The Man who Fell to Earth
38 Jack Ryan
39 Inventing Anna
40 That Dirty Black Bag
41 The Diplomat
42 No Return
43 The Lazarus Project
44 American Odyssey
45 Any Human Heart
46 Blindspot
47 Covert Affairs
48 Kaos
49 Suntrap
50 Mrs. Davis
51 Vampire Academy
52 Queen of the South
53 Land of Women
54 Dark Justice
55 The English
56 The White Princess
57 All in the Game
58 A Town Called Malice
59 Who is Erin Carter?
60 The Rat Patrol
61 Intergalactic
62 Realm of the Waterfall
63 Andor
64 Citadel
65 The Rings of Power
66 Living the Dream
67 Framed
68 Doctor Death
69 Special Ops: Lioness
70 Crossfire
71 Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes
72 Fool Me Once
73 Benidorm
74 Duty Free
75 We Were the Lucky Ones
76 Archie
77 Stonehouse
78 Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
79 Stags
80 The Road Trip
81 The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
82 Blade Runner 2099
83 Seven Dials
84 Cobra Kai
85 The Night Manager
86 Catch You Later
87 Three Body Problem
88 Pluribus
89 The Girlfriend
90 The Split: Barcelona
91 La Palma
92 Hostage
93 Young Sherlock
94 NCIS: Tony & Ziva
95 This City is Ours
96 Kill Jackie
97 Still Star Crossed
98 These Sacred Vows
99 Frauds
100 Yakamoz S 245
101 Rivals
102 Baby Doll
103 Fallen
104 Death in Benidorm
105 Dark Matter
Films in Development
Deep Water
Untitled Don Johnson Film
An Actor’s Journey
Shooting Bernarda
The F**k it List (2020)
A disenchanted, privileged American without a bucket, becomes a social media phenomenon, but all he really wants is his girl, who has gone to Spain for a dubious job.
He tracks her down at Porto Colom, Mallorca, even though she sends him her location as Porto Cristo.
Fortunately the taxi he takes has the real name plastered on the side and they live happily ever after. What’s more, the black and white lighthouse is easily recognisable.
Agent Kelly (2020)
Kelly is a retired assassin in her 50s who returns to her old ways for (wait for it…..) revenge.
She escapes to Spain to avoid her hunters, ending up in Almería, where shooting of both kinds took place in El Ejido, Puerto Almerimar and Almería city.
More filming took place in the city of Málaga and in Motril, Granada.
The Legion (2020)
The Romans are bogged down in Armenia and send a messenger to get help. While they wait the actors can enjoy the mountains, lakes and valleys of the Natural Park of Somiedo in Asturias.
Among the park’s locations were La Farrapona at 1,708 metres, and the frozen lakes of Saliencia.
The crew’s lodgings were at Pola de Somiedo. In fact the staff at the Castillo del Alba hotel informed us that the actors practised their sword fighting on a terrace behind the hotel.
The messenger also has to cross a bit of desert, and for this they employed the lesser known desert of Gorafe in the province of Granada.
We were lucky to be accompanied by local tourism entrepreneur and film enthusiast Miguel, who drove us around in his 4X4 (totally necessary to visit all the good spots) showing us the locations of films and series.
Access to the location for this film is very complicated and can only be achieved with a 4X4 or possibly a helicopter.
The wild scenery is certainly spectacular.
English speaking Miguel can be contacted via his web site: http://www.geoparkgranada.com/
All this and Mickey Rourke too!
Way Down (2020)
Catalan director Jaume Balagueró is no stranger to international projects and this time combines Spanish and foreign actors in a heist movie with the 2010 World Cup final, won by Spain, as a backdrop.
Central Madrid was briefly shut down around the emblematic Plaza de Cibeles, as our stars tried to rob the Bank of Spain.
41 days of shooting included scenes shot at the Palacio Cibeles (site of the Town Hall and the CentroCentro contemporary arts centre), Edificio Zúrich in calle Alcalá, Edificio Metrópolis on the corner of Gran Vía, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Instituto Cervantes, Palacio de Buenavista (HQ of the Spanish army) and the Biblioteca Nacional
A thousand extras, 340 crew, 80 police officers and 80 soldiers took part. As did the Good Doctor, Freddie Highmore, who had actually lived in Madrid for a year.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
The film begins with Diana as a child trying to win the Amazon Games. The beach she rides along was at Sotavento de Jandía, Fuerteventura, although the mountain scenes were filmed on Tenerife at Maciza de Teno and the gulley of Masca (where Wrath of the Titans was shot) and Isla Baja.
In September 2018, filming took place in Almería. The Alcazaba castle is supposedly that of the King of Crude, Emir Said Bin Abydos in Cairo, and was one of the main locations used, including the gardens of the Casa del Alcaide, the Cerro de San Cristóbal and the Muralla de Jayrán, which then becomes the wall dividing the Emir’s land from the rest.
The church of San Pedro with its twin towers also appears.
A car chase took place on Fuerteventura, at the Corralejo sand dunes, where a village was built, and there was also filming at La Oliva around Parque Holandés and the beach of El Jablito.
On La Palma island, they superimposed images of a satellite headquarters, using the same location as the Aretuza island in The Witcher, which was also superimposed. It is here that the film reaches its finale and once more the world is saved.
Rifkin’s Festival (2020)
Woody Allen does for San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa what he did for Barcelona, as well as Paris, London and even New York, with a film centred on the famous San Sebastián film festival and filming all over the city’s most iconic locations such as the Concha beach, which is the opening shot of San Sebastian and appears again as Felipe tries to seduce Wallace’s wife Sue under the boardwalk and also for the dreams of the Jules and Jim film.
The film begins and ends with Wallace talking to his psychiatrist, in a set constructed inside the Miramar Palace.
We see Wallace crossing the iconic Maria Cristina bridge, and then approach the Kursaal Centre, venue of the San Sebastian Film Festival.
In the Plaza Gipuzkoa gardens Wallace meets a friend who gives him the card of Jo, the doctor.
In the grounds of the Ariete Palace they shot the first black and white scene with all the characters from Wallace’s past.
Wallace visits the doctor, whose office is in Paseo Árbol de Gernika.
We then see him in a restaurant, Mirador de Ulia, with spectacular views of the beach.
In the Café de la Concha he chats to some festival goers and discovers Jo’s complicated past.
Felipe is interviewed on the terrace of the Maria Cristina Hotel, where most of the characters are staying, and where Wallace and Sue later have breakfast.
Wallace kills time visiting the Donosti Bookshop in Plaza Bilbao. He kills some more time visiting the church of San Vicente.
He has a drink with Jo in the garden of the Botanika Café and later attends a party in Felipe’s honour at the San Telmo Museum. Felipe then plays the bongos in the Altxerri Bar.
On his day out with Jo they drive across the Maria Cristina Bridge before visiting the Chillida statue, Peine del Viento. They take a boat across the bay at Pasajes de San Juan and have a waterside picnic at Ereñozu.
Twice they visit a market, located in Santiago Plaza, Pasai Donibane, where they buy bread and chocolate, and later Jo looks for a gift for her husband Paco.
The dream supper, based on Buñuel’s Exterminating Angel was filmed at Gipuzcoa Provincial Council.
Wallace phones Jo and says his farewells seated in front of the bandstand, the Kiosko del Boulevard.
As was the case in Barcelona, San Sebastian tourist office has organised a Movie Walk to visit the film’s locations as Allen indulges in all his usual obsessions.
The Roads Not Taken (2020)
At La Isleta del Moro, a writer spends his time in a Greek bar on the beach and discusses how to end his book with two girls on a bar terrace. The Parque Natural Cabo de Gata (also represents Greece), while the cemetery of San José in the city of Almería and the desert of Tabernas (supposedly in his character’s native Mexico) were all locations in a film starring Javier Bardem, whose mental state is deteriorating, much to the displeasure of his daughter.
The cast used the Hotel Cortijo Paraiso in Los Escullos, where Pilar Miró filmed “El Pájaro de la Felicidad” in 1993 and the Hotel Elba in the city of Almería.
Ron Hopper’s Misfortune (2020)
Canary Island director Jaime Falero shot the whole film in his native Tenerife, a story about Hell with Vinnie Jones as the Ferryman who takes you there.
Granada Nights (2020)
A young British-Asian man heads to Granada to save a relationship but arrives too late and has to make do with friendship and culture in this beautiful city.
The Alhambra inevitably features, but so does the Camborio Club for some more up to date scenes.
Writer/Director Abid Khan informed us: “Here is some information on the major locations; we shot in a lot of locations around the city but these are the main scenes – If you need more details let me know?”
Hammam Al Ándalus, Cueva de Curro – Flamenco Cave with eccentric gypsy owner Curro, Cafe Futbol, Carmen de los Martires, Mirador de San Miguel, Camino del Sacromonte, Pub Legend, Bohemia Jazz Café, Teteria Baghdad, Granada Inn Hostel, Potemkin café.
“We also all stayed in Hospedaje Almohada – we rented the whole place and this was actually the place that I stayed in 2005-2006 and started writing the script.
Another interesting fact is that I wrote the script on locations e.g. I wrote the Mirador scene at the mirador and the Camborio nightclub scene I wrote whilst I was at the nightclub! I wanted the film to be authentic to the place which is why I wrote in this way. We also shot the gypsy processions as they were happening and wrapped a fictional narrative around documentary scenes. With the vast history and culture of the city, it was important the locations needed to be a main character in their own right because this film in essence is a love letter to the city of Granada.”
The film opens with a flurry of images of the city, including the statue of Neptune, also known as Fuente de los Gigantones in plaza Bibrambla, and the Café Bar Pennsylvania in Plaza de los Lobos.
Ben borrows a phone from the girl he meets on a coach, just outside the Botanic Garden, a location that reappears throughout the film, and was also used in the film ‘Wilde’.
Ben visits his girlfriend’s flat in Plaza Fortuny 4, and begins to realise she is no longer his girlfriend.
On the steps of Granada cathedral a busker explains the meaning of ‘duende’.
Ben starts studying Spanish at the 16th century Palacio de Santa Cruz in Placeta Hospicio Viejo, which houses the Centro de Lenguas Modernas.
In Bar Monje in Calle Marqués de Gerona, 9, we see Oscar chatting with a barman, and in the background up the street we can see the cathedral.
Ben eventually gets a barman’s job at Hannigan & Sons Irish Pub, in Calle Cetti Meriem, 1.
In the final scene Ben runs away from his ex and meets up with his friends at the spectacular San Nicolas viewpoint, overlooking the Alhambra.
It Snows in Benidorm (2020)
Isabel Coixet directs this story set in the bright, murky location of Benidorm, Alicante, where some British citizens such as Timothy Spall take a break from sunny Manchester.
The Red Wall of Calpe has nothing to do with politics, but is an apartment complex designed by Ricardo Bofill. This and other locations such as Pola Park in Santa Pola, and the area between Hotel Canfali and Villa Venecia, make up some of the locations, as do the streets of Benidorm.
Carmen Machi plays a policewoman obsessed with the presence of poetess Sylvia Plath in Benidorm in the 50s, and her house is located in Plaza del Torrejó.
Alex’s workplace is located beneath Apartamentos Oasis.
State of Prey (2020)
A Scandinavian thriller with a mix of nationalities and languages, including English, much of the filming takes place in and around Torrevieja, Alicante, thanks to the ready supply of coastline, mountains, skyscrapers and natural light, according to its director.
Filming also took place at Callosa de Segura, Benidorm, Santa Pola and Elche.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
George Clooney was on the Canary island of La Palma in February 2020 staying at the exclusive Hacienda de Abajo, at Tazacorte.
One of the locations for this film about a scientist stranded in the post-apocalyptic Arctic is the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos. Two scenes were shot there featuring Ethan (son of Gregory) Peck as the younger Augustine (Clooney), sacrificing all for science on ‘the island,’ at the ACTEC site.
Trevor (2020)
Trevor seems to be a classic ex-pat, living the good life at his villa in Spain, and then his daughter and her boyfriend come to visit.
The rolling countryside is to be found around Cardedeu in the province of Barcelona.
Chasing Wonders (2020)
Although set in Australia, the film is about a Spanish family and stars Paz Vega and Edward James Olmos.
Filming also took place in Barcelona, La Granada del Penedès, Sant Miquel D’olèrdola, Subirats, Viladellops. and Lleída.
Black Beach (2020)
Although mostly shot in Spanish, there is also a fair amount of English dialogue, mostly at the beginning when the action takes place in Belgium, and also during an inspiring English class given by nuns in an African school.
In Gran Canaria, the oil drilling platforms in the bay of Las Palmas were one of the reasons for filming there, and the restaurant Segundo Muelle, next to the Hotel Santa Catalina was also used for the final meeting between Carlos and his mother.
Other exteriors included Playa del Inglés, Puerto Rico, Puerto de Mogán and San Agustín.
The mansion where Carlos is lodged in Africa was actually in Gran Canaria as was some of the jungle.
The discotheque scene was filmed in Madrid, with what was hopefully a digitally inserted giraffe in the foyer.
The final chase scene was multinational, starting in Ghana, continuing in Toledo, moving on to Canarias. The car crashed in Toledo, in an African village which was built in Toledo inside a Spanish army camp. The action then returns to Madrid and Ghana.
A Perfect Enemy (2020)
Kiké Maíllo directs another Spanish film shot in English, this time about an architect who has a run-in with a girl.
It is appropriate that the architect’s conference at the beginning of the film, supposedly in Paris, was actually filmed in the Antoní Gaudí Auditorium in the Trade Fair of Reus, Tarragona, Gaudí’s hometown. The trade fair interiors were also used to represent some airport scenes, although the exteriors of the Paris airport were filmed at Barcelona’s El Prat airport.
Ana Eiras of Sábado Películas informed us that filming took place in Maresme and El Prat for car shots and in Terrassa on the set at the Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya.
Other locations in Barcelona were L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Masia Freixa, and Sant Vicenç de Montalt.
One Glorious Sunset (2020)
The problems of dealing with dementia when ‘Dad’ starts to lose it.
Filmed on Tenerife. Deanna Dewey of TF Productions informed that “the film was mostly shot in the South of the Island with a few shots in the north and up in the mountains. The locations I can remember are Golf del Sur, Valle San Lorenzo, Puerto Colon and Los Abrigos.”
The different scenes are connected with impressive shots of the mountains, coast and sea of clouds, which separates the north and south of the island.
In the opening scenes we see the Perlas del Mar restaurant in Los Abrigos and the Sol Tenerife Hotel in Santa Cruz.
When Robert goes wandering, his son in law Sean takes him to La Fonda Parrilla Bar in Avenida Juan Carlos, Santa Cruz for a few beers too many, according to his wife.
This is one of several real locations, such as the Treehouse Pub in Chafoya, where Sean gets a barman’s job, or the Mesón Chafoya, in the same street, Calle Taroso, where Robert’s 79th birthday doesn’t quite take place.
The Odd Perspective (2020)
Another production in English from the aFilm workshop based in Sitges, where some of the action takes place, as well as in Barcelona.
Multiple murders and a synergist detective who can connect stuff!
Us (2020)
Us is a four part BBC mini series starring Tom Hollander, who tries to turn a failing marriage into a holiday romance instead of vice versa.
His holidays include Paris, Amsterdam, Venice and Barcelona, although Venice is in reality also Cataluña.
Tom is Douglas and is accompanied by his wife Connie (Saskia Reeves) and son Albie (Tom Taylor).
In episode 3 Albie leaves his parents to join a girl called Kat in Venice. Douglas searches for him there and comes across a couple of musicians in a typical Venetian square, which is plaza de Sant Felip Neri.
Douglas meets a woman called Freja (Sofie Gråbøl), and they have a coffee on a hotel terrace, Hotel Neri (calle de Sant Sever, 5).
In episode 4 in plaza de Sant Felip Neri, Freja and Douglas have another coffee, when Douglas’s wife rings.
Freja and Douglas go for a walk after supper and come across a Roman temple, which in reality is in the city of Vic in calle Pare Xifré. Then they walk along the arcades in the plaza Mayor.
The next day Douglas visits Siena, but it’s still Vic, and here we see him sitting on the steps of the Sant Pere cathedral.
In episode 5 Douglas actually travels to Barcelona, and finds his son leaving a disco, which is in fact number 4 plaza Sant Josep Oriol.
In a flashback we see Connie and Douglas watching the light show at the Font Mágica.
The next day Douglas wanders through plaza Carles Buïgas by the Font Mágica. We see him talking to Albie with the MNAC as a backdrop.
Douglas and Albie drink coffee with churros in Bar El Mendizábal in calle Junta de Comerç, 2. That night they have a drink in Granja El Drac de Sant Jordi in plaza de Sant Josep Oriol, 3. After visiting a disco we see them sitting on a bench inside pasaje del Crèdit on the corner of calle Baixada de Sant Miquel. The disco was in fact a vegetarian restaurant called Salida, at 7 Baixada de Sant Miquel, although the interiors were filmed in Sitges. Returning to their hotel they pass through plaza Real and las Ramblas.
Then we see Albie and Douglas enter the Estación de Francia in Avenida Marqués de l’Argentera to catch a train to Sitges.
In episode 6 they are back in Barcelona. From a taxi we see Paseo Picasso and la Pedrera before arriving at a rented flat in calle Teodor Roviralta.
Douglas and Connie accompany Albie to the Estación de Francia to see him off.
We then have a tour of the city including plaza de Sant Felip Neri, the Bisbe bridge and the sculpture of the Toro Pensador by Josep Granyer y Giralt in Rambla Cataluña.
Douglas and Connie walk around the barrio Gótico to the plaza del Pi through a market to a juice bar which in reality is the Giovanni ice cream shop.
We see the Montjuic cable car, and Connie looking at the city from the Jardines de Miramar.
They visit the Fundación Miró, and we also see plaza Cataluña, the Calatrava Tower and Paseo de Gracia before they return home.
Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)
Keanu Reeves stars in an update of an old story about two rockers trying to save the world.
Although filmed entirely in Louisiana USA, San Dimas, set in the year 2720, is in fact Santiago Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences (CAC) of Valencia, also used in George Clooney’s Tomorrowland, although this time the stars stayed home and did everything on green screen, while Valencia’s sci-fi complex was padded out with some serious CGI. One such example of padding, was adding Calatrava’s Montjuïc Communications Tower, located in Barcelona’s Olympic Park and built in order to transmit the 1992 Olympic Games.
CAC represents the home of the Great Ones, led by Holland Taylor, Charlie Sheen’s mother in Two and a Half Men.
The Music Island (2021)
The music island is of course Ibiza, although this philosophical film was also shot in the UK and Bulgaria.
Last Letter from your Lover (2021)
Filming of the flashback scenes to 1965 took place in and around the internationally famous Formentor Hotel at the eastern extreme of Mallorca, representing the French Riviera, in a romance spanning decades.
Off the Rails (2021)
The cast includes Judi Dench and Franco Nero, and some flight scenes were shot at the Bennisalem Aeródrom in Mallorca, where a selection of planes can be seen.
The modernist architecture of the capital, Palma, is seen in some evening shots and El Passeig des Born de Palma represents Paris, while Costa de la Pols also appears. The 13th century gothic Basílica of Sant Francesc and the parish of Santa Eulàlia are seen and also the cathedral, where on 2nd February the Festa de la Llum was woven into the plot. The stained glass windows of the cathedral play a role in the plot.
Filming took place in Pollença too.
The Eternals (2021)
Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were the two islands representing pre-historic landscapes for a film that spans the ages as the Gods meddle in the affairs of Man.
Shooting in Fuerteventura took place around Ampuyenta and nearby El Espinal, as well as Buen Paso and on the volcanic, black beach at La Solapa at Pájara, all of which are in the Parque Rural de Betancuria, representing ancient Mesopotamia.
In the same area the reservoir Presa las Peñitas was used for the funeral of Gilgamesh, while the palm trees of Buen Paso and the dunes of Corralejo appeared too.
The dry river bed Las Peñitas was the location for the romantic scenes between Sersi and Ikaris.
The volcano that looms large towards the end of the film was El Cuervo on Lanzarote, with a heavy dose of CGI bringing it alive.
India and Australia were also well represented by the islands.
The film is part of the Marvel empire, and the crew stayed at two hotels in El Castillo, including the Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach at Caleta de Fuste.
For a touch of the Amazon, the crew moved to Fragas do Eume, a forest in the Galician province of La Coruña.
The Internationalist (2021)
An Australian photographer goes in search of his grandfather, who disappeared during the Spanish Civil War.
The locations include Corbera del Ebro, (Tarragona), and Barcelona.
Today Corbera’s old town, destroyed in the Battle of the Ebro in 1938, has been conserved in its ruined state, and the church is now an exhibition centre, reminding us of its tragic history.
Borrego (2021)
A botanist researching in the desert gets caught up in a drug smuggling ring.
The desert concerned was Tabernas in Almeria, and not California.
True Things (2021)
Ruth Wilson stars in a drama produced by Jude Law and which has been filmed in the province of Málaga.
The Paseo Marítimo Ciudad de Melilla was one location, as was Plaza de la Merced, with some interiors shot in a flat in La Malagueta.
The port, the historic centre and the town of Benalmádena also appear.
Gunfight at Dry River (2021)
Two abandoned villages in the province of Tarragona, Piñeres and Corbera de Ebro, are used to recreate a Mexican township with water problems; a topical question in Catalonia and the rest of Spain.
Corbera del Ebro’s tatty, desolated look is not so much due to drought, as to the fact that the old town was destroyed during the Battle of the Ebro in Spain’s Civil War in 1938.
The desert scenery of Tozal de la Cobeta, Monegros, Zaragoza is also employed.
SAS: Red Notice (2021)
Another story by ex-SAS soldier Andy McNab, about a fellow SAS man, Buckingham, trapped in the Chunnel by terrorists with his girlfriend.
Buckingham has a place in Mallorca at Son Marroig, which was also used in The Kovac Box (2006).
The final wedding scene includes images of the Sa Foradada peninsula hole in a cliff, allegedly made by a cannonball in a 1582 conflict between North African pirates and Majorcan Christians.
Don’t Come Here (2021)
As opposed to wishing you were here, as a tourist is murdered on idyllic Mallorca.
Filming took place around the village of Campos, and especially at Sa Barrala, where the forest cabins were located.
Under Spanish Skies (2021)
A very international cast with actors and crew from Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, China, Japan, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Canada, U.S.A. Uruguay, Peru and Suriname, and with a timeless theme: what to do when your partner dies.
A woman living on an idyllic farm, which in reality can be found at Cazalla de la Sierra in Sevilla province, invites some old friends to visit her as she makes some decisions.
Nathan Buck, director and writer of Before El Finâ (later changed to Under Spanish Skies) told us “the film was shot entirely on location in Cazalla on three private farms in the area: Finca Juncarejo, Cortijo Chacón Casa Rural & Casa Rural Riscos Altos. We shot the film in August, 2019 and completed it in June, 2021”.
Finca Juncarejo represents the main building with the pool and small belfry where widowed Leah lives.
Red Notice (2021)
This year sees two films with Red Notice in the title, as this is the name of an Interpol alert.
This international film stars Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot.
Johnson and Reynolds travel to Valencia to rob arch-villain Sottovoce, although an aerial view of the city’s main square for two seconds is all we see.
Reynolds and Johnson escape the clutches of Sottovoce and escape through a trap door into the middle of a bullfight. Johnson is butted by a bull in the bullring, which was that of Antequera, Málaga, with 300 locals as extras, although the aerial shot is of the Sevilla bullring, La Maestranza, both of which are supposed to be Valencia.
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)
Although mostly shot in Croatia, the presence of Antonio Banderas brought about some scenes in Málaga, specifically in Hacienda Nadales, a banqueting venue, and an industrial estate building at Guadalhorce.
The Nanny’s Night (2021)
The interiors of this horror story were shot in a house in Valdemoro, with exteriors nearby in Valdetorres del Jarama, both in Madrid.
The film marks the debut of Ignacio López, a close collaborator of author and director Victor Matellano.
Send it! (2021)
A kite-boarding story of love and surf with a cameo by Richard Branson (that’s how Trump got started and you heard it here first!)
Pedro Barbadillo of the Mallorca Film Commission informed us that shooting took place in North Carolina, Texas and a day’s shooting in Mallorca on 11 July 2018 and three weeks of preparation.
The filming took place at sea and covered an area between the cathedral in Palma to Es Malgrats.
Once again Palma Pictures was the local production collaborator.
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
Although no humans were to be found on Tenerife, not even LeBron James, who played a similar role to Michael Jordan in the original version, a lot of the technical cartoon work took place at the Tomavision studios.
The Anarchist’s Dream (2022)
Yolanda Torres, a teacher at the afilm school in Sitges, adds another string to her bow with a story of an actor who mixes reality with fantasy while making a film about the Civil war in Barcelona.
The Matador’s Cape (2022)
Martial arts expert Gary Wasniewski tries his hand at bullfighting, with filming in the bullring at Almería, and in Talavera de la Reina, Toledo.
The film is a variation on a standard theme of what to do when someone assassinates your wife.
Uncharted (2022)
First there was a Playstation game, and then came the movie.
When brothers Nathan and Sam are arrested, they are taken to an orphanage, the Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau (Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167); a former hospital, now a museum in Barcelona.
Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg and Antonio Banderas, filming took place in October 2020 along the Costa Blanca, Alicante.
The Granadella cove was once again used, as it was in The Cold Light of Day.
The Cova dels Orguens, a cave that can only be reached by sea below Cap San Antoni, also appears. It is here that Nathan finds Magellan’s lost ships, although this was a set constructed elsewhere.
Nathan and Sully meet Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali), in Plaza de Carles Buigas, site of the Font Mágica de Montjuic. They talk on the roof of the Pabellón Victòria Eugènia, and they chase her past the fountain of the Plaza de las Cascadas, and then through a market situated in Plaza de Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The chase ends at her car in Plaza de las Cascadas.
Then we see Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) arguing with his father Armando (Manuel de Blas) in the Born Centro de Cultura y Memoria.
Santiago Moncada meets his father again in Plaza Gaudí in full view of the Sagrada Familia.
They visit the church of Santa Maria del Pi looking for the treasure or clues to its whereabouts.
Sully and Braddock fight in Bar Pisamorena (Consolat de Mar, 37).
Secret tunnels abound and Sully talks down to Nathan and Chloe as they try to emerge from a sewer in Plaza Sant Felip Neri.
The action moves to the Philippines, although the beach is in reality that of Lloret de Mar, Girona. The coves at Sa Boadella and Treumal were employed.
For the prison scene at the end, where we see brother Sam writing postcards, they once again used the Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau.
During the credits we find Nathan and Sully in a bar in Havana, in reality Barcelona in the Mescladís del Pou, Calle Carders, 35, setting the scene for the follow up movie.
Asteroid City (2022)
This Wes Anderson film was shot from August to October 2021 between Chinchón and Colmenar Oreja (Madrid), where a western-type set and a train station were built.
Both towns also lent their theatres for the production, and a garlic warehouse also spiced up the affair.
The golf course at Aranjuez was used for filming on September 6th.
200 local people were contracted as extras and the Chinchón Parador was sealed off for mere mortals until December 1st.
Stars such as Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Steve Carell are in it.
Operation Mincemeat (2022)
Colin Firth stars in a remake of ‘The Man who Never Was’, which also had scenes shot in Spain, at the beach and cemetery where the corpse was washed up and buried respectively in Huelva.
However, the new version was filmed in Málaga, largely because of its busy, international airport, much to the displeasure of the people of Huelva.
The local film office informs that the locations are Málaga Town Hall, Gardens de Puerta Oscura and the San Miguel cemetery.
At the end we see the real grave of the body used, in Huelva cemetery, as we do in The Man who Never Was.
The Man from Rome (2022)
Set in Sevilla and Rome, a computer hacker meets a ghostly 17th century church (or something like that).
After the credits we see an aerial shot encompassing the Guadalquivir river and the bullring.
The action in Sevilla was filmed in Plaza de San Francisco, including the Town Hall, and around Plaza Nueva. The Town Hall represents the Archbishop’s palace, which Father Quart, a gun-toting far from chaste priest visits. Both the Sala del Apeadero and the Sala Capitular Baja were used.
The historic town of Carmona also appears; the Church of the Virgen de las Lágrimas, so important in the film, is in reality the 16th century Convento de la Concepción, now empty. We can see a cloister through a door at times, and at the end in an aerial view, showing us that this is a convent rather than a simple church.
The Palacio de la Motilla in calle Cuna is the home of the Bruner family. This palace will probably become a hotel in the near future.
Not all is monuments, Sevilla’s river, the Guadalquivir also features considerably, as do its bridges, Cristo de la Expiración and Triana and the Muelle (dock) de la Sal.
There are also scenes in the riverside Restaurante Abades Triana, with its views of Sevilla’s emblematic Torre de Oro. Here Quart has lunch with Macarena Bruner. When Father Ferro is kidnapped, he is held on a riverboat, and we see the well-known Luna de Triana.
Shooting also took place in Paseo de Colón, Plaza de Toros, calle Betis, Hotel Renacimiento de la Cartuja, where Quart stays and is attacked, and calle Parras.
Yet another film based on a novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte, with performances by the actor who played Conan as a boy, Jorge Sanz.
Simón Andreu plays the President of the bank that is the focus of evil in the film.
Marlowe (2022)
Philip Marlowe is not a new subject for a film, and Liam Neeson is not a newcomer to filming in Spain, but shooting Marlowe is Manresa, in the province of Barcelona is an original idea.
Accompanied by Colm Meaney and some period cars and costumes, in November 2021 the actor was to be seen filming in calle Jaume I in the Bar Restaurante Miami, which was converted into Schmidt’s Liquors in faraway Los Angeles.
In this scene they discuss the brutal murder of Peterson’s sister.
Marlowe’s first encounter with the sister takes place in the vaults of a cemetery. The real cemetery is the Cementirio de les Corts in Barcelona, and the vaults are the Panteón de los Repatriados, containing the remains of over 700 Catalan soldier killed in the wars in Cuba and the Philippines.
In Sant Cugat, in the district known as la Floresta, a house on the carretera de Vallvidrera became Laurel Road 2900.
The house of Marlowe’s rich client was none other than the iconic gardens with columns of La Gavina hotel at S’Agarò, Girona, used in films such as Nicholas and Alexandra.
The hotel and its private grounds, where only the owner’s family and film-makers are allowed, is in fact a multiple location.
When Marlowe follows Clare to her meeting with the Ambassador, he walks through the hotel lobby, where the bell-boy is asleep at Reception.
Filming also took place at Capellades, Alella, Garraf, Sant Pere de Ribes, Sitges, Blanes and Terrassa, where a building belonging to the Federación Empresarial Comarcal de Terrassa was used.
Renko (2022)
Javier Bardem’s brother Carlos stars in this thriller about a Spanish secret agent and an American bounty hunter
At Valdemanco, Madrid, we can find Daryl’s house, and some roads to Di Lorenzo adventure park, which includes scenes shot at Aranjuez, and the park bar, filmed at San Martín de Valdeiglesias, while in Segovia we encounter the Airsoft Camp and battlefield of the park.
The Covenant (2022)
Filming for this Guy Ritchie movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal began in December 2021, when the production team set up in the car park of the Petrer Football Club, Alicante.
It is supposedly a true story of an Afghan interpreter who saves an American soldier, who then returns to Afghanistan to save him in turn.
Filming took place in the village of Sax, where the houses leading up to its spectacular castle served as typical Afghan dwellings. Scenes were shot in the Camino del Coso.
After Sax the film moved on to Novelda, to areas known as Paraje Natural Clots de la Sal and Serra de la Mola, where two scenes were shot. The first consisted of a Taliban ambush of an American convoy, and in the second the Taliban search a vehicle, and in the following gunfight two bodies are thrown into a river, which was in fact the Vinalopó.
The area was chosen because one of the production team, holidaying in Altea, visited the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena in Novelda and noticed how the countryside was similar to Afghanistan.
The final action scenes around a dam and reservoir were filmed at the Amadorio reservoir, which provides water to Villajoyosa.
The airport scenes were shot at Zaragoza’s Garrapinillos airport, with some magical mountains added using CGI.
Hustle (2022)
Adam Sandler returned to Mallorca, (he filmed scenes from Jack and Jill there with Al Pacino) for a story about a basketball scout who hopes he’s found a new star in Spain, although most of the film takes place in Philadelphia.
The scene where Sandler discovers Bo playing basketball in a rough neighbourhood was shot at El Rafal, while the more professional players played in the Son Moix Polideportivo.
The flat where Bo and his family live can be found at Nou Llevant.
At the beginning Sandler visits various countries looking for his star, among them Russia, where the artificial snow was in fact created at Pollença.
The scene where Sandler is offered a job at a hotel with a pool was filmed at Sa Fortalesa.
The Mother (2022)
Jennifer Lopez and Joseph Fiennes star in a film interrupted by the pandemic, where Gran Canaria represents Cuba.
Shooting took place there around Plaza Cairasco, Alameda de Colón, Gabinete Literario (a cultural centre from whose balcony Lopez and Fiennes look out and chat in happier times) and Hotel Madrid.
El Salobre, Berriel airfield, plaza de Santa Ana, Casa de Colón, La Isleta, Calle Guzmán El Bueno, the districts of San Cristóbal, La Isleta and San Juan de Las Palmas with its defensive battery, Calles Malteses and Bravo Murillo all feature.
The motorbike and stolen car chase scene took place around San Cristóbal, San Telmo park with its iconic bandstand and calle Canalejas, as well as Fataga and Meloneras.
60 kilometres from the capital, at San Bartolomé de Tirajana, a luxurious villa called Monte Léon, was employed as Hector’s house, which Lopez trashes in rescuing Zoe.
And 11 kilometres away, the Marquesa Garden at Aruca, with its 2,500 species of plants from 5 continents, offered a touch of exotica, while a gulley at Artenara offers us a view of palm trees in another scene.
A Man of Action (2022)
A Spanish film, about an anarchist, Lucio Urtubia, with characters speaking English and Spanish. Most of the English is spoken by and with the man from the American bank, Mister Barrow.
Early on we see some scenes shot at Lucio’s hometown of Cascante in Navarra, especially the arcaded staircase leading up to the 17th century church and park of Romero.
Scenes were shot in Vigo in Pontevedra province, with filming in Praza de Compostela and García Barbón. The Casa da Cultura Galega became a bank that Lucio robs.
Vigo’s port also features, as does the old barracks of the Civil Guard, as well as Plaza Estrela, the Xunta building and the pedestrian area of O Calvario and a café terrace between Rúa Montero Ríos and Rúa de Concepción Arenal.
Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña appears too, including Calle das Ameas, Praza do Obradoiro, Praza de Salvador Parga, Calle de San Francisco, Calle de Santo Agostiño and Alameda Park.
From 1 to 15 October del 2021, filming took place in Tarragona, using the Complex Educatiu, the Banco de España and the old provincial prison, located in Avenida L’Argentina.
The film was actually set in Paris, which is recognisable in the scenes where the Eiffel Tower appears.
Who Killed Che Guevara (2022)
The title speaks for itself. Figueras (Girona) was among the locations.
Planet of the Astronauts (2022)
A spoof movie (I think) about astronauts returning to a devastated Earth, post-Covid.
Among the locations they visit, searching for a remedy, is Barcelona, where we see two lovers kissing in front of the famous fountain in the Ciutadella park.
It’s supposed to be Marseille, but the first image is of Columbus’s statue and then then walk through the Port Vell marina, where the Mare Magnum sign is clearly visible.
Dead Man, Don’t Die (2022)
German director (and actor here) Dirk Roche filmed most of this at the Fort Bravo township in Tabernas, Almería.
With a Budget of only 41,000 euros, the movie was shot in 18 days, with a six month interruption due to the Covid crisis.
Awakening: A Mermaid’s Tale (2023)
Another Yolanda Torres film from the afilm school, dealing with mermaids and Atlantis, with shooting in Sitges, Barcelona, where the school is located.
What About Love (2023)
Starring Sharon Stone and Andy García, and with a load of Spanish actors too, the film was made in the USA, Rumania and Catalonia in October 2012.
The locations include Barcelona, (especially the Ciutadella park, where the steps leading up to Neptune’s statue play an important part in the romance) Canet de Mar, Montserrat and Tossa de Mar (Girona), made famous in the 50s when Ava Gardner filmed ‘Pandora and the Flying Dutchman’ there.
Some images were also shot in Begur, Castelldefells, Gavà, El Prat de Llobregat, Jardines de Santa Clotilde in Lloret de Mar, Pals and Sitges.
Directed by Klaus Menzel, it is the story of an American Senator’s daughter who falls in love with a cinema director in Barcelona, with whom she sets off on their own road movie.
Lucas (2023)
Juan Pedro Ortega directs a film about a serial killer with footage from his native Barcelona.
Fyre Rises (2023)
A reluctant ex-mercenary is forced to return to his old ways.
Writer-Director Paul Knight informed us: “We shot in Lanzarote, in Puerto Del Carmen in early September 2022 – in and around the local town”.
American Star (2023)
Spanish director Gonzalo López-Gallego filmed this film set in Fuerteventura in Fuerteventura.
A professional assassin goes there to fulfil a contract and has to take time off due to a delay.
His hotel was the Riu Palace Tres Islas, Avenida Grandes Playas, Corralejo.
As American Star was a ship, wrecked at Playa de Garcey on Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands on 18 January 1994, we can expect it to play a part, although in reality it has since sunk and become an artificial reef.
Catching Dust (2023)
Four weeks of filming at Puerto del Rosario, Antigua and La Oliva on the island of Fuerteventura produced a story of white trailer trash in the desert as two couples work out their differences.
Fuerteventura performs credibly as Texas.
Uncancelled (2023)
It started with a wedding between Australian film maker Luke Eve and his bride María Armiñana, which was cancelled due to COVID 19.
Trapped in Valencia, they decided to make a documentary out of their experience, although it later became this feature film, a mixture of truth and fiction with some professional actors.
Their prison was Valencia, and among the locations were El Palmar, a village famous for its multiple paella restaurants, the Sueca rice fields and the Malvarrosa beach, where Sorolla used to paint and Hemingway used to imbibe.
Journey to Bethlehem (2023)
Antonio Banderas leads the cast of a musical version of the birth of Christ.
Near the beginning the movie makers favourite beach, Monsúl, Almería appears as the Three Wise Men begin their journey to find the Messiah.
All the travels through the Holy Land take place along the ramblas of the Tabernas desert, whilr Ridley Scott’s set from Exodus at El Chorrillo, in the Sierra de Alhamilla was brought out of retirement to serve as Nazareth and Bethlehem too.
Banderas plays Herod, and his lair is the often used castle of Santa Bárbara, Alicante, where filming took place in February 2023.
Bird Box Barcelona (2023)
As Woody Allen basically makes the same film in different cities, so this version of Sandra Bullock’s California Bird Box takes the franchise to Barcelona, in a film made in Spanish and English, depending on who is speaking to whom.
In the opening scene Sebastián and his daughter Anna go skating at a sports centre, which is located in Granollers. Three nasty blindmen attack them in the Antigua Fábrica Mercedes-Benz (calle Sant Adrià, 65). As they emerge outside the CGI shifts into top gear (at least I hope it’s CGI) and we see Eixample, completely wrecked.
Scenes of destruction ensue, including people hanging from a bridge at Baró de Viver. We also see plaza Cataluña and the Barceloneta beach, where a cruise ship is sinking and bodies abound.
Sebastián and Anna wander around an industrial estate, which is Carretera del Mig, Hospitalet.
The ensuing bus depot scene was also filmed in the antigua fábrica Mercedes-Benz.
In a flashback we see some wind turbines, which are at Falgars del Bas, Girona.
Sebastián’s office is in the Torre Pujades, calle Provençals. Out in the same street, a man crashes to the ground.
He seeks refuge in the underground, the station being Selva de Mar, but the suicide bug is spreading.
Sebastián seeks his daughter at her school, the Casa de la Convalecencia in calle Sant Antoni M.ª Claret, 17. The chapel is in La Salle Bonanova (Paseo Bonanova, 8).
Sebastián looks down from a building and sees Palacio de la Virreina, and an obelisk in the Diagonal.
With Claire Rafa and Octavio he goes to a refuge (Torre del Reloj, Plaza de la Vila de Gracia)
They meet Sophia and we see an aerial view with Torre Mapfre, hotel Arts and the Tibidabo church.
After a lot of hiding, from a building they observe a church, which is the dome of the Basílica de la Mercè.
On Monjuic mountain Claire and Sophia take the cable car and we see the Montjuic castle, where Bird Box Barcelona 2 is clearly being set up.
Spanish, German and English are all used in a film that is clearly aiming for an international market.
See You on Venus (2023)
This is a film with a message; and the message is that you can park your van anywhere in Spain, but especially, near or even under national monuments.
Mia and Kyle travel from California to Spain to find her birth mother. She has a list of candidates and criss-crosses the country checking out each of them.
First she visits Segovia, and quite naturally they leave the van unmolested beneath the Roman aqueduct, as one does.
As they check out the city we see the cathedral, a man painting next to a statue of Juan Bravo, (a 16th century leader of the Comuneros revolt, for which he was executed) and a long shot of the Alcazar castle.
They move on to Valencia, passing through the Plaza Redondo, which used to sell birds and now sells embroidery and tourist stuff.
After some serious criss-crossing we see them in San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, looking down on the Concha beach from Monte Igueldo.
Zooming back to Valencia, they eat strawberries beside the Central Market, pass quickly through Benidorm, Alicante, back to the province of Valencia at the Port Saplaya residential area, whose marina has earned it the title of Little Venice, and then back to Altea, near Benidorm, to play a bit of soccer with some kids in the Plaza de la Iglesia, with its church, the Virgen del Consuelo.
At a romantic beachside restaurant with a little island just off the coast, Kyle discovers the relationship between Mia and Noah and gets upset. The island is Portichol on the Costa Blanca, and the restaurant in Cala Portichol is Cala Clemence.
Just writing about this is getting exhausting! But we haven’t finished yet; it’s back to Valencia to visit the Plaza de la Virgen, with its cathedral, where Mia reveals her situation as regards her heart operation.
Undeterred by stress they shoot up to Consuegra, Toledo, driving past the castle and windmills, although the road is a dead end in reality.
Sensibly, they then end up in the city of Toledo, with views of the Alcazar, and spend a night in the city’s Parador, with its view of the River Tajo.
Then its off to Cuenca, for a chance to drive past the famous Hanging Houses, and to find her Mum.
Mission accomplished they slip into La Granja Palace of San Idelfonso and of course are able to park among the fountains and gardens at night with no other tourists present, as is usually the case.
And of course, thanks to the excellent Spanish health service, the operation is a success.
Agent of Solitude (2023)
A CIA agent pursues a terrorist across Europe, including Barcelona.
Fast X (2023)
With Vin Diesel and Jason Statham in the lead roles you might expect some fisticuffs and horseless carriages, and you’d be right.
Although mostly shot in Portugal and Italy, the final scene takes place at the Aldeadávila dam in Salamanca province; the same dam that appears in Doctor Zhivago and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Ibiza Dark (2024)
A young man called Tarquin, getting away from drugs and London, discovers sun, scenery and music in Ibiza, including a shot of the magical island of Es Vedra.
Venom 3 (2024)
Another Marvel superhero bites the dust of Almería. Local expert and author José Enrique Martinez informed us that filming was taking place in Rambla El Búho and Las Lomillas, and that star Tom Hardy was training at the Dayron gym in Huércal.
Another key location was Cartagena, Murcia. Sets were built in the Los Mateos district of the city, representing Mexico.
Another location was the Calblanque nature reserve, to the east of the city.
Filming also took place in the newly reopened Ciudad de la Luz studios in Alicante province.
In Huesca province the Gállego river was the protagonist for some white water scenes shot around Mallos de Riglos and Murillo de Gállego between 5th and 7th March 2024.
The Assessment (2024)
Filming took place in Tenerife in August 2023 at Abades in the district of Arico. Who knows if they took advantage of the abandoned leper sanatorium there, possibly for the scenes where Mia visits the Old World.
It wouldn’t be surprising, as this dystopian film deals with the abandonment of the planet due to climate change.
When Mia visits Virginia in her flat to confront her, they are at apartments Los Brillantes, in Radazul, a block that backs onto a sheer cliff.
Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen star in a film directed by Fleur Fortuné. Not much gender diversity there!
Den of Thieves 2 (2024)
Gerard Butler stars in a thriller set in Marseilles but filmed largely in Tenerife. Evin Ahmad, who answered the question who is Erin Carter? co-stars after making the eponymous series in Barcelona.
Filming in the island capital Santa Cruz involved making some changes. The World Diamond Centre was located in calle del Castillo and a police booth materialised on the corner of calles Teobaldo Power and Imeldo Serís.
The tunnel in Avenida Tres de Mayo features, as does the Los Campanitos road. This long and winding clifftop road was used for the car chase scene, where Butler is finally saved by the Sicilians.
After his first trip to the vault, Butler stops outside a church and then enters to contemplate. The church is that of San Francisco de Asis in Santa Cruz.
A bar called La Capilla in calle Salamanca, became a French bar called La Chapelle.
A restaurant called Tito’s Bodeguita in Puerto de la Cruz was used for a night time shoot.
Some scenes were shot at the port and the nearby beach, Las Teresitas, was used when Butler and Jackson emerge fully clothed from the water, having been tossed overboard by the Sicilians.
In the north of the island, the municipality of El Tanque also saw action, as did Los Rodeos airport.
Gran Canaria island also features.
Daniela Forever (2024)
Henry Golding plays a man trying to contact his dead girlfriend through dream therapy.
Locations include El Retiro park in Madrid, and its Palacio de Cristál.
Killing Rainbow (2024)
Not just Rainbow but a whole plethora of people being whacked. Fortunately most of them deserve it.
Some scenes were filmed Marbella, Malaga, where a hitman meets Ruby, and Tenerife, where a hotel supposedly in Florida appears.
The Path Less Travelled (2024)
Shiloh travels to Barcelona in search of treasure, with a dead wife, a grandfather’s story and nothing to lose.
Once Upon a Time in Spain (2024)
This comedy involving some zany characters takes us to various Spanish locations (hence the title) including the castle of Gibralfaro in Málaga and the deserted beaches of the Canary Island of Fuerteventura.
In Torremolinos, Málaga the action takes place at the adults only Hotel Sirenos, where Cindy practises her singing on the roof, combined with the castle and local beaches. The tourist shops are also located there.
Cindy and Joey visit the Gibralfaro castle, from which they look down at the bullring, which he calls the Colosseum. She agrees that everything here is ancient!
Argylle (2024)
Truth may be stranger than fiction, but sometimes it’s the same thing.
This thriller starring Henry Cavill includes some scenes shot in Tenerife.
Vanilla (2024)
A gay couple try to shore up their rocky relationship with a trip to Barcelona, but a third party complicates matters.
Run Baby Run (2024)
Not many international films have been made in Teruel province, but this thriller helps balance things out a bit, with most of its locations being there.
The production team set up camp in Alcalá de la Selva, and used various nearby locations such as the quarry at Villafranca del Campo, where some car chase scenes were shot, where Diana reunites with Hermes in the final scene of the film.
In Alcalá de la Selva Diana visits a Witch’s house both as a child and as an adult with her father, and some fishermen are seen fishing at night.
At Villarluengo there is a scene at a bridge, when Dark throws Diana into the river.
At Cedrillas we see a Witch’s house, Diana meets Gerald, Gerald picks up Diana on the road, there is a dog fight, Diana meets Gerald at a picnic area, Diana keeps running and Hermes (the dog) finds Diana.
At Valdelinares Diana arrives at the car park, meets Hermes, Dark chases Diana and Gerald arrives at the car park.
At Rubielos de Mora (at the Balagueras Reservoir) Diana wakes up in the canoe, Dark attacks her, but she escapes.
At Bezas Diana climbs and falls, then wakes up after the fall.
At Mora de Rubielos: Road at dawn (Diana drives to the car park at dawn.
Filming also took place at the director’s native Sabadell, Barcelona, where Diana is scene driving out of the city at dawn.
Thanks to Carol Garrido of Esdemangofilms for all of this information.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
While on a rampage, Godzilla trashes the Colosseum in Rome, a French nuclear plant and then Cádiz, where we briefly see locals fleeing past the Gran Teatro Falla in Plaza Fragela.
The Penguin Lessons (2024)
An English teacher has a relationship with a penguin in Buenos Aires, although it was actually filmed in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Filming took place in Calle Perojo, whose shops were transformed into Argentinian establishments.
In the north west corner of the island, filming took place at Santa María de Guía.
Steve Coogan plays the teacher, who finds a polluted penguin on holiday in Uruguay. In reality, the beach in question was that of Comaruga in the province of Tarragona.
Damsel (2024)
Although filmed mostly in Portugal, Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo wanted to pay homage to the series Curro Jimenez by filming the opening scene in the mountains of Málaga, when a group of knights ride to face a dragon.
Raqa (2024)
Spanish director Gerardo Herrero made this film about the Syrian city of Raqa under control of ISIS in Spanish, Arabic and English using locations in Navarra.
Malika, the heroine from Ceuta works in a hospital in Raqa, which is in fact the old Santo Hospital in Tafalla.
At the end, when Haibala flees the city and is stopped by the Kurds, his route takes him through the desert scenery of the Bardenas Reales.
The city of Pamplona also features, as do the airport of Noain and the Hotel Alma at Calle Beloso Bajo, 11.
The Room Next Door (2025)
Pedro Almodovar finally makes a full length English language film with the help of Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.
Filming took place in the US and in Madrid. A modern house called Casa Szoke, located on the southern slope of Monte Abantos at San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, was used for many scenes. The house was built in 2020 by the architects María José Aranguren López and José González Gallegos.
Filming also took place in the old army barracks, Cuartel de Sementales in Alcalá de Henares, where they shot a flashback of the war in Iraq. The barracks was originally a convent, Convento de Mercedarios Descalzos de la Visitación de Nuestra Señora.
On our visit in October 2025 it was clear that it was about to disappear and be converted into flats.
In the province of Guadalajara, Almodovar spent 17 days in March 2024 shooting in the village of El Cubillo de Uceda. A house was built between the town and Viñuelas, and later burnt unfortunately. Another cinema tourism attraction gone up in smoke.
In the Grey (2025)
Henry Cavill and Rosamund Pike star, along with Javier Bardem’s brother Carlos, with filming in Tenerife. One of the locations was Tenerife’s Casino in plaza de La Candelaria.
Along the coast another location was San Andres, where a gulley known as Las Teresitas and the neighbourhood of Suculum were used.
The Island (2025)
Joaquin Phoenix and his real life partner Rooney Mara are to star in a film by Pawel Pawlikowski, which will include filming on Fuerteventura.
Divine Remedy (2025)
This Icelandic comedy tells the story of a group of priests who come to Spain in search of decent plonk.
Starting out in Reikiavik their quest takes them to Laguardia, Bodegas Altos de Rioja, Bodegas Valdelana, Bodegas Lecea, Muga in Haro, San Millán de la Cogolla, Ermita de los Arcos in Tricio and Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Arenzana de Abajo.
The Gentleman (2025)
Ron Perlman, whose brilliant, multi-linguist performance in The Name of the Rose really made the film, stars as an American gentleman out for revenge on the streets of San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa.
The film was made partially in English, as Perlman’s character, a retired US soldier, speaks little Spanish, being the debut of Mexican director Gabriel Beristain.
Salvi García of dypcomunicacion sent us a long list of locations: Palacio de Aiete, Calle Garibai, 14, Parque Alderdi-Eder, Plaza Lasta, Edificio Servicios local 4, Mari Kalea, Virgen del Coro church, Calle Moraza, 2, Larramendi Kalea, 14, Calle Jose Miguel de Barandiaran 28, Palacio de Miramar, all in the city of San Sebastian.
Perlman seeks revenge on three corrupt lawyers and we see him all around the old port area of San Sebastian.
He stalks the second victim outside the San Sebastian court, before killing him in the Jai Alai (a Basque sport similar to Squash, but different).
The third victim he finds in nearby San Juan (Pasaia Donibane), finally killing him in the San Juan Bautista church.
They also shot in Usurbil, Irún, Atotxa Hernani and Errenteria.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
The world according to Marvel adds another saga of tormented heroes and villains to our screens.
In Oviedo, Asturias, the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos, aka El Calatrava (the architect who designed it), became the United Nations for this film.
The hall of this sci-fi building appears in the film’s trailer as a journalist asks Pedro Pascual if they are safe, a scene filmed in November 2024.
Hot Milk (2025)
A mother seeks a cure for her illness and ends up in Almería with her daughter, where she hopes a doctor can cure her.
The Beast (2025)
It’s not the beauty and…. and it’s not science fiction; the beast in question is the nickname given to the US president’s car, as occupied on this occasion by Samuel L Jackson in a thriller about terrorists.
Filming took place at the Infelcar Studios on Gran Canaria in November 2024. In the same month, on the 14th and 15th specifically, the Plaza Mayor of Brunete, Madrid, was the scene of nighttime explosions. Fortunately, the neighbours were warned in advance.
Journey to You (2025)
Following the success of The Way, the Camino de Santiago is once more the subject of a film.
In February 2025 shooting began in Compostela, in the Plaza del Obradoiro, Casa del Deán, rúa do Vilar and the cloister of Hospedería de San Martín Pinario.
The shooting then continued at the end of the Camino at Fisterra, with its emblematic lighthouse.
Filming also took place at Buitrado de Lozoya, Madrid and El Espinar, Segovia.
Erin Chahill and Erik Valdez star and Terry Ingram directs.
The Woods Encounters: The Movie (2025)
Martin Nuza produced and played a role in this World War II drama.
It started as a short, and the forest scenes were shot in
Grazalema, Cádiz in 2019.
The feature film also included scenes shot in the same province at Barbate and at Jimena in Jaén province in 2023.
Martin explained that the Tajo de Ronda (Málaga) and a few villas in the surrounding area were used.
People We Meet on Vacation (2025)
The film version of this popular book included shooting in the Maresme area of Barcelona province.
Albert Roca of the Maresme Film Commission informed us that the producers were looking for a Tuscan chemist’s, and so logically they loved the Farmacia Spa in Plaza Santa Maria, Mataró.
In Barcelona they filmed for 11 days in Sant Martí, el parque y la Llacuna del Poblenou, L’Eixample and Sants-Montjuïc.
Deep Water (2025)
Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsly star in a thriller involving sharks and a plane crash.
Although mostly shot in New Zealand, the film also used the installations of the Infecar complex on Gran Canaria.
The Map that Leads to You (2025)
Thank God the map leads somewhere, as the sense of geography of whoever made this film leads us up the garden path, geographically speaking.
The three American girls begin their journey running to catch a train, but when they arrive at their destination, it seems they saved on expenses by using the same station for departure and arrival, La Franca in Barcelona.
They do the obligatory visit to the Sagrada Familia cathedral and then go shopping in the Boqueria market, until Heather and Jack end up spending the night in the cable car above the port of Barcelona.
After resolving a robbery, they hire a car and drive to Cadaques, Girona,
and then zoom back to Barcelona, where we see them walking through Plaza la Mercé.
After another Gaudí visit, to the roof of La Pedrera, they are off to Bilbao, Vizcaya, to theoretically take a plane back to the US, driving past the magical mountain range of Montserrat as they do so.
After a brief visit to Bilbao airport, resplendent with the space age architecture of Santiago Calatrava, they pop off to San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, to stroll along the famous Concha beach.
Suddenly they are back in Bilbao visiting the Guggenheim Museum, and then back to the future in San Sebastián, dreaming by the Peine del Viento statue.
A quick visit to run with the bulls at the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, Navarra, and finally they are separated, only to be reunited in Santa Pau, Girona, for the inevitable happy ending….although I think they were supposed to be in Portugal!
To Barcelona, with Love (2025)
Literature and romance with Barcelona as a background as two women deal with their books and their men.
To Barcelona, Forever (2025)
The story continues after ‘To Barcelona, with Love’, with the same characters exploiting typical Hollywood romantic ‘misunderstandings’.
Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral plays a role and Bilbao, Vizcaya also features.
Signs of Life (2025)
A traumatic mute and a frustrated, divorced father meet up and make a connection while on holiday on Lanzarote.
Code Red: Spain (2025)
A thriller about gangs and marriage with lots of shooting, as well as some filming in Málaga, where Ronda’s spectacular bridge and gorge stand out, and Barcelona.
My Fault: London (2025)
A woman marries a wealthy Brit and drags her daughter from Florida to London.
Her new step brother becomes a romantic item and they take a holiday on Ibiza.
However, filming didn’t take place in Florida or Ibiza, both of which were represented by Tenerife.
Mare’s Nest (2025)
A mare’s nest is a false discovery, and in this film we discover children who have escaped from the world of adults.
Part of the filming took place in Menorca, whose locations included the stone maze at the quarry of Lithica, and at the coves of Calescoves and Mongofra.
The desert of Monegros, located between the provinces of Huesca and Zaragoza, also appears.
Dead Souls (2025)
Based on Gogol’s book of the same name, Alex Cox returns to Almería for a western about a man collecting dead Mexicans for mysterious purposes.
Filming lasted only four days and took place at the Mini Hollywood western township and among the ruins of the Condor castle, built for the film El Condor. Here graves were planted for a final scene.
Filming also took place in unauthentic Arizona.
Day Drinker (2026)
Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz are to star in a film about a bartender on a cruise liner. Tom Cruise is not expected to mix cocktails this time.
In April 2025 they were to be found on the island of Tenerife. Shooting took place at the carretera de las Raíces, a popular hiking path in the north east of the island, where the crew used to cistern trucks to water the pines.
The streets of the capital, Santa Cruz, were decorated to represent the streets of Zurich.
Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, a must for sci-fi architectural locations, designed the concert hall where filming took place. Built between 1997 and 2003, the Auditorio de Tenerife “Adán Martín” is located in the port area of the island’s capital, Santa Cruz, evoking the Sydney Opera House.
At the beginning of May 2025 filming took place at Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, in the installations of Pendennis Marina.
In May they continued filming in Madrid. In La Latina neighbourhood they shot scenes in Posada del Nuncio in calle del Nuncio, a street consisting of steps, and in Calle Huertas.
The End of It (2026)
Filming of this science fiction feature about eternal life took place on Tenerife.
The Mummy (2026)
Filming of this variation on an old story took place in Almería, returning to Spielberg’s location for Indiana Jones, the ‘Escuela de Artes.’
Other locations include the Pescadería neighbourhood, calle de la Reina and plazas Muñoz and Pavía, as well as the Sierra Alhamilla.
Rosebush Pruning (2026)
Pamela Anderson is among the stars shooting at Castellterçol, in the Moianès region of Barcelona, where a mansion in 20,000 square metres of land is being used, as is the iconic beach, Platja d’Aro, in Girona.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026)
The latest in the saga was filmed in Asturias in the summer of 2025.
Filming took place around the lakes of Somiedo and the Montegrande beech forest at Teverga.
In the province of León, the filming took place among the 57,000 hectares of the Parque Natural Valles de Babia y Luna. It was here that they found the wooded scenery they were looking for in the Piedrafita de Babia pine forest.
For this part of the saga international actors Glenn Close and Ralph Fiennes have signed up.
For accommodation director, Francis Lawrence, producer, Nina Jacobsen and three other crew stayed at Caunedo, specifically at Villa Caunedo, a rural complex run by Miguel Palacio Hurle and Mónica Lorences Lomas, who live part of the year in London and therefore speak English.
The Night House (2026)
A horror story that has had a few outings already is retold in a version starring Aaron Paul from ‘Breaking Bad’ with filming taking place in Álava.
For a story about school children disappearing into telephones, it’s only logical to use a school, and the one they chose was Ikastola Olabide, Lasarte errepidea, Carretera de Lasarte, 101.
A private clinic called Ubarmin, located in Valle de Egüés, was also employed.
Filming is also taking place in Getxo and Orduña in Vizcaya province.
Above and Below (2026)
Antonio Banderas is among the cast of a thriller which is largely shot at sea, specifically off the southern coast of Gran Canaria at the Puerto Rico beach at Mogan.
For onshore scenes, the Hotel Marina Suites provided the scenery and the accommodation.
Belle Isle (2026)
Jo Ann Arkin’s first feature film takes place in an imaginary French island, with dialogues in English and some French.
Miami Platja and the port of L’Hospitalet (Tarragona) are among the locations where shooting took place in September 2025.
A pergola by the beach at Punta del Riu is the location for a scene with a live concert and dancing.
The story concerns a book editor from New York who travels to France in search of a clairvoyant.
Barcelona also appears.
Just Play Dead (2026)
Samuel L Jackson gives up pulp fiction in order to tell the tale of a gangster planning his own death in an insurance scam.
Filming took place in September 2025 at the southern end of Gran Canaria.
The Last Druid (2026)
In what sounds suspiciously like Braveheart, Russell Crowe defends his Celtic people against the Romans.
The Last Sunrise (2026)
A young woman with health problems finds romance in Mallorca (playing itself), with scenes shot at Es Baluard Museu d’Art Contemporani, Santa Catalina, Sa Fortalesa (Pollença) and Palma.
F.A.S.T (2027)
The writer of Yellowstone is back with a film starring Ben Richardson, effortlessly converting Murcia into Budapest.
The focus of much of the filming was in the historic centre, and the local airport gets a look in too in this spy thriller. It is here and in the skies above the village of Abanilla that some helicopter scenes were shot.
Calles Trapería, Escultor Nicolás Barrionuevo, Escultor Nicolás Salzillo, Prieto, Azucaque, González Adalid, Polo de Medina, Marín Baldo, Arquitecto Pedro Cerdá, Radio Murcia, Oliver, Cubos, Fuensanta, San Patricio and Frenería were all shut down for filming, as were plazas Hernández Amores, Fontes, Cardenal Belluga, Apóstoles and Glorieta de España, as well as La Fica Trade Fair.
TV Series Made in Spain
1 Game of Thrones
Filming in Spain of Game of Thrones took place from season 5 onwards.
In Game of Thrones, the Alcazaba of Almería represented the castle of Sunspear, the capital of Dorne, kingdom of the Martell family. Some benches created for the series can still be seen there.
It is here that Ellaria murders Doran Martell. Later in Season 6 episode 10, none other than Diana Rigg discusses avenging with Indira and her fighting females.
For the interiors however the Real Alcázar of Sevilla represented the Water Palace Gardens of ‘Dorne,’ where Ellaria and Doran Martell argue about revenge and where Jaime and Bronn go to rescue Myrcella in Season 5 episode 2.
Also in the province of Sevilla is the town of Osuna, whose bullring was the site of the Fighting Pit in Season 5, when Daenerys Targaryen fights the Sons of Harpy and rides her dragon.
Nearby at Santiponce are the ruins of Italica, a Roman city, the cradle of emperors such as Trajan and Hadrian, founded in 206 BC. The amphitheatre which had a capacity of 25,000 spectators is used as a backdrop for the ruins of the Dragon Well. It is here that Daenerys negotiates with Cersei, asking for her cooperation against the White Walkers in episode 9 of Season 5.
In Season 8, episode 6 it hosts one of the final scenes as the nobles judge Jon Snow and Tyrion.
Córdoba, and specifically its long Roman bridge, was used in Season 5, episode 3 to represent the city of Volantis, which Tyrion and Varys cross, although the bridge has been modified to include houses, like the famous bridge in Florence. In a later episode, Theon and Yara cross the bridge to take refuge in the city.
In Season 5, episode 1, Cersei arrives for her father’s funeral and climbs the steps to Girona’s CGI modified cathedral. The same steps are seen in the wedding between Tommen and Margaery in episode 3.
In episode 6 of Season 6, Jaime Lannister rides up the same steps to confront the High Sparrow, only to be let down by King Tommen.
In episode 1 of Season 6 we find blinded Arya Stark begging by the gardens behind the cathedral in calle Obispo Josep Cartañà.
The cathedral nave is the Great Sept of Baelor, while the old library that Sam visits in Season 6 episode 10 is in the monastery of San Pedro de Galligans, where we see him in Season 7 episode 1 serving his apprenticeship.
The play that Arya watches, and which we see on more than one occasion, took place in Plaça dels Jurats.
Later in Season 7 Arya Stark walks through Braavos market looking for a way to abandon Braavos. The market was located in the Paseo Arqueológico of Girona and in calle del Rey Fernando el Católico, in front of the entrance to the Baños Árabes.
Arya will revisit the Baths, built in 1194, when she is chased there in Season 6 episode 8 by the Waif and upsets fruit sellers tumbling down the steps of Sant Domènec.
In the province of Guadalajara, the abandoned castle of Zafra was employed to represent The Tower of Joy in the Red Mountains of Dorne. It his here that Bran and the Three Eyed Raven watch Bran’s father Lord Eddard Stark fighting Sir Arthur Dayne in episode 3 of Season 6. At first it’s 6 against 2, then 4 against 1, but a knife in the back balances the score. Later in episode 10, we see what happens when Eddard enters the castle.
The 12th century castle was built upon previous Visigoth and Moorish fortifications and guarded the border between Christian and Moorish forces.
Back in Almería, Mesa Roldán castle appeared in season 6, episode 9, representing Meereen. Here there is a meeting between the Masters and Daenerys and her allies, interrupted by a dragon perching on the castle and some throat slitting. We also see the quarries of Majadas Viejas (Sorbas) at the same time.
Driving up to the Sierra Alhamilla spa, below you to the right you see an avenue of palm trees and various abandoned buildings. The site began as a mining location and the sets were later constructed by Ridley Scott for Exodus. Later they would be employed in Game of Thrones as a Dothraki settlement, Vaes Dothrak. The series Penny Dreadful also used this location.
In episodes 1 and 3 they used the Rambla de Búho for the scenes with the Dothraki taking Daenerys to Vaes Dothrak, passing under the giant statues of two horses (courtesy of CGI of course). In episode 5 they leave the settlement, Daenerys having won their hearts.
The Dothraki also appear with Daenerys in the Bardenas Reales desert of Navarra, representing the Dothraki Sea in Season 6, episodes 1 and 6. At the end of episode 6 she speaks to the Dothraki on top of her dragon, inspiring them to follow her.
In the city of Cáceres itself, filming took place in Plaza de Santa María, Arco de la Estrella, Torre de Bujaco, Torre de los Púlpitos, Cuesta de la Compañía and the facade of Fundación Mercedes Calles and Carlos Ballestero, situated in Casa Palacio de los Becerra.. Scenes representing Euron Greyjoy’s victory parade in Season 7, episode 3 were shot here.
Nearby the scenery of Malpartida de Cáceres, Los Barruecos was used for the battle in which Daenerys defeats Jamie Lannister’s forces and then her dragon burns Randyll and his son Dickon from the House of Tarly.
The castle of Santa Florentina in Canet de Mar, Barcelona was used in the 6th season, episode 6 to represent Sam’s home, Horn Hill, although only for the interiors, especially the cloister.
Also in Season 6 the castle of Peñiscola, representing Meeren, is the scenario for the burning of the ships, with filming taking place at Plaza de Santa María, Portal Fosc, Rampa de Felipe II, Paso de Ronda and Parque de Artillería, as well as both the town’s beaches.
In episode 1 of Season 7 Daenerys arrives with her fleet at Dragonstone, although the church of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, just west of Bermeo, Vizcaya, is barely recognisable with so much CGI. In fact really only the 241 steps are authentic.
Along the coast is the flysch beach at Itzurun, Zumaia Gipuzkoa, where Jon Snow disembarks to meet Daenerys, although they immediately ascend the steps of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe from there.
In Vizcaya, Muriola beach was the scenario of a mission by Tyrion Bannister and Sir Davos, who come ashore there at what is supposedly Kings’ Landing.
Trujillo in the province of Cáceres was a location, representing Casterly Rock. While the Unsullied are capturing it, Jamie Lannister is at Almodovar del Rio, Córdoba, representing High Garden, sacking, looting and killing Diana Rigg in Season 7, episodes 3 and 4.
In episode 7 the Unsullied are lined up in front of Kings’ Landing (Trujillo Castle) where they are joined by the Dothraki.
2 House of the Dragon
In October 2021 filming took place in the main square, castle and church of San Francisco in Trujillo, Cáceres, where a dragon statue replaced the usual suspect, Pizarro.
In Cáceres filming took place in Cuesta de Aldana, and the Plaza de San Jorge (the fights between Sir Cristen Cole and Ser Arryk and between Aegon and Aemond take place there, although the church has been green-screened out and a fountain from the Patio de los Liones in Granada’s Alhambra incongruously built).
Santa María square was the main location for the scenes where Prince Daemon and his new, reformed Watch commit a massacre in episode 1.
Calle Amargura, Cuesta de Aldana and Adarve de Santa Ana also appear.
The leafy splendour of the Jardins de Santa Clotilde at Lloret de Mar, Girona was also used to represent the gardens of King’s Landing in episode 2. It is here that Lord Corlys discusses the dangers to the realm with Rhaenys Targaryen, the King’s cousin.
Later the King discusses marriage in the garden with his daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Dragonstone, the Targaryen castle appears, as it does in Game of Thrones, as a CGI disfigured San Juan de Gaztelugatxe chapel, Vizcaya, where Rhaenyra and her uncle Daemon face off with their dragons, disputing the ownership of an egg!
The name Gaztelugatxe means Rock Castle in the Basque language, which may have induced Francis Drake to sack it in 1593, an incident repeated the following year by the Huguenots of La Rochelle, who rather churlishly killed the caretaker.
The ancestral home of the Targaryen uses the iconic flysch beach of Itzurun in Zumaia, Gipuzkoa.
In episode 4, King of the Narrow Sea, Rhaenyra and Daemon see a street play, which takes place at the Casa del Sol, a 15th century building in Calle de la Monja, Cáceres.
In episode 5 the action moves to Lord Corlys’s castle, which is an interesting composite of Saint Michael’s Mount in Cornwall and the castle of Butrón in Viycaya. This medieval castle was completely restored in 1878, giving it its current Bavarian-inspired excesses.
In episode 6 we move to the castle of La Calahorra in Granada province, representing Pentos where Daemon and Laena Velaryon stay in episode 6. Curiously the castle is transported to some clifftops, faraway from its real inland location. The impressive cloister is used for a banquet, and Daemon’s library was built there as a set.
In 2020 the local council of La Calahorra erected a series of statues reflecting their long history as a cinema setting. One of these shows the famous Iron Throne. It is located on the path leading up to the castle.
In season 2 Trujillo features again for the funeral scene in episode 2. Here we can see Plazas San Mateo, Veletas, Santa María and San Jorge, as well as the Arco de la Estrella.
3 The Witcher
Filming took place in Gran Canaria of the highly successful TV series starring Henry Cavill, who had previously made The Cold Light of Day on the peninsular. Maspalomas, Cuevas Blancas, Tamadaba, Roque Nublo, Caldera de Tejeda, Fataga, Agaete and Guayedra, were all locations on Gran Canaria, while Garafía, Los Tilos, La Zarza, Cubo de Galga, El Paso and San Andrés y Sauces, were locations on La Palma island.
The dunes of Maspalomas represent a desert where Yennefer transports Queen Kalis and her child, trying to escape an assassin. The second transportation is to Roque Nublo, and the third to the forests of Caldera de Tejeda. Finally, Yennefer ends up alone on the beach at Guayedra.
The dry river bed of Fataga is the location along which Jaskier and Geralt travel and Jaskier sings ‘Toss a Coin to you Witcher’.
Garafia represents the location of the magicians’ academy Aretuza, situated in the series at Thanedd (Temeria). The rocks are real but the tower is a CGI creation.
Near Agaete we can find the beach of Guayedra, which is where the Brotherhood comes ashore on its way to the keep at Sodden Hill to confront the army of Nilfgaard.
Brokilon, the forest of death, is an amalgamation of three La Palma forests; Los Tilos, La Zarza and Cubo de la Galga. It is to here that Ciri flees from Cintra. When she drinks the liquid from the tree, she is transported to the dunes of Maspalomas.
At El Paso we find Los Llanos del Jable, which represent the Dragon Mountains, where the four teams go in search of a green dragon to kill. Llano de las Brujas, the viewpoint at Cumbrecita and Roque de los Muchachos, where the questers set up camp, were all used, although the dragon cave itself was situated in Hungary.
4 Black Mirror
Gran Canaria’s Caldera de Tejeda provided the final scene of the episode ‘Hated in the Nation’ from Season 3. At the end, like the end of Silence of the Lambs, we see the policewoman following the villain, without his bees to protect him, in what appears to be South America; or somewhere exotic.
Episode 1 of season 4 is a Star Trek spoof in which USS Callister lands on a planet which is in reality Lanzarote.
The Playa de Bermeja in Yaiza, with its black sand beaches and the red Montaña Bermeja were used, as was an abandoned quarry called Rofera de Teseguite at Teguise.
One of Spain’s most filmed petrol stations is the ‘Alfaro,’ on the Autovía A-92 Exit 376 – Tabernas. The restaurant next door, now closed, was used for the to represent the Black Museum in episode 6 of season 4. The museum, supposedly located in the Australian desert, was painted black for the occasion.
The interior however, was filmed in Málaga’s old Provincial Prison at Cruz de Humilladero, now closed and a location for various films.
In season 5, episode 2, Billy Bauer, the boss of Smithereen, is located, supposedly in Furnace Valley Utah, although his glass home retreat was in reality located in the province of Granada, at Gorafe.
The desert of Gorafe is not as well known as that of Almería, and perhaps for that reason has conserved its wildness.
We were lucky to be accompanied by local tourist entrepreneur and film enthusiast Miguel, who drove us around in his 4X4 (totally necessary to visit all the good spots) showing us the locations of films and series.
The Black Mirror house in fact has two locations, as the house has been moved to a different place since the filming and replaced with a similar glass house.
English speaking Miguel can be contacted via his web site: http://www.geoparkgranada.com/
For season 6 the Black Mirror team returned to Málaga. Episode 4, Mazey Day was filmed at Marbella, Estepona and an estate between Monda and Ojén, which represented the Cedarwood Retreat. San Pedro Alcántara and the Loasur studios in Coín were also employed.
The East Sunset Motel, where a paparazzi takes photos of an actor indulging in an illicit rendezvous, was in reality a restaurant called Venta José Carlos C/ Junta de los Caminos, Puerto de la Torre, and another restaurant, situated in the nearby mountains was Venta El Túnel. It is here, at the tunnel entrance, that Mazey Day has her car accident.
For episode 3, Beyond the Sea, about David, an astronaut played by Josh Hartnett, his space age house can be found in La Eliana, Valencia, at calle Dr. Moliner 21. It is currently called Casa Axis and belongs to an artist, Felipe Pantone.
The house is frequently used by film makers and publicists for its futuristic look, although it was actually built in the 70s.
5 Westworld
The film version of course starred Yul Brynner, who made many films in Spain, and the third season includes various Spanish locations.
The Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (CAC), in Valencia, which appeared in George Clooney’s Tomorrowland, plays the hi-tech HQ of the Delos corporation, where we see Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) landing by helicopter.
Architect Ricardo Bofill, who designed the park where the CAC is located, provided his house-studio at Sant Just Desvern (Barcelona), built in an abandoned cement factory. In the series it is Engerraund Serac’s HQ. It’s here that Maeve Millay, actress Thandie Newton, regains consciousness.
In another episode, The Winter Line, she comes to in an Italian town occupied by the Nazis during World War II, although it is in fact Besalú, (Girona), where part of The Perfume was shot. Plazas Llibertat and Prat de Sant Pere were employed, as was the town’s iconic 12th century bridge.
6 Silent Witness
When Silent Witness, a BBC series, took the action to Afghanistan in 2012, they took a short cut and filmed in Almería.
Rambla de Buho and Rambla Roja near Tabernas were used for some desert driving scenes, the airport was the well-known Alfaro petrol station by the A92 car park, while the tarmac road was on the way to the Sierra Alhamilla.
An Orange Grove was filmed at Cortijo Concejo. The main compound was at La Galera, north of Tabernas.
The Tenerife village of Güímar has been frequently used for the series, which began in 1996, representing a Mexican border town with the USA. Furthermore, an abandoned leper sanitorium further south at Abades has also been put to good use. Built in 1943, it was never used as such as the illness was brought under control. The Spanish army used it until 2000.
7 The Crown
In season 3 Princess Margaret’s happy days of refuge were filmed at the Playa de los Alemanes at Zahara de los Atunes, Cádiz, representing Mustique in the Caribbean.
Nearby, San Roque’s Sotogrande residential area was used for Margaret’s visit to the USA, specifically when she drives along a palm tree lined avenue, supposedly in Los Angeles.
The emblematic Hotel Alfonso XIII in Sevilla, which appears in Lawrence of Arabia, became California in the 60s for a visit by Princess Margaret, where a party is held in her honour.
Hacienda la Pañuela, near Jerez, Cádiz, is the ranch in Arizona owned by the Douglas family, Margaret’s hosts as she awaits a White House invitation from President Johnson.
The Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones of Torremolinos, Málaga, somehow transformed itself into San Francisco airport.
When the Duke of Edinburgh’s mother has to pawn jewels in Greece, she does so to help finance a convent, represented by the church of Santo Domingo in Jerez, where she is a nun. The streets of San Juan de Aznalfarache, Sevilla, also represent Greece.
The 18th century naval station of La Carraca at San Fernando is used for the scenes where she goes past soldiers who are holding a coup, on her way to the pawn shop. The same location would be used in season 4 episode 8 when Margaret Thatcher walks to the Queen’s yacht, supposedly at Nassau in The Bahamas, and again in episode 9 as Charles walks towards his Caribbean posting. On both the latter occasions we see the distinctive gate towards which they are walking.
The library of Cádiz university campus of Puerto Real appears when Queen Elizabeth arrives in Nassau for the Commonwealth meeting in episode 8.
The Crown was one of many to employ the desert of Almería, this time representing New South Wales during the visit there of Charles and Diana in season 4.
When Mark Thatcher gets lost during the Paris-Dakar rally, he is in fact more lost than you’d think, in the Finca Las Lomillas in the Tabernas desert.
What’s more, the famous red Ayer’s Rock was also filmed in Almería, with a little CGI magic, specifically in Rambla Búho, representing the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Even more magic converted the Auditorio Cortijo de Torres, Málaga into the Sydney Opera House!
A little less technology was used to construct the ranch in the same rambla, where Charles and Diana are reunited with their baby son William.
Unlike many sets, the ranch has been preserved, although transported to the Oasys western township.
The producers also managed to create an airport at El Toyo, in a car park next to the Hotel Barceló Cabo de Gata.
In episode 8 there is a flashback, when Princess Elizabeth gives a 21st birthday address to the Commonwealth from Cape Town. The scenes of her and her audiences were shot at Finca El Romeral, and the beaches of Genoveses and Mónsul.
In Málaga, Puerto Banús and a luxury villa at La Zagaleta appear, while the Palacio de Ferias of Torremolinos became an airport.
In the fourth season we see Charles and Diana in a parade from the Hotel AC Málaga Palacio, supposedly in Brisbane.
The Jardín Botánico represented Adelaide and the iron bridge at Cártama, seen briefly over the River Guadalhorce, was Darwin.
In the Cártama sports centre we witness a polo match and in the Gran Hotel Miramar the meeting with the Australian PM Bob Hawke in Canberra. The same hotel was used for scenes from the Commonwealth conference as Margaret Thatcher struggles over a draft document before finally settling on the word ‘signals’.
The Castañón de Mena military residence had three scenes; Diana’s meeting with swimmers at the pool, a hospital visit in Sidney and a staircase for a gala dinner, supposedly in Tasmania.
Sevilla was used again in season 5, this time to represent Egypt, when the whole Dodi business kicks in.
During a wedding in Alexandria, as Dodi’s birth is announced, the ceremony is celebrated in the Casa de Pilatos. The birth itself took place at Cádiz’s Hospital Mora.
The Plaza de América, and its Museo Arqueológico and Artes y Costumbres were used, as was the María Luisa park.
Charles and Diana try out a second honeymoon, including a trip to Capri, where the ruins they visit are in reality the Baelo Claudia Roman site, on the Bolonia beach near Tarifa, Cádiz.
In season 6 Lady Di dies, and her death in Paris actually takes place in Barcelona, specifically in plaça Francesc Macià.
Filming was supposed to take place in September 2022, with the Jardinets de Gràcia as the focal point, but was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Diana’s affair with Dodi Al-Fayed in Saint-Tropez, was actually filmed in Mallorca at a luxurious rental known as The Yellow Castle on a headland near Puerto de Andratx.
In real life Lady Di actually stayed there once, and one of the suites is now named after her.
In their efforts to avoid the paparazzi and get an ice cream, Di and Dodi skip through the streets of Palma, especially calles Sant Feliu and Costa de Can Santacilia, plaza Can Tagamanent and the seaside promenade, all representing Montecarlo.
Other scenes were filmed at the airfield of Son Bonet and on the island of Formentor.
8 Doctor Who
The sci-fi location of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia was used in 2017 for an episode of the legendary British series Doctor Who.
Since 1963 the time-travelling Doctor has changed identities 12 times, and was being played at the time by Peter Capaldi. In fact, the first episode was screened the day after President Kennedy’s assassination.
But Valencia was not feeling itself, as the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences complex represented Colony world Gliese 581 D, where, according to the BBC’s magazine Radio Times: “architect Santiago Calatrava…..created an opera house like a spaceship; an Imax cinema resembling a giant eye; a science museum that could be an aircraft hangar crossed with a whale skeleton; and the largest aquarium in Europe, with 45,000 living creatures of 500 different species”.
In 2019 filming also took place in Tenerife for the 12th season.
Filming took place in a pine forest near the Teide mountain and in the Auditorium de Santa Cruz.
Kill the Moon was the title of the 7th episode of the 8th season filmed on Lanzarote, near the Volcán del Cuervo, in the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya.
Planet of Fire was shot at the jetty at Órzola, also on Lanzarote, this time playing itself, where Howard discusses Peri’s future with her and the Doctor looks over the treasure found underwater.
At the Mirador del Rio, Timanov and Malkon speak about the unbelievers. This old gun battery was converted into a restaurant by Cesar Manrique. Filming also took place at the Papagayo beach, where Peri is brought ashore after a swimming accident.
When Jodie Whittaker took over from Capaldi some filming took place in Granada province, specifically around Aldeire, Alquife, and La Calahorra. This was episode 6 of Season 11 and Granada represented the Punjab in an episode entitled Demons of the Punjab, with the snowy peaks of Sierra Nevada once again standing in for The Himalayas.
The episode The Two Doctors, screened in 1985, was filmed all over Sevilla.
Locations included La Finca La Caprichosa, the River Guadiamar, Plaza del Triunfo, Calle Joaquin Romero Murube, Calle Rodrigo Caro, Plaza de la Alianza and Plaza Doña Elvira among others.
The 2012 episode A Town Called Mercy made use of both the Oasys and Fort Bravo western township parks in Almería.
While filming in Almería, the production team slipped next door to the Sierra Nevada mountain’s, the peninsula’s highest, to shoot the snow scenes for the episode Asylum of the Daleks.
9 Berlin Station
The Canary island La Palma features in the TV series Berlin Station, representing Panama.
When Meyer enters the Panamanian jungle in the first episode looking for a box, he is in fact at Los Tilos, with its spectacular waterfall.
Later, scenes in a typical Panamanian street market were filmed in Avenida El Puente de Santa Cruz.
Some beach bar scenes were shot at Playa de la Bombilla at Tazacorte.
Fuerteventura also appears in the series specifically at Hotel Oliva Beach and Finca Cervantes at Lajares.
10 White Lines
The TV series White Lines is the story of a DJ called Axel, whose death is investigated by his sister Zoe.
But first we go to Almería, where Axel’s body is unearthed after a storm, and Zoe talks to the police at the Fort Bravo western theme park at Tabernas.
A lot of the filming was done on Mallorca, including the scene in the first episode when Marcus meets a mafia boss in Bar Restaurant Illeta, located at Camp De Mar beach near Andratx. Marcus’s villa is in reality Can Pirata at Cala D’Or.
The orgy scene in the first episode was filmed at S’Estaca, a villa that had belonged to actor Michael Douglas.
The Calafat finca was Son Oliver, a villa in the Coanegra Valley near Santa Maria del Camí, although scenes from the villa’s chapel (where the dog’s funeral is held) and courtyard were actually filmed at the Biniagual vineyard at Binissalem.
The Calafat foundation’s residential home, where Conchita Calafat tries to enlist the support of a priest for her plans, is El Rafal dels Porcs at Es Llombards.
From Almería, Zoe takes a ferry to Ibiza and gives us a good view of the capital with its castle and harbour seen both from below and above. Most of the film’s flashbacks are of Ibiza in the 90s, including Axel’s favourite spot, the watchtower Torre d’en Rovira at Sant Josep de sa Talaia with views of the islands of Des Bosc and Sa Conillera. It is here that Kika takes Zoe to talk about her relationship with Axel. We also see him staring out at the iconic island of Es Vedra in the first episode.
In episode 2, Marcus meets the Romanian drug dealers at Port Esportiu Marina d’Eivissa, with Dalt Vila, the city’s walled city in the background.
Oriol tortures Cristobal at Ses Salines salt lakes on Ibiza.
Scenes were shot at Portocolom, Mallorca, with its iconic black and white lighthouse and the religious procession in episode six was filmed there, ending in the harbour at Cala Figuera. The lighthouse is clearly visible behind Kika as she sits on a bench waiting for Zoe.
Homage is paid to Sergio Leone twice. When they are in Fort Bravo, the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is mentioned, and in the Calafat mansion there is a poster from the film A Few Dollars More.
11 Emerald City
In the TV series Emerald City, the Wizard of Oz is to be found in Barcelona’s Parc Güell,
whereas the Wicked Witch of the East makes do with the often used castle of La Calahorra in Granada province, and in the same province, the cave dwellings of Guadix, Granada get a reprise in episode 2.
In Almería, Cabo de Gata provides one of its many beautiful beaches, and the inevitable desert of Tabernas, features, as does Sevilla’s one model suits all Alcázar royal palace. Within the Alcázar we can find the baths of Doña María de Padilla, which is where young Dorothy goes to get purified.
In Málaga province, El Torcal Natural Park, near Antequera lays on a yellow brick road for Dorothy.
12 The Spanish Princess
An American series The Spanish Princess takes its turn at butchering history, telling a version of the story of Catherine of Aragon.
Although the opening shot shows the Alhambra of Granada, when we go inside to meet Catherine, we are in the Real Alcázar of Sevilla with good use made of the gardens, as well as the Salón de Embajadores, the Cuarto Alto, the Patio de las Doncellas, the baths of Doña María Padilla and the Pavilion of Carlos V.
When Isabel, the warrior Queen escorts Catherine towards the boat for England, they are attacked by Moors in the Tabernas desert of Almería.
13 Hanna
The Amazon series Hanna chose Almería for some of its locations, starting with the capital’s old railway station, in front of which a French flag flew to prove that Hanna had reached France, and where she takes on a bunch of villains. At the port, with scenes incorporating a Trasmediterránea ferry, Hanna and Sophie’s family travel from Morocco to Spain.
In the Tabernas desert, Hanna finds Sophie, and the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar also features.
The series also used some well-known locations from the city of Barcelona. Sandy arrives in a taxi at the arcaded Plaça Reial, while her classes are in the 19th century Universitat de Barcelona through whose cloister we see her stroll.
Parque de la Ciutadella is where Kat meets her father at the monumental fountain, Plaça del Pi is where we see Sandy playing the piano and La Monumental bullring is where Hanna meets up with Clem.
Robert and Kat have lunch in the Carballeria restaurant (Reina Cristina, 3).
In the Biblioteca de Lletres CRAI of the University of Barcelona Clem tries to contact her mother by e mail.
The nightclub that Kat and Sandy visit is the Club Opium in the Barceloneta district, while the offices of El Periódico de Catalunya newspaper are where the journalist Alba works.
Furthermore, the rooftop swimming pool of the Hotel Ohla in Via Laietana was used for the scene where Sandy sunbathes with Kat, and another Barcelona hotel, The Metro Plaza, where the lawyer Robert Gelder stays, is in fact the Almanac Barcelona in Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, although the Mandarin Oriental, and Majestic hotels were also used for some scenes.
The luxury modern villa where Clem and Hanna hide, and where there is a shoot out, is above Barcelona in the Tibidabo area.
In episode 7 Marissa is rescued in a desolate landscape, which can be found in the province of Zaragoza in Los Monegros, specifically at La Almolda.
14 Killing Eve
The series Killing Eve features a serial killer, and in the third season Jodie Comer (Villanelle) visits Barcelona.
Her wedding in episode 1, Slowly Slowly Catchy Monkey, is not a happy occasion and takes place in fact in Sevilla, where the exteriors were provided by the 14th century Castillo de la Monclova, situated to the east of Sevilla.
Villanelle’s first whacking of the season takes place in a spice shop, with exteriors located in Carrer d’en Mònec, Barcelona.
Episode 2, Management Sucks, begins with Villanelle walking past the Arco del Triunfo.
Villanelle’s apartment in Barcelona is the modernist Casa Ramos in Plaça de Lesseps, 31, while the clown party takes place in San Andrés de Llavaneras, in Casa Paradiso.
When we see Villanelle and Dasha having breakfast in a square, they are in Plaça de la Barceloneta.
When Villanelle is sent on a mission to France, she is in fact still in the province of Barcelona, at Sitges, at the marina.
In episode 3, Meetings Have Biscuits we see a beautiful view of the Alhambra palace in Granada, although when Villanelle pursues her next victims there, the shooting takes place back in Barcelona province at the Castell de Godmar.
15 The One
The series, filmed in Tenerife, is a Netflix science fiction story about DNA with the series opening at the Auditorio de Tenerife designed by Santiago Calatrava, where Rebecca gives a conference explaining her project to find people their perfect partner and in the biology laboratories of the Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias at the Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), where Rebecca and James work.
The coast at Granadilla de Abona also features and, when Rebecca and James go looking for her own personal match, they hire a car and drive along the road that connects La Tejita and El Médano, to reach a water sports centre, which is in reality the Surf Center Playa Sur (C/ La Gaviota).
In the same street is the Hotel Playa Sur Tenerife, where Rebecca stays.
Rebecca also goes for a beer at Manfred’s Soul Café, Avenida José Miguel Galván Bello, 10, where she meets Matheus and his brother Fabio.
In Apartamentos Bahía (Carretera de Los Roques), on the coast at Fasnia, Rebecca and Matheus discuss going to live in the UK.
On the black sandy beach at Anaga, Matheus and Fabio argue about going to live in the UK.
The scene, supposedly in London, when Fabio blackmails Rebecca, was actually shot at the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey Hotel, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Calle José Naveiras, 38).
16 Soulmates
With a basic idea similar to the series The One, Soulmates was filmed in and around Madrid, representing places as diverse as Los Angeles, New York and Mexico.
In the episode Soul Connex, the testing clinic was the Clínica Dermatológica Internacional in calle Marqués de Villamagna.
The residential estate, Monteclaro de Pozuelo in Alarcón and the Santo Domingo one in Algete were used, as was The Magic Forest children’s park in the Ciudad de la Imagen, as well as The American Dream and El Gallinero restaurants in Collado Villalba.
In the second episode filming took place in the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, specifically in the Facultad de Medicina, Pabellón 8 and the Sala de Juntas as well as the Facultad de Derecho. The Colegio Mayor Mendel also appears, as does the WeCollect Club, in calle Conde de Aranda.
Other locations include Restaurante Paolo in calle del Maestro Ángel Llorca in Vallehermoso, Home Burguer Bar in calle de Silva in the capital, Madrid, Hotel Los Olivos in Getafe and Hotel Pax in Torrelodones. The finca La Granjilla near El Escorial also appears.
Episode 3 takes us to the USA, although we are in fact near Paseo de la Castellana, and Impact Hub Picasso also provides locations. Faborit de Torre Europa, Sala Equis and the La Neomudéjar arts centre also appear.
In episode 4 we visit Mexico, using calle de Cormorán in the Pueblo Nuevo district, La Estación de Pitis in Fuencarral-El Pardo and Hotel Hilton Madrid Aeropuerto.
Outside the capital, San Martín de la Vega, Navalcarnero and Aranjuez appear, and some images were also filmed in Málaga.
Episode 5 takes us to San Martín de la Vega and Daganzo de Arriba, as well as Casa Villa Marista San José in Los Molinos in the Guadarrama mountains.
Back in Madrid we see Restaurante Casa Mono in calle Tutor and the Clínica Sanzmar in calle del Buen Suceso as well as ETSIT in the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
The last episode takes us to New York. The district of Arganzuela saw filming in calles Juan Duque and Moreno Nieto.
The Cafetería HD in calle de Guzmán el Bueno, Restaurante Chifa in calle de Modesto Lafuente and La Noche Club in calle de Segovia also saw action, as did Alcalá de Henares and San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
17 Warrior Nun
A simple tale (in 10 episodes) of an order of nuns who fight demons. As they damn well should!
Saint Michael’s orphanage was established in the Cultural Center La Térmica, Av. de los Guindos, Málaga, where Ava’s story begins. However, the orphanage church exterior was the Encarnación in Marbella, while the interior was the San Juan de Dios church in Antequera.
The old prison, the Antigua Prisión Provincial de Malaga, Av. de José Ortega y Gasset, 24, provided a disco scene in a prison.
The castle at Almodóvar del Río, Córdoba, appears again, as it did in Game of Thrones, this time as a castle in Areala of Córdoba’s flashback scenes.
In Antequera the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María La Mayor was another province of Málaga location, as was the Church of San Juan de Dios, where Ava and Mary sleep on pews. The Order of the Cruciform Sword has its headquarters in the Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor perched on a hill above the town.
The Marbella Club Hotel, Av. Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, appears as a luxury chalet with some beach and pier scenes with Ava and JC.
The mountainous Torcal de Antequera provided a quarry where Shotgun Mary speaks to a mercenary and where Mary and Ava trek towards Ronda. Ronda’s bridge over the famous gorge stands out and when Mary and Ava arrive there they hear that the Pope is dying.
They stop for a meal at the Caserío de San Benito, a restaurant next to the Málaga motorway near Antequera.
The twin churches that are supposed to be in the same town are in fact Portichuelo Chapel and the Santa María de Jesús church in Plaza Portichuelo, Antequera.
In the capital of Málaga the University of Malaga provided the headquarters of the Arqtech company in the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture.
The Vatican is represented by Malaga´s Cathedral, which appears during the Papal conclave. From a window in the Vatican we see Málaga’s Roman theatre in front of the Arab castle.
The Museo de Málaga (previously the Custom’s House) provided the Vatican’s arched corridors.
The Baños de María de Padilla in the Real Alcázar of Sevilla are also part of the Vatican, specifically the Vatican Grottoes, where the nuns search for Adriel’s tomb, while St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican was not far away in the Real Fábrica de Tobacos, now the Rectorado of the University, where the final battle takes place in the cloister at the end of season 1.
If season one was shot in Andalucía, most of season two was filmed in and around Madrid.
The action opens in Switzerland, although we are in fact in Madrid’s ski resort, Navacerrada. Even the bar where Ava works, La Vasseur in the series, is in reality El Portillón.
The action then moves to the famous double cloister of the Hospital Tavera in Toledo, where we see a group of nuns speaking. Among the films made here are The Three Musketeers by Richard Lester and The Promise.
Quinta de Mirabel near Toledo provides the large estate where Jillian tries to straighten out the arc, the portal to ‘the other side’.
In episode two we meet our villain, Adriel, who moves in mysterious ways around the Temple of Debod, an Egyptian monument reconstructed in Madrid’s Parque de la Montaña.
Adriel’s lair is the 13th century Moorish palace of Galiana, on the outskirts of Toledo.
His new cathedral is the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute in Madrid, which looks appropriately like a crown of thorns.
In episode 3, after Father Vicent attacks the nuns, we see the Cine Dore in calle Santa Isabel, 3, the façade of which dates back to 1923.
A lot of action also takes place in El Prado museum, where the nuns seek the crown of thorns.
Episode 4 also sees action in El Prado and the Cine Dore is burnt down.
There are also a few encounters of a futuristic footbridge, which is the Arganzuela in Madrid, designed in 2010 by Dominique Perrault.
A fight with members of Adriel’s cult takes place in the Almudena cemetery.
When the Pope organises a conclave in Madrid, which turns into a bloodbath worthy of The Godfather, his choice is the modern Princesa Plaza hotel complex in calle de la Princesa 40. This time the Vatican scenes were shot in Madrid’s Escorial palace and in the Casa de América.
Another multiple use Madrid location was the Palacete de la Trinidad, built in 1928, in calle Francisco Silvela, which was the home of Lilith, a hospital and the flat in Rome of Yasmine.
Season two ends with a long shot of the monastery of Uclés, Cuenca, where Richard Lester filmed The Four Musketeers.
The last scene is the monastery’s courtyard, as Beatrice leaves her sisters, no doubt preparing the ground for season three.
18 Wheel of Time
White smoke is good and black smoke is bad in what is another version of the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings type of saga.
Opening episode 4, the city of Ghealdan is represented by Segovia, and specifically, as usual, its spectacular castle, the Alcázar. Some impressive aerial views show the castle and the city in flames as a battle takes place between the false Reborn Dragon and the King of Ghealdan, culminating in a scene on the Terraza del Pozo, on the battlements.
The final scene at the end of season 1 was shot at Benijo beach, Tenerife. Here we see an invading (presumably) navy sending a tidal wave against the beach where a little girl is to be seen. A question of breaking a butterfly on a wheel perhaps.
19 Foundation
Asimov’s masterpiece was filmed all over Europe, including Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, where the village of Tuineje was the focal point, as well as Caldera de Los Arrabales and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Some scenes were shot at Hotel Mencey and the Trade Fair building.
For episode 8, The Missing Piece, the action crosses the water to Lanzarote, where we visit the ‘lava tube’, a cave created by volcanic action in La Cueva de los Verdes, the green cave located in the municipality of Haría.
For the second season the futuristic Auditorio de Tenerife was used, as was the church of Santísimo Redentor in La Laguna and the Puerto de la Cruz.
The action moved to Barcelona for the third season, specifically to the Parc del Laberint d’Horta, whose gardens are the home to Brother Day and Song.
20 The Mallorca Files
British and German police officers team up to solve crimes in Mallorca. All highly believable as it’s a BBC production.
The first episode of season 1 focuses on Palma airport and later moves to the Ses Cases del Virrey hotel near Inca.
Max and Miranda track down a gunman and a corrupt policeman to a lighthouse on the cliffs, which is the 19th century Far de Cap Blanc lighthouse. Afterwards we see some views of the capital Palma, including the hilltop Bellver castle.
A lot of action takes place in Palma’s old town, including the Moltabarra Bar which poses as Joan’s Bar.
In episode 2 a famous cyclist disappears at the end of a tunnel, which is at Puigmayor, overlooking the Gorg Blau reservoir.
The headquarters of the race competition is located in front of Palma’s gothic cathedral, the building of which started in the 13th century.
When Esteban the famous cyclist is found, he is placed in the Joan March hospital.
At the end of episode 2 Miranda and Max race each other on bikes at Sa Calobra.
Episode 3, about a stolen icon, was filmed in the Església de Monti-Sión de Palma, and especially in its cloister.
Episode 4 portrays Mallorca’s famous train, which runs between Sollér and Palma, and also features in the film Cloud Atlas.
In episode 5 a dog dies in a vineyard, with shooting at Bodegas Oliver Morgagues and Bodegas Ribas, representing the fictional Bodegas Negra.
This episode gives us yet another opportunity to see the omnipresent Spanish actor Simón Andreu, this time acting in his native Mallorca and playing the role of wine-maker Emilio Byass, shotgun in hand.
The luxury villa in episode 6 is Sol de Mallorca, just south of Magaluf.
In episode 7 a DJ is the focus of the investigation, and the nightclub used was Tito’s. The cemetery that features is Palma’s.
Episode 8 focuses on bullfighting, and was largely shot in the town of Felanitx, using the town’s bullring and church to represent the fictional village of Cazador.
In season 2, episode 1 features an opera concert in the famous Caves of Drach in Porto Cristo. The theatre scenes were filmed in the Teatre Principal de Palma, in Placa Major.
The drowning sequence took place at Cala Anguila in Porto Cristo Novo.
The Tanatorium is Bon Sec.
Episode 2 features the hairpin bends at Sa Calobra. The Gris family home was the Gran Son Net hotel, and there are flashbacks to the Civil War showing the Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles church, in Sineu with its winged lion statue, and where the private detective confesses.
Episode 3 sees a food critic murdered, and the restaurant used was the Gran Hotel Son Net in Puigpunyent.
In Pollensa 365 Calvari Steps leading up to a chapel feature in a chase scene.
Episode 4 deals with a football star and filming took place in the Real Mallorca FC, the Estadi Son Moix.
Episode 5 focuses on bird-watching, especially at the Paraiso Parque Natural. Filming also took place in Es Salobrair de Campos, a wetlands area near Es Trenc.
Puerto Pollensa also appears.
In episode 6 we see some mean riding at Rancho Grande Park (Son Serra de Marina), near Can Picafort.
The manhunt sequences were filmed at the Serra Tramuntara mountain and Puig de Masanella mountain.
In season 3 filming took place in Palma’s Plaça de Cort and Calle Palau Reial, where police try to control a demonstration.
21 Penny Dreadful
Juan Antonio Bayona directed some episodes, and in the third season the series came to Spain, using the set created by Ridley Scott for Exodus at El Chorillo at the foot of the Sierra Alhamilla and the Fort Bravo western township, Almería.
22 Years and Years
This dystopian vision of Britain, incorporating contemporary themes such as Brexit, included some shots of demonstrations in the streets of Barcelona and aerial views of Madrid.
23 Rosemary and Thyme
Miss Marple, Poirot and Father Brown are people no sane person would invite for a cup of tea, knowing that when any of them turn up, murder most foul will be committed.
Much the same can be said for Rosemary and Thyme, two female gardeners with a knack for finding bodies in the sod.
In the third season there were two visits to the Costa del Sol. In episode 4, Agua Cadaver, an old Moorish garden on the Costa del Sol is their hunting ground, and the episode begins with a tour of the gardens of Málaga’s Alcazaba palace.
In episode 7, Thyme’s son Matthew is playing in a tennis tournament in an episode which opens with a visit to the bullring at Mijas, Málaga, which we are told is the smallest in Spain, built in 1900, and with a nice view of the village, and with the church of Inmaculada Concepción looming behind it.
The tennis scenes were shot at the Lew Hoad Tennis Club, Fuengirola.
Thanks to José María Burgos for his help in identifying these episodes.
24 Coronation Street
Episodes 1434 and 1435 took the ladies on a holiday to Mallorca. One of them, Mavis, has a romance with a Spaniard called Pedro, played by Timothy Morand, who also appeared in Colditz and A Bridge Too Far.
This was the first time the famous soap boldly went abroad and the locations used were Ola Hotel Bermudas, Calle de Pinzones, 20, Palma Nova, while Hilda Ogden and Emily Bishop took photos of a donkey outside the Luxor Supermarket at Passeig Mar, 44, also in Palma Nova. The bar terrace scenes with Bet Lynch and Martin Barrett were filmed around the resort of Camp De Mar. The terrace is located at the Playa Hotel, Avenida de la Playa, 1.
25 Eastenders
Or Coronation Street South as it’s also known.
In the double episode, Peggy and Frank in Spain from 2002, Peggy goes to the Costa del Sol expecting to attend con-man Frank’s funeral.
We see her arriving at Torremolinos, Málaga, and checking in to the Hotel El Pozo, and later we see her in Marbella.
Thanks again to José María Burgos for his help in identifying these episodes.
26 El C.I.D.
The title of this three season 1990s series does not refer to the medieval knight, but to a boat bought by a couple of ex-police officers who look for the good life in Spain, but end up chasing crooks as usual.
Local expert José María Burgos informed us that most of the filming took place around Fuengirola (especially the marina and Bar Lineker), the Teatro Salon Varietes, as well as Marbella and Mijas, all in the province of Málaga.
The series features stalwart Spanish actor Simón Andreu as a local detective.
27 The Love Boat
This American series was very popular in the 70s and 80s. Episode 242 featured Barcelona, where we see the cruise liner in the port, along with Columbus’s Santa María, which sank in 1991.
The episode is a tour de force of the city featuring the Sardana statue, the National Art Museum of Cataluña, Gaudí’s dragon statue in Park Güell, Montjuïc, Plaza Cataluña, the Ramblas when they still sold birds in cages and flowers and you could walk along without tripping over a clutter of human statues, and of course Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral.
At the end of the episode we see some flamenco dancers outside a bar in C/ los Caños. This is in Mijas, Málaga.
28 In From the Cold
Madrid is the main location for a series that focuses on spies, mind control and a mother’s love for her daughter.
In the first episode we witness three acts of seemingly inexplicable violence, the third of which takes place in the Plaza Mayor, where a woman stabs a mother and tries to steal her baby.
Our heroine Jenny arrives with her daughter Rebecca for a skating competition and we see some iconic Madrid landmarks such as the crystal palace in El Retiro park and Atocha station, followed by Plaza Cibeles and the Puerta de Alcalá.
The scenes representing the Moscow underground during Jenny’s flashbacks were in fact shot at Madrid’s old Antigua Estación de Chamberí, now a museum.
The scenes where Jenny breaks into a prison and then morphs were filmed at the barracks of USAC Primo de Rivera, Rotonda Brigada Paracaidista, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid. In the same town the Cuartel de Sementales was used.
The ice skating took place at the Pista de Hielo Valdemoro.
In episode two, a bloody wedding, supposedly celebrated in Zaragoza, was in fact filmed in and around the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Brunete, while Jenny tracks down the blushing bride at the Cementerio de la Almudena.
In episode 3, still in the cemetery, Jenny fights an assailant among the tombs.
Chauncey meets a contact by the El Retiro lake.
Jenny, in her Chinese morph, scores some drugs from Ramón and Diego in front of the Café Moderno in Plaza de las Comendadoras.
In episode 4 we see the skaters jogging in El Retiro park, and also there, Chauncey meets his Europol nemesis among the statues of the Alfonso XII monument.
In episode 7, Andrés phones his brother Felipe from a balcony overlooking Las Ventas bullring.
The leaning Torres Kio, a landmark in Madrid’s Plaza de Castilla, appear here and on other occasions.
The attempted assassination of the Prime Minister takes place where it is supposed to, in the Museo Lázaro Galdiano, and in the last episode, the Madrid Arena and the rooftop of the Centro Colón also play themselves for the ice skating championship and the final meeting between Jenny and Svetlana.
29 La Fortuna
Alejandro Almenábar turned to TV to make this six part series about 19th century treasure and 21st century ownership, with international actors such as Stanley Tucci.
An American company, Atlantis, finds the treasure in a sunken ship near Gibraltar, and scenes were shot at the Customs control there, as well as La Linea, Cádiz.
In nearby Algeciras we visit the Playa del Rinconcillo, where Manolo Solo’s character lives, and the Rota navy base, where some of the characters arrive in a helicopter.
With its maritime theme, ports proliferate, such as Ría de La Graña, El Ferrol, La Coruña, specifically in the Escuela de Especialidades, and as well as Pasajes, Guipúzcoa, where part of the naval battle between the British and Spanish took place, with additional sea scenes between the ports of San Sebastián and Fuenterrabía, while the underwater scenes were shot in the swimming pools of the Club Deportivo Martiartu in Erandio (Gipuzkoa).
Back on dry land, shooting took place at Madrid, in the Palace of Moncloa and the Ministry of Culture in Plaza del Rey, while various buildings performed alternative functions: the Instituto Cervantes was the Banco de España, the Ministries of Transición Ecológica and Trabajo (which provided the courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia). The Archivo Nacional represented the Ministerio de Cultura, the Delegación del Gobierno was the Spanish embassy in Washington and the Centro Cultural de los Ejércitos impersonated the Archivo Histórico de la Marina.
Madrid also provided some American locations. Madrid Arena showed us the interiors of the Atlantis Corporation HQ, Getafe provided the Hotel Los Olivos, Cercedilla was the location of a traffic accident, Mejorada del Campo for a car chase, and Valdemorillo, was where the lawyer played by Clarke Peters had his house.
There is also a night time meeting between Álvaro Mel and Karra Elejalde at the frequently filmed lake in El Retiro park, and a military parade of the Guardia Civil and army in the Paseo de la Castellana.
The airforce base at Torrejón de Ardoz was used as was the old American base at Zaragoza airport.
Filming also took place in Guadalajara, where Telefonica’s communications centre near Armuña de Tajuña represented the HQ of the Atlantis Corporation (the villains of the story). Attempts to visit the site will bring you to the attention of a very pleasant security guard, who will come out for a chat.
30 Little Birds
Set in Tangier in 1955, the series, based on the erotica of Anais Nin, was actually shot in Tarifa, Cádiz.
Rossy de Palma, one of Almodóvar’s favourite actresses appears, as does the city of Algeciras.
31 The Head
The Head is a drama set at the South Pole (Iceland in fact) and tells the story of mysterious disappearances from the Polaris VI research station, built to scale in unlikely Tenerife.
The complex set was built using a hangar at Los Majuelos, the Phillip Morris tobacco factory and the Floatel Reliance platform in Puerto de Santa Cruz.
For the second season the action moved to a 150 metre long cargo freighter anchored in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, after which they transferred to a second set in Madrid.
32 Snatch
Harry Potter’s friend Rupert Grint changes role and becomes an English gangster, who in the second season finds himself and his cohorts in Spain.
All the filming took place in Málaga province, and local journalist Paco Griñán pointed out that Vélez Málaga was one of the main locations, with a bar called Torre del Mar in fictitious San Toledo being the gang’s main hangout.
Málaga’s port and Marbella’s Town Hall also feature, as do Paseo de la Farola, La Malagueta, Pinares de San Antón, Rincón de la Victoria and Mijas.
In episode 5 of the second season, Simón Andreu plays the part of Federico.
33 Utopia Planitia
This American series about the colonisation of Mars took a right turn when an episode called Zartaginetik was filmed in the abandoned flour factory, now a protected building, Grandes Molinos Vascos situated in Zorroza, near Bilbao, Vizcaya. The building represents the ESA shipyards in the series.
34 Bounty Hunters
A comedy series about an odd couple fighting crime.
In the first season, in episode 6, Las Canteras (quarries) of Osuna, Sevilla was chosen to represent Mexico, with additional filming in the local sports centre and the Veracruz neighbourhood.
In the second season they filmed in Almería, specifically in the Pescadería district, also representing Mexico. Further filming took place in Tabernas and Huercal Overa.
35 Genius: Picasso
Two Spanish cities associated with Picasso are Málaga and Barcelona.
Filming in the former took place in the bullring and the church of Santiago, where he was baptised.
La Misericordia beach substituted for the French Costa Azul.
In Barcelona province filming took place in the old Universitat de Barcelona building, the Arc de Triomf, the Arc de la Ciutadella and Llotja de Mar, as well as the Torreta district and in Davallada, and Sitges.
36 Top Boy
In the second season of this modern gangster series, some of the action moves from the UK to Spain and Morocco as the gangs try to secure the supply lines of their ‘food’.
Cádiz was the scene of much shooting, in Plaza Pinto, where Spanish actor Hugo Silva participated, the children’s playground in front of the La Salle-Viña school, with interiors shot in the Instituto de Fomento, Empleo y Formación, Avenida Cuesta de las Calesas, 39.
The beach scenes included Barbate, Conil de la Frontera and Roche.
The Spanish connection continues with Jamie travelling there and discovering the amazing beaches at locations such as Los Caños de Meca.
When Sully follows him out there they kill three corrupt policemen underneath Cádiz’s emblematic bridge ‘De La Constitución de 1812’.
37 The Man who Fell to Earth
This remake of the 70s film that starred David Bowie as the alien, has its 10 episodes all taking names from his songs.
Some of the action is set in New Mexico, which was actually filmed in Almería, using the Lawrence of Arabia oasis site at Rambla Viciana and the Oasys township near Tabernas.
Cast and crew stayed at the Hotel Cortijo El Paraiso, Níjar.
38 Jack Ryan
For the 4th season of the series, the action moved to Gran Canaria, where La Aldea de San Nicolás was a location; specifically the Rúben Díaz park, the docks (where Chao Fah’s meeting with the Martinez cartel is interrupted by police machine guns) and beach. Castillo del Romeral, in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, was another spot chosen.
At El Charco, a tiny lake next to the beach, a wooden cabin was built for the scene where Domingo Chavez meets with a Narco and threatens to cut his head off.
Shooting (of both kinds) also took place on Tenerife, taking advantage of the capitals very own Twin Towers, the Torres de Santa Cruz.
39 Inventing Anna
Based on a true story, as they say, of a con-woman who at one point, in episode 2, flies to Ibiza to con a millionaire, with some nice aerial views of the capital Eivissa and some beaches.
40 That Dirty Black Bag
A series with some new takes on old western themes. Largely shot around Tabernas, Almería and with two western townships, both Oasys-Mini Hollywood and Fort Bravo-Texas Hollywood, representing the town of Greenvale.
Ridley Scott’s Exodus enclave at El Chorrillo, Pechina, was also employed, as was Mazarrón, Murcia.
41 The Diplomat
The Diplomat is a 6 part series set in Barcelona.
It follows the adventures of Sophie Rundle who works in the British Consulate.
Throughout the series various iconic landmarks of the city are seen, such as Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral or Columbus’s statue.
The Port Vell marina and leisure complex, where the El Faro restaurant is situated, also appears a lot.
In episode 2, when Izzy Miller wanders into a church, it is that of Sant Vicenç d’Osca in the Plaça Major de Sarrià.
In episode 3 the bridge where Sadie meets her blackmailer is correctly identified as the Puente de San Lucas in Badalona.
On the other hand, in episode 4, what is identified as the Cuitat de Justicia is in reality that marvel of modernism the Hospital Sant Pau.
In episode 5 Richard Watkins is criticising the architecture of the Sagrada Familia cathedral and then in the underground he is fighting a policeman; poetic justice perhaps.
Amy Callaghan has escaped to Ibiza, but she is in fact in Sitges, Barcelona, where we see her at the San Sebastian beach and in the nearby streets.
Two British students who witnessed Richard’s altercation are interviewed by the British Consul on a rooftop bar overlooking the church of Santa María del Mar. Immediately afterwards we see the statue, La Gamba (the prawn), which can be found in the Passeig de Colom.
42 No Return
Once again (as in Midnight Express) Turkey gets the blame although Spain gets the money as, due to the pandemic, the tale of a young boy on holiday with Mum and Dad who gets accused of a sex crime in Turkey, was mostly filmed around Nerja, Málaga.
Filming took place in Benalmádena and at the Calahonda beach.
The 4 part series was shot in September 2021 and was shown on ITV. In the city of Málaga some scenes were shot at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos, the cruise ship terminal and the Hotel Sol Melia Guadalmar.
There were also scenes shot in Vera, Almería, where Jack Nicholson met his end in The Passenger.
43 The Lazarus Project
Not to be confused with a film of the same name, the first season of this time travel/end of the world series includes scenes shot in Barcelona.
Among the locations were Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, Casa Milà, Palau de la Música Catalana, the gothic Cathedral and the Hospital de Sant Pau.
Other scenes were shot in Tenerife, including the Marina del Sur, Puerto Deportivo Las Galletas.
44 American Odyssey
El Prat de Llobregat and Plaça Reial, both in Barcelona, appear in episode 13 of this series about conspiracies.
45 Any Human Heart
This 4 episode drama includes such characters as The Duke of Windsor, Ian Fleming and Hemingway.
It is in Barcelona that Hemingway convinces Logan Mountstuart to go to the front and participate in the Spanish Civil War.
Among the Barcelona locations are Plaça Sant Felip Neri, Port Olímpic, Parc de Pedralbes and Palau Reial, as well as Girona.
46 Blindspot
The 6th episode of the third season called ‘Adoring Suspect’ takes us to Barcelona.
The series turns on a woman with amnesia and meaningful tattoos.
The Moll de les Drassanes docks appear when Roman phones Weller about a tattoo. A swivelling camera allows us to see Columbus’s statue at the end of La Rambla.
Roman has a meeting with a villain to get information about Crawford in the Gothic quarter in Carrer del Bisbe with its famous bridge over the street. Although it looks medieval, the Neo-Gothic bridge was only built in 1928, connecting the Palau de la Generalitat with the Casa dels Canonges. It was designed by a disciple of Antoni Gaudí, Joan Rubió i Bellver.
Hotel Ayre Rosselló’s rooftop bar is the location of Roman’s meeting with Crawford, with Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral looming massively over them.
The emblematic fountains and terrace of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya provide the backdrop as Roman and Crawford discuss wine and someone tries to rob her, leaving him unconscious.
The rooftop of the Hotel Ohla provides Crawford’s penthouse.
Roman returns at the end to Carrer del Bisbe to kill his demanding collaborator.
47 Covert Affairs
Episode 2 of season 3 takes the unlikely CIA couple to Barcelona, playing itself.
A deadly computer virus is their target, but much more interesting are the Gothic district, Parque Güell and the Ciutadela park.
48 Kaos
Domingo Lizcano worked on this series and told me it had been filmed in Madrid and Málaga. Filming has also taken place in Cádiz and Jeréz. One location was the disco Mucho Teatro in Puerto de Santa María, with filming in calles Misericordia and Luna.
The disco is where we first meet Dionysus in episode 1.
The beach at Santa María del Mar was another location, specifically in a bar called Charlotte in calle Santa María del Mar, 8, and then on the beach itself where Orpheus tries to shoot himself and ends up shooting Dionysus.
In Jeréz shooting took place in González Hontoria park and Avenida Alcalde Álvaro Domecq.
Hugh Grant was supposed to play Zeus in an epic parody on the ways and wars of Gods and Men, but he was finally replaced by Jeff Goldblum.
Filming took place in Marbella, and in the city of Málaga in calle Parras. It is here, beside a basketball court that Nabhaan Rizwan takes Poseidon’s phone call from a public phone (don’t rush to use it, it’s a prop), although the nearby Centro Cultural Provincial MVA is real enough.
According to the local Film Office, filming also took place at Calle Salitre, Plaza de la Misericordia, Paseo Marítimo Ruiz Picasso, Tabacalera, C/ Lagunillas, C/Ana Bernal, C/Vital Aza, Pasaje Ana Bernal, Plaza Esperanza, Mirador de Gibralfaro, C/Hilera, Paseo Angeles Arroyo Castro and C/ Concejal Pedro Ruz García.
Some traffic scenes were filmed in the Alameda de Colón, with chases shot in La Palmilla and Lagunillas. The leader of the human rebels (Aurora Perrineau) is seen driving along Pablo Ruiz Picasso promenade.
The car park at El Ingenio shopping centre in Vélez-Málaga was where Riddy bumps into Cassandra the shoplifter, while a gladiator fight takes place in the centre of Torremolinos, specifically in the Conjunto San Enrique, a complex of yellow flats.
Sevilla, once again offered the Plaza de España, in which a statue is sabotaged after a successful human sacrifice. Orpheus’s concert is also held there.
Also in Sevilla province, the Torre del Águila reservoir at Utrera saw some action, although you could forget as it portrays the Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, where the dead wade towards their ‘renewal’.
Aided by Fresco Films, who collaborated on Warrior Nun, it is not surprising that they used some of the same locations, such as the palace of Galiana, a 13th century Moorish style building near Toledo.
In Almería filming took place at Cabo de Gata and at the strange Ermita Torregarcía, a modern beachside chapel. It is here that Queen Hera has her illicit rendezvous with Poseidon in episode 3.
In episode 2, when Orpheus and Dionysus visit ‘The Cave’, the exterior is the famous, abandoned Restaurante Alfaro, near Tabernas, also used in Black Mirror, among others. In episode 3, behind the old restaurant, Orpheus enters the underworld via a rubbish container!
In episode 2 we visit the underworld, where the walking dead are categorised. Appropriately a school was used for these scenes, specifically the Universidad Laboral de Cheste in Valencia province.
Much of Zeus’s luxurious home was provided by a private palace, Palacio Villalís at La Moraleja near Madrid.
49 Suntrap
A British reporter, Woody, is framed and flees to hide out on a Spanish island, where his former mentor, Brutus, now runs a bar.
The island is Gran Canaria, and the bar is El Faro at Puerto de Mogán.
50 Mrs Davis
At times we must have all felt like a nun taking on technology with nothing but a little faith; and that is what this series is all about.
In November 2022, while visiting the castle of Sant Ferran in Figueras, Girona, we came across filming taking place in the moat and other locations in the castle, which had also seen filming of The Promise and Perfume.
It was here that they shot the Excalibattle scenes, supposedly taking place in Scone, Scotland.
The castle is then revisited in episode four when Wiley’s friends attempt to rescue him from captivity in what turns out to be the Vatican.
The series kicks off however with the burning at the stake of some Templar Knights in Paris in 1307, although in reality they were also in Girona, specifically in the Plaça del Apostols.
Filming also took place in Lloret del Mar, where they used the beach at Cala Sa Boadella, as did the makers of Uncharted.
Here we find a castaway attempting to create a rocket to help him escape after ten years of trying.
In episode 3 we see a ceremony in which an apparently pregnant woman turns out to have the Holy Grail in her abdomen. The water in this scene was the reservoir of Darnius in Girona province.
In episode 4 Simone is supposedly in Rome, where she sees a bride and groom exiting a church, which is in fact calle de las Caputxes and plaza de Santa María, and the church is Santa María de Mar in Barcelona.
Later Simone can be seen in calle Agullers, looking for a cake shop, which is Horno Vilamala at number 14.
Her visit to the Vatican was in fact filmed at the Monasterio de Pedralbes.
When the Pope escapes from imprisonment, he surfaces not in the Vatican but Llotja de Mar de Barcelona (Paseo Isabel II, 1).
When we see Clara as a young girl with Mathilde, the latter’s workplace is Palau Güell in Barcelona.
When Clara disobeys her mother and enters the oval room, she is in the Real Academia de Medicina, Barcelona, specifically in the Sala Gimberat, also used for the rituals of the Sisters of the Coin.
The ad for sneakers takes place inside and outside Girona’s cathedral.
Later Clara enters the university, which in reality is the Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau (C/St. Antoni Maria Claret, 167). Doctor Schrodinger’s office is in Casa Lleó i Morera (Paseo de Gracia, 35).
In episode 7, after her encounter with a whale, Simone washes up on a beach, where a group of people sing ‘Electric Avenue’ to her. This long beach is at Castelldefels in Barcelona province.
51 Vampire Academy
Vampires never die, they just fade into twilight, and the half human, half vampire concept continues in this series, filmed largely in Navarra, and specifically at Palacio Real de Olite (the vampire queen’s abode), Monasterio de Irache and Bodegas Otazu.
At Bodegas Otazu we were kindly escorted around the buildings where filming took place by Iker Andres, including the palace inhabited by the owners and the church.
Filming took place between September 2021 and March 2022, and shooting also occurred in Ujué and the Señorío de Beraiz estate, as well as the Alfonso XII fortification, built during the 1872-1876 Carlist War on mount San Cristóbal at Ezcaba, near Pamplona.
In Viana, they made use of the spooky ruins of the church of San Pedro, where they filmed during the nights of 26th and 27th of January 2022.
The medieval village of Ujué also features.
In the episode ‘Ascension’, filming took place in Zaragoza, at the Palacio de la Aljafería, which is the parliament of Aragon, and the library of the Paraninfo de la Universidad de Zaragoza.
Once again the Civil War ruins of Belchite provided some welcome desolation.
In San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, there were scenes shot at the Palacio Miramar and Hotel Cristina, and a kissing scene between Kieron Moore and Rose Hathaway at the Pico del Loro viewpoint.
In Asturias, in March 2022, filming took place at the beach of Andrín, where some tombstones were eerily placed.
Simón Andreu makes an appearance as the Queen’s herald, Clarence.
52 Queen of the South
Marbella is one of the stars of the Queen of the South series written by Arturo Perez-Reverte.
After her escape to Spain, drug queen Teresa continues her adventures at El Puerto Marina la Bajadilla, la Playa del Marbella Club, la Plaza de la Iglesia, la Playa del Faro and Puerto Banús. All in Málaga province.
Other scenes were shot in Melilla, Gibraltar and Madrid.
53 Land of Women
Eva Longoria is the star of a series based on a book by Sandra Barneda. Garriguella and San Lorenzo de la Muga, Girona, are the main locations, as is the city of Barcelona. Espolla, Garrotxa, Manresa, and Vilamaniscle also feature.
A woman (Eva), her daughter and mother (played by veteran Spanish actress Carmen Maura) have to leave the U.S. after a scandal involving Eva’s husband, and return to her mother’s village.
The village of Peralada was the base of operations.
54 Dark Justice
Dark Justice is believed to be the first series shot totally in Spain, or at least the first season was.
Barcelona was in fashion in 1992 because of the Olympics, and so it was there that this story of a judge who seeks revenge outside and beyond the system takes place.
And yet, all the action takes place in California! Studio work was undertaken in Maresme, near Barcelona, and the city’s main post office became the California Supreme Court.
Costa del Garraf represented the cliffs of Malibu, while the Tibidabo amusement park impersonated the Hollywood hills.
55 The English
Although set in Kansas and Wyoming, like the Quixote The English was filmed in some places in La Mancha.
An area known as La Mesa, near Tembleque (famous for its windmills) in Toledo province, was one such place.
It was here that the ramshackle hotel was built for episode one, where both Emily Blunt as Cornelia Locke and Chaske Spencer as Eli Whipp almost meet their ends in what is supposed to be High Plains, Kansas.
Before that we see some typical Kansas/ Toledo scenery, which includes the Finisterre reservoir.
Other locations included Campo Azálvaro, open range country near El Espinar in Segovia province.
As there’s not a lot of 19th century American architecture in the area, a number of buildings were constructed.
The crew, including actress Emily Blunt, stayed at the Hotel Segovia Sierra de Los Ángeles but were tossed out when the Atlético de Madrid team arrived and had to make do with Hotel Náyade.
Horses brought from Almería were kept at Yeguada Centurión, and did not have to give up their stalls for a bunch of footballers.
56 The White Princess
On 28th October 2016 some scenes from the series were filmed for episode 6 at the Alcázar palace in Sevilla, although purporting to be La Alhambra of Granada.
Here we see Rossy de Palma as Queen Isabel meeting King Henry VII of England to discuss the arrangements for the marriage between Prince Arthur and Princess Catherine.
57 All in the Game
This 90s soccer series, created partly by Gary Lineker, who also has a cameo, is about an English footballer who is signed by Barcelona FC.
Simón Andreu plays Roberto Gámez, surprising nobody with his participation.
58 A Town Called Malice
Some British criminals get in a jam and move their business to Spain, with filming taking place on Tenerife, although it’s supposed to be the Costa del Sol in the 80s.
Among the locations for this 8 part series was La Playa de las Teresitas. The sports complex Club de Mar, in Radazul was Club Paradiso. Uncle Tony’s villa was Villa Circense, Santa Úrsula (available to rent!), while Gitanos Land was a cove called El Balito, Adeje.
59 Who is Erin Carter?
We’ve all had the experience, British teacher in Spain caught in a robbery.
This Netflix mini-series was shot mostly in and around Sitges, Barcelona, specifically at Baluard (bulwark) Vidal i Quadres, which is a defensive wall at the end of the San Sebastian beach in Sitges, where Erin breaks into the lawyer’s flat at the behest of Emilio. The flat itself is the Cotxeres Vidal i Quadras.
Escaping from the villa Erin jumps into the sea and surfaces at the Bogatell beach, some distance away in reality. From there she finds her way to the Anis del Mono factory in Badalona.
Emilio is a repentant, corrupt policeman, whose HQ is the frequently used, modernist Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the hospital finally closed in 2009 and is now a cultural centre and museum. It was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
The prison scenes were shot at the old Model prison, closed to the captive ‘public’ since 2017.
Emilio meets his end in the Monumental bullring, where bullfights took place from 1914 until 2011, when it was banned in Catalonia.
Erin, husband Jordi and daughter Harper live in a residential area north of Barcelona called Les Bilbenyes in Sant Vicenç de Montalt. The school where Erin works is the Hamelin-Laie International School at Mongat near Badalona.
Villain Daniel’s modern villa is located at Tossa de Mar, Girona, and was designed in 1970 by Joseph María Bosch.
When the lawyer’s secretary tries to blackmail Erin they meet at a hotel, where a shootout takes place. Domino Hotel is in reality Hotel Restaurant Medinyà, located by the motorway north of Girona.
Erin’s meeting with Lena takes place in Bar Monaco, 164 Carrer Pallars Barcelona.
When Lena abducts Erin, they pull over on the road to Campdàsens to search for gold, and then Lena shoots Erin, all of which takes place with the mountains of Montserrat as a backdrop.
The scenes at a hospital after Erin has been shot (the first time) were filmed at Manresa.
The scene of the elegant party with fireworks was shot in and around Finca Mas Solers at Sant Pere de Ribes.
The final scene takes place at the Vivero beachfront bar in Sitges, with the frequently used church in the background. The bar used to be a restaurant with a long cinema tradition. Scenes from Savage Grace were filmed there.
60 The Rat Patrol
This 60s TV series was at one point condensed into a feature film, Massacre Harbour, and consists of four commandos in North Africa causing havoc amongst Rommel’s troops.
A lot of it was shot in the USA, but among the locations in Almería are the desert of Tabernas, Cabo de Gata, San José, Roquetas de Mar, Carboneras, Mojácar and La Alcazaba castle.
If you walk north along the beach out of the city of Almería, you will come to a bunker that was used for the series, as pointed out to me by local expert José Enrique Martínez.
In his book about his neighbourhood, Zapillo, José Enrique informs us that in episode 6 of the first season: The Do or Die Raid, when Troy’s commandos have to enter German HQ to replace a map, filming took place in the aforementioned bunker (called Bobar), calle de la Curva, Calle Rodrigo Vivas Miras and inside the Colegio Francisco Franco, now thankfully called San Fernando.
61 Intergalactic
Sky is responsible for this sci-fi series, although they dropped it after one season.
A group of prisoners escapes while being exiled, and then they start fighting for their freedom in some desolate locations, such as the deserts of Tabernas, Almería and Gorafe, Granada. Filming in Almería took place in La Tortuga, and Las Lomillas.
On our journey through the desert of Gorafe, we were lucky to be accompanied by local tourism entrepreneur and film enthusiast Miguel, who drove us around in his 4X4 (totally necessary to visit all the good spots) showing us the locations of films and series.
Miguel explained that a crashed spaceship was brought to the desert, to an extraordinary area known as ‘Los Coloraos,’ where the filming took place for episode 2. Gorafe represents Pau Rosa, where the survivors bury their dead. If you don’t have a spaceship on hand, Miguel’s company can take you to the site, and he hasn’t crashed yet!
English speaking Miguel can be contacted via his web site: http://www.geoparkgranada.com/
Some shots were also taken in a tunnel on the M30 motorway in Madrid.
Their point of departure is the much nicer City of Arts and Sciences (CAC), Valencia, with all the usual CGI additives, representing a futuristic London.
In episode 3 Wendell is arrested and shot. This takes place in the Umbracle, a spectacular gardened esplanade and exhibition zone.
There is a night time aerial view of the CAC in episode 6 and in episode 8 Rebecca Harper’s coup takes place in the Palau des Arts, also known as the Opera House.
62 Realm of the Waterfall
Another fantasy with good triumphing over evil and, this time, women over men.
Among the Spanish locations are Barcelona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas, Garajonay National Park on La Gomera island and Fuerteventura.
63 Andor
Almost nobody would accuse George Lucas of milking a dead horse, and practically everyone agrees that Star Wars really needed a prequel to Rogue One. Nevertheless, what there is no doubt whatsoever about is that this is not about money, this is about art.
In March and April 2023 Lucasfilms descended upon the city of Valencia to shoot scenes for the second season, and the City of Arts and Sciences (CAC), already used in Tomorrowland, Westworld and Doctor Who among others, was the centre of attention, although Valencia’s Basketball stadium was also used.
CAC represents the Senate of Coruscant in the series, and appears in episodes 4 and 6 when we see Mon trying to convince Senators to vote with her.
In episodes 7 and 9 the CAC comes into its own, especially in episode 9 when Mon is practising her speech, meeting with Luthen, escaping with Cass and killing Klovis.
The mountains of Montserrat in Barcelona province represent Chandrila, the birth planet of Mon Mothma. In the first three episodes of season 2 she is hosting her daughter’s wedding there and we see various perspectives of the mountain range.
The castle at Xátiva was also employed for some scenes in episode 10, although digitally remastered almost out of recognition.
The scenes are part of a flashback explaining the relationship between Luthen and Kleya, where they witness a summary execution of some supposed rebels.
64 Citadel
A story of spies with their memories erased included some shooting in Valencia.
After the train crash in Italy, Nadia is kidnapped, and when she frees herself and realises her memory is about to be erased she writes herself a note to visit Valencia.
Although the action takes place during the city’s emblematic Fallas festival in March, the shooting actually took place during October 2022.
Mason goes to Valencia looking for her and we see an aerial view and then the Torres de Serrano, one of two remaining city gates from medieval times.
Scenes of Fallas festivities were shot in the Carmen district, Valencia’s historic centre.
When Mason and Nadia rescue Carter in Morocco, they stop the car at the foot of a dam, which we are told is Barrage Bab Louta, 50 kilometres from Fez. In fact it’s a bit further away as it’s the Tous dam about 60 kilometres south of the city of Valencia. Here they argue about Celeste, and then Manticore agents arrive with news of the kidnapping of Nadia and Mason’s daughter.
The second visit to Valencia takes place in episode 5. First we see an aerial view of the City of Arts and Sciences, an increasingly popular location for film and series makers. Then we see Nadia on a balcony with a church in the distance. The street is Calle de la Paz, and the church is Santa Catalina.
In episode 6 the City of Arts and Sciences, and especially the opera house, is the scenario for Mason and Nadia’s rescue of their daughter.
Villahermosa del Río, which is in Castellón province, also appears.
65 The Rings of Power
The first season of this prequel to Lord of the Rings was shot in the UK and New Zealand, although season 2 includes filming in Tenerife.
Teide National Park and San Juan de la Rambla were two of the locations chosen to represent Rhun.
Charco de la Laja was the location for a Numenorean Sea Trial, where Elendil and Queen Regent Míriel confront a sea creature.
66 Living the Dream
When the Pemberton family swaps Yorkshire for Florida, little do they know that the dream isn’t what they expected. Even less did they expect that in the second season their High School would in fact be the Law Faculty at Málaga University!
Filming also took place in a recording studio in Málaga, Puerto Records, and in San Roque in the province of Cádiz.
In San Roque they set up the camp site that the family runs in the Pinar del Rey, which forms part of the Parque Natural de los Alcornocales.
The coastal area of Sotogrande was used for the family home.
67 Framed
This 1990s 4 episode thriller starred ex-Bond star Timothy Dalton as a criminal hiding out on the Costa del Sol, where he is spotted by a British policeman on holiday.
It was also the first excursion into an English language part by Penelope Cruz.
Dalton stayed at the famous El Fuerte Hotel in Marbella, Málaga, whose other famous guests had included Walt Disney.
Filming took place in and around Marbella.
68 Doctor Death
The second season of this series about medical malpractice focuses on an Italian doctor, Paolo Macchiarini, although Tuscany is represented by Spain, specifically the quiet, medieval village of Guimerà, Lleída, whose population of 300 increased by 180 in April 2023, when cast and crew arrived.
Filming also took place in Sant Cugat del Vallès – Valldoreix, Barcelona.
69 Special Ops: Lioness
In February and March 2023 filming took place in Mallorca of scenes from the Paramount series which stars Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman among others.
Locations included the Formentor beach and the Fortalesa peninsular near Pollença.
Also used was the Pueblo Español, located in the Son Espanyolet district of the capital Palma. In Palma the restaurant of the Hotel Glòria de Sant Jaume represents a Washington nightspot. Son Vida in Palma also appears.
70 Crossfire
A fun family holiday turns sour when terrorists turn up to spoil everything.
The sunny scenery of paradisical Tenerife provides the backdrop.
Most of the action takes place in a hotel complex, which is the recently built Barceló Tenerife in Los Abrigos, near the airport in the south of the island.
Curiously since it was shown on the BBC, bookings have increased substantially. Go figure!
71 Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes
The square in front of Almería’s cathedral, which once played hosts to the tanks in ‘Patton,’ is once again the scene of shooting for this series about the Brazilian man accidentally killed as a suspected terrorist after the London bombings of 2005, although the locations, including the Pescadería-La Chanca and historic centre represent Italy, where a terrorist is arrested.
Almería also represents Jean Charles’ native Brazil, particularly the area of Pescadería, around Bar Los Sobrinos.
Jean Charles’ funeral takes place at El Pozo de los Frailes, Níjar and in the plaza de San Roque in Almería.
72 Fool Me Once
Although mostly filmed in Manchester, with locations including a mansion used in Peaky Blinders, some scenes were filmed around El Chorillo, Almería; specifically for the scenes showing Maya’s time as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.
73 Benidorm
The series lasted for ten seasons and tells the stories of holiday makers at the Solana Resort, which is in fact the Sol Pelicanos Ocas Hotel in Benidorm.
The rooms however were those of the Acuariam II Apartments.
Neptune’s bar/restaurant was nearby Morgan’s Tavern.
From series 3 onwards the reception was a set in a building opposite Benidorm Palace known as The Pink House. Nothing to do with The Band but the right colour.
74 Duty Free
This Yorkshire Television series from the 80s lasted for 22 episodes and told the story of Britons on holiday in Spain.
The main location was the Don Carlos Hotel in Marbella, Málaga.
75 We Were the Lucky Ones
This 8 part series tells the story of a Jewish family during the Holocaust.
For nautical scenes they filmed at the Puerto Sherry marina in Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz.
In the same province, in Jeréz they filmed at Plaza del Mercado, Palacio de Campo Real, around the Teatro Villamarta and calle Doña Blanca.
In callejón del Tinte the Polish embassy was located, and Addy runs there past the Bay of Cádiz promenade to collect his telegram.
Shooting also took place in Málaga’s Plaza del Obispo (representing Rio de Janeiro), and Villa Fernanda, a luxurious, modernist house and garden in Calle San Juan, which is the convent/orphanage where Mila is forced to leave her daughter.
The old prison was also employed, as was La Térmica in Avenida de los Guindos, 48, a cultural centre that was built in 1907, and functioned as a hospital and orphanage for many years. The prison was the Pionki gunpowder factory 60 miles from Warsaw, where Sol Kurc worked unhappily.
Additional scenes were shot in Antequera and Marbella. The Torcal Natural Park near Antequera represented Italy, where the Polish troops tried to take Monte Cassino.
Almería provided the scenery of Uzbekistan, where Genek travels by train and joins the Polish army, and the beach in Palestine.
Spanish locations also represented Poland and West Africa.
76 Archie
Archibald Alexander Leach, better known as Hollywood star Cary Grant, is the subject of a four part series called Archie.
The Villa Huerta del Conde, in Pinares de San Antón, Málaga, was one of the locations. This luxurious mansion, used now for weddings and events, represented a similarly luxurious mansion in Hollywood.
77 Stonehouse
Labour politician John Stonehouse faked his own death and fled from Miami to Australia, although in this 3-part mini series on ITV, he only got as far as Spain, specifically Torremolinos, Málaga, where the Hotel Pez Espada and the Carihuela beach filled in for the Hotel Fontainebleu and Miami beach respectively.
For Australia they didn’t go much further, using the Soho and Carranque districts and the reservoir of Agujero.
78 Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Corpses and a plane crash with a salute to Agatha Christie, this whodunnit although set in Mexico as the title suggests, was filmed on Gran Canaria, taking advantage of the shrubbery of the Viera y Clavijo botanic gardens at the north eastern extreme of the island.
Also used were Plaza de Sintes, Plaza de Pino and Calle Isaac Domínguez in the appropriately named town of Teror.
79 Stags
A stag do in South America goes wrong and the party goers find themselves on the wrong end of the local justice system.
Filming took place on the island of Tenerife at La Laguna, specifically calle Deán Palahí and the car park at C/ José Clavijo Fajardo (Antiguo Mercado), all of which were closed off for three days.
The prison was the old, abandoned leprosy asylum at Abades.
80 The Road Trip
On their way to a wedding a group of friends, acquaintances and a complete stranger share experiences against the backdrop of Gran Canaria.
Filming took place at Santa Brigida, and at San Mateo, where the locations included El Rescate restaurant, Herbolario Hedra and Calle Principal.
81 The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
The third season of this spin off was filmed in Madrid, Galicia, Aragón, Cataluña, Castilla León and Valencia from September 2024.
In Madrid shooting took place in calles Arlaban, Madrazo and Cedaceros, all representing London.
The palace where they escape from some zombies was Palacio de la Trinidad, designed by Luis Alemany Soler, located in calle Francisco Silvela. In February 2025 the dead were walking around a yellowish housing estate known as la Colonia Pico del Pañuelo.
In September 2024 the crew spent 10 days filming sea scenes in the City of Light studios in Alicante.
In late October and early November they filmed at the disused railway line that joined the Central Térmica (power station) de Andorra (not the country) and Samper de Calanda, both in Teruel province. Here we see Dixon riding along the line on a horse.
He upgrades to a motorbike when we see him riding through the Badlands of Planerón de Belchite in the province of Zaragoza. They also took advantage of the ruins of old Belchite, destroyed during the Civil War. It was here that they meet and help a group of lepers.
From September to November 2024 shooting took place in Sepúlveda Segovia at the main square, Plaza de España, the district of las Pucherillas and the arch and wall built next to one of the seven town gates, la Puerta del Río, all of which represent Solaz del Mar in fiction.
However, the patio of Antonio and Roberto’s house in Solaz del Mar was in fact part of the nearby Abadía de Santa María Real de Párraces, also used in Christian Bale’s The Promise.
In the same province, in November, they shot scenes along the forest track that links El Espinar and San Rafael using artificial fog.
Also in El Espinar, scenes were shot around the bullring.
In the province of A Coruña, Galicia, filming took place at the Boca do Río beach at Carnota and along the coast at Camariñas.
Also used were the lighthouse at Punta Nariga (Malpica, A Coruña) or the old abandoned whale processing factory at Caneliñas at Portonovo, Pontevedra.
Some of the classic locations of Sevilla provided exotic backdrops, such as Casa Pilatos, where a play with zombies as puppets takes place, and the Alcazar palace. Palacio de la Motilla in Calle Cuna also lent its charms.
On the 23rd of January filming took place at the vintage Tibidabo fairground overlooking Barcelona. Daryl and Paz allegedly walk through Parc Güell, although in fact the scene was shot in Parque de María Luisa de Sevilla, with some specially fabricated dragons.
Filming also took place at Badalona in the district of la Mora, near the Marina beach, using the three industrial chimneys known as the Tres Xemeneies de Sant Adrià de Besòs.
At the beginning of February 2025 filming took place in the city of Granada. In the famous Albaicín district the San Nicolas panoramic spot with its breathtaking views of the Alhambra was used, as were Paseo de los Tristes and Cuesta del Rey Chico.
In nearby Monachil shooting took place on a road known locally as la carretera del Purche.
In the province of Ávila the 16th century Romanesque bridge over the River Alberche in the town of Navalengua became a location in episode one of the third season. The bridge is supposed to be located in the south of England.
So happy were the producers filming the third season in Spain, that they immediately started filming the fourth season here too, specifically in Madrid, Bilbao, Andalucía, Segovia, Galicia and Toledo.
The old railway station at Algodor was used. Although technically part of the Comunidad de Madrid, it is closer to Toledo.
Also in Madrid, the car park of a genuinely abandoned shopping centre in Alcorcón called Alcor Plaza, was used, specifically in Parque Oeste.
Alcalá de Henares, hometown of Cervantes saw some filming in the last week of September 2025 at the old hospital of San Lucas and San Nicolás founded in 1513 to provide treatment for the poorer university students and the palace of Atilano Casado, also previously employed as a hospital, before becoming the residence of a politician, who gave it his name.
The back entrance to the Facultad de Farmacia became the front entrance to the American Base Naval de Rota (Cádiz), while the backstreets of Santa Maria and San Pedro and San Pablo also appear.
In late September it was the turn of Bilbao, Vizcaya, to fight or flee from the walking dead, and the esplanade of the Guggenheim Museum appeared, with its famous spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois.
The scenes shot here involved a live boar, whose salary consisted of acorns.
In Toledo filming took place in plaza de San Román and the famous Alcántara bridge. A mock fountain was set up next to the Convento de San Clemente.
In November cast and crew moved to Cartagena, Murcia, to shoot scenes at the coastal location of El Portús and the port of Escombreras.
82 Blade Runner 2099 (2025)
The follow up to Blade Runner 2049, also filmed partly in Spain, which was of course the follow up to Blade Runner.
Filming took place in Cubelles (Garraf, Barcelona), at the Platja de les Salines and on the pier leading to the old power station.
There was more shooting at Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Baix Llobregat, Barcelona), at a cement factory and at Sant Adrià de Besòs, famous for its industrial chimneys.
Further south some silos in the port of Tarragona were employed, right next to the marina where some disgustingly expensive yachts of the super filthy rich are docked.
Filming also took place at the enormous mountaintop complex of Mútua Laboral Midat, Plana de Can Genís, Cabrils, Barcelona, a centre for the rehabilitation of workers injured in industrial accidents, abandoned in 2007.
83 Seven Dials
Iain Glen from Game of Thrones fame was filming in Ronda, Málaga from 16-18 September 2024.
Among the locations used for this Agatha Christie thriller were Puente Viejo, Fuente de los Ocho Caños, the Baños Árabes (Arab Baths), plaza Duquesa de Parcent, the Alameda del Tajo, the plaza de toros (bullring) and Puente Nuevo.
84 Cobra Kai
The sixth season of the series sees the action move to Barcelona, from episode 6 onwards. It is here that we see the international karate championship, Sekai Taikai.
The event and lodging appears to take place in the 5 star W Barcelona hotel, Plaça Rosa del Vents 1 Final Passeig De Joan De Borbó, the image of which appears constantly throughout.
The nearby Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià beaches also hosts different meetings between the tournament participants.
Also in episode 6 some action takes place in Barcelona’s aquarium, with its glass tunnels through multiple fish.
In episode 7 Daniel takes a taxi to the Gothic quarter. The driver leaves him behind the cathedral, warning him that it’s a dangerous area where tourists don’t go. In fact it’s an area usually full of tourists.
In episode 10, our heroes take to the streets of Barcelona to train, and some fighting takes place with Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral as a backdrop.
Other scenes were shot at Plaza Reial, where the participants train by tossing melons to each other,
in front of the Museu de d’Art Nacional de Catalunya (MNAC), where we can see the bullring and in la Rambla, and at the Sant Pau Hospital, with its art nouveau architecture.
Inserted into these images of Barcelona, curiously, is the iconic bridge of the town of Besalú, which appears in the film ‘Perfume: the story of a murderer.’
Filming took place between 8th and 11th of March 2024.
85 The Night Manager
This six part mini series based on the John Le Carre book actually features a cameo appearance by the writer, in a restaurant in Mallorca, where all the Mediterranean scenes with villains on powerboats were shot.
Le Carre is dining in the restaurant of the Hotel Maricel at C’as Catalá, just outside Palma; a location used various times. It is here that Corky loses his cool and Pine smooths things over.
Sa Fortalesa, built in 1628, on Cape s’Avançadain at the end of the Port de Pollença, is Roper’s stronghold, seen at various times throughout the series from the second episode onwards with spectacular aerial views included.
The same fort was used for Axel’s birthday party in the Netflix series, White Lines.
In a scene where Pine takes Danny for a walk, they are in reality in Carrer de la Marina, Puerto de Soller. They are seen queuing at the Glace Moustache ice cream van at the moment when Angela Barr listens in on their conversation.
The super trendy beach bar Cas Patró March at Cala Deia features, as it did in ‘Evil Under the Sun,’ for the child kidnapping scene, when Pine gets beaten up and into the organisation.
Palau March, a well known landmark in the capital, was used as the entrance to an Istanbul hotel.
Flexibility is, or would be, Palma’s middle name as the terrace of the Sadrassana restaurant in Plaça de Drassanes, Santa Eulalia church (supposedly a church in Madrid where Angela meets the Spanish lawyer) and Café Moderno all perform well as locations in Madrid.
We also have an aerial view of the capital’s kilometre zero, Puerta del Sol, just before Sandy Langbourne meets with a lawyer.
In season 2 some of the action moves to the abandoned underwear factory of Abanderado in Mataró, Barcelona, closed since 2010.
On Tenerife they did some filming on a set set up in Los Rodeos airport and at a horse riding centre in the north of the island.
Shooting also took place at a guachinche (a tavern typical of the northern part of the island) called ‘Como en Casa’, situated in La Laguna.
Filming also took place at the mythical Hostal Gavina at S’Agaró, Girona.
86 Catch You Later
Jason Watkins stars in this mini series which was filmed in the Basque country.
In the province of Álava the Arriaga park saw some action as did the Aranbizkarra district in the capital, Vitoria.
In Vizcaya there was some shooting in the village of Loiu, specifically around Landatxueta, and according to the Town Hall, in Kalea Larrauri.
87 Three Body Problem
When Ye Wenjie is driven up a hill to a Chinese military facility in Mongolia called ‘Red Coast Base,’ she is in fact a long way from home, specifically in the province of Cáceres. The hill with its imposing radar dish is located on Pico de la Villuerca, which hosts a Spanish military base, although the dish was added later with CGI.
Already a local organisation has started offering 3 Body Problem hikes to visit the location and learn about the three months the team spent there.
88 Pluribus
The makers of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul now bring us Pluribus, a science fiction series.
On Gran Canaria scenes representing South America were shot in the district of Las Palmas known as Riscos de San Nicolás and San Roque, Calle Real del Castillo, the military hospital, the castle of San Francisco, a gulley known as Guiniguada and the La Laja bicycle lane.
On La Palma island there was filming at forests called Cubo de la Galga and Los Tilos, a waterfall called Cascada de los Tilos, the church of las Angustias and in the streets of the quaint town of Tazacorte.
Further north in Gipuzkoa, the crew set up in the port of Zumaia and filmed in and around the Hotel Iturregi, Getaria.
They also used Santiago Calatrava’s futuristic airport building at Bilbao, Vizcaya.
One week after the makers of The Fantastic Four made use of the building in November 2024, some shooting took place in Oviedo, Asturias, at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos, aka El Calatrava.
89 The Girlfriend
In October 2024 Robin Wright was to be found starring, directing and producing this series on the Costa del Sol.
In Málaga the port was converted into an airport, and additional filming took place in Ronda and Marbella for episodes 2 and 4.
The Cortijo San Francisco, located in Camino Nicola near Estepona, built for Stewart Granger in 1973, was one location, and is available to rent. It is here that Wright’s family spend a luxurious holiday with Cherry.
Also used was the Cueva (cave) del Gato (cat) at Benaoján, near Ronda. At the entrance to the cave is a pool, where Cherry and Daniel go for a swim.
The shopping scene was shot in a market created in the main square of old Marbella.
A wine tasting is organised at a vineyard with an eccentric building, which is the Almazara wine and olive oil museum complex designed by Philippe Starck, and located just north east of Ronda.
90 The Split: Barcelona
After three seasons on the BBC, a two episode special was filmed, centred around a wedding that takes place surrounded by vineyards.
Although they wanted to film the arrival of the wedding party at the airport, it was too complicated and so they used the port ferry terminal instead.
The vineyard, called Finca Valldeflors in the series was in reality the elegant Torre del Veguer, located at Sant Pere de Ribes, Tarragona. The location, with its castle dating back to 1359, is in fact used for weddings and other events. The wedding in the series however took place on the beach, at Playa de Canyadell at Torredembarra.
For the hen party the girls went to Sitges, Barcelona, where a closed Russian restaurant in Calle San Juan became the Bodega Ramón.
91 La Palma
This Norwegian mini series, filmed in Norwegian, Spanish and English, depending on who was talking with whom, tells the story of a disaster, a volcanic eruption and tsunami, and how it affects tourists, politicians and scientists.
Filming took place on La Palma, but also on Tenerife.
La Palma airport features when Sara tries to fly to Madrid, while the hospital where the plane crash victims go and where Haukur is hospitalised is Hospital de Dolores.
The Geological Institute where Haukur and Marie work is in fact the Caños de Fuego Interpretation Centre, which is also where the cave is located. It is called the Cueva de las Palomas, and can be found at Los Llanos de Aridane.
The waterfall was La Cascada de Los Tilos, at San Andrés y Sauces.
The village where the colourful houses are is Tazacorte, and also used on La Palma were Breña Baja and Fuencaliente.
The hotel exteriors were shot at H10 Taburiente Playa, although for the interiors they principally used La Isla Bonita resort.
Also on Tenerife they filmed at Granadilla de Abona, Icod de los Vinos, Arico and the marinas at Gigantes and Radazul. The beach known as Playa de La Arena features too.
The port where the Norwegian family manage to catch a ferry was at Los Abrigos, where we see the restaurant of the same name.
92 Hostage
The British series about the female British and French Prime Ministers included filming on La Palma island.
As the British PMs’ husband is kidnapped in French Guiana, the tropical scenery is quite appropriate.
The locations used were La Laguna de Barlovento, Cubo de La Galga and the forest tracks at Breña Baja and Villa de Mazo. Thanks to Crístofer Pérez Díaz of the La Palma Film Commission for his help.
93 Young Sherlock
Guy Richie returns to the character of Sherlock Holmes, this time during his university days.
Colin Firth also participates with filming in the province of Cádiz, and particularly at Jerez de la Frontera.
In the latter they used the horses and carriages of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, the Real Escuela.
The local castle, the Alcázar de Jerez was also used, as were Plazas de la Yerba and de la Asunción.
Jerez is the city where they produce a fortified wine that is very popular in Britain, although the British couldn’t pronounce the city’s name and called it ‘sherry’ instead. Many of the sherry companies have British names, such as Osbourne.
In Cádiz, at Puerto de Santa María, they used the Mucho Teatro disco in Calle Misericordia 12.
In the city of Cádiz itself they filmed in and around Plaza de Argüelles, where the 18th century Hotel Casa de las Cuatro Torres is featured and in Calles Manuel Rancés and Fermín Salvochea. It is in this area where a street battle takes place.
The decadence of the Café Royalty, opened in 1912 in the Plaza Candelaria, was transformed into a Parisien brasserie L’Aigle et L’Olive. Plaza de la Mina was also employed.
Apparently Cádiz represents the Paris of 1871 during the revolutionary time of the Commune.
Filming took place in Sevilla too.
The final location to receive the crew and cast of Young Sherlock was Nerva in the province of Huelva, where the old Rio Tinto mines, now a tourist attraction, offered some industrial revolutionary scenery with a British flavour. The 5,000 year old mines belonged to a British company from the 19th century until 1954.
94 NCIS: Tony & Ziva
For reasons that will no doubt be made clear, this iconic action series was to be seen shooting in Tenerife in January 2025.
La Orotava and Icod de los Vinos were two of the locations. Parque del Drago featured, and we can hope to see its famous Drago trees, some of which are a thousand years old.
95 This City is Ours
Sean Bean stars as a Liverpool gangster, who has a spectacular villa in Marbella, Málaga, although the Colombian cartel has a cliffside base too. Málaga’s port was used, although it represented Santander.
Filming also took place among the rugged mountains of the Torcal National Park.
96 Kill Jackie
Catherine Zeta Jones and husband Michael Douglas are both big fans of Spain, having spent a lot of time in Mallorca. However , it is in Vizcaya where Jones is filming this thriller.
Jones, a big golf fan, has joined the Real Sociedad de Golf de Neguri at Getxo to while away her time between scenes.
In March 2025 she filmed scenes around the internationally famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Filming also took place around plaza del Puente Colgante. The suspension bridge, built in 1893, is the world’s oldest transporter bridge.
The Club Marítimo del Abra also features, as does Puerto Viejo de Algorta and the cruise liner terminal, all in Getxo.
A building situated in calle Capuchinos de Basurto, number 6 became a busy bus station for the purposes of the series.
Filming also took place at the Ereaga beach, palacio Lezama – Leguizamón, Romo, plaza del Puente Bizkaia and Las Arenas dock.
The filming moved to nearby Navarra to take advantage of the scenery of the desert of the Bardenas Reales
and at Otazu, where they filmed in the vineyard which was also a location for the series Vampire Academy.
97 Still Star-Crossed
In April 2016 Salamanca’s calle Compañía, Casa de las Conchas, the cathedral and the university, all became 16th century Verona in order to continue the story of the families of Romeo and Juliet, although this time with the politically correct addition of various typically 16th century Italian black actors.
Some scenes were also shot in and around nearby Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, at the Basílica de Santa Teresa, an unfinished temple, started in the late 19th century to host Saint Teresa’s remains, although it does operate as a pilgrim hostel.
Another scenario was Cáceres, where a non-execution and rooftop arrowfest in front of San Jorge church serves to announce that “the new Prince is coming!”
In Plasencia, the Palacio Mirabel features as Juliet’s home, and the cathedral also appears.
In Ciudad Real province, in the town of Viso de Marqués, another palace, the 16th century Palacio de los Marqueses de Santa Cruz was employed too.
Apparently the producers are now planning an LGTB version of Othello with an all Chinese cast.
98 These Sacred Vows
An Irish wedding is a fine things, until the officiating priest is found floating in the pool.
Filming took place in Tenerife, where the church of San Antonio de Padua in Granadilla de Abona hosts the wedding, with additional scenes shot in the Town Hall and the old convent of San Francisco in Plaza González Mena.
Los Abrigos also features.
99 Frauds
The sixth season includes filming on Tenerife, in and around the capital Santa Cruz.
The district of Anaga in San Andrés hosted filming in February 2025, followed by the Centro Comercial Meridiano in Centro-Ifara. A penthouse in Avenida Ángel Guimerá, near the Teatro Guimerá was also employed.
Tenerife was used to simulate the Costa del Sol, where the action supposedly takes place.
In Madrid, the Reina Sofia museum, home of Picasso’s Guernica, was the scene of their plan to steal Dali’s painting the Great Masturbator.
100 Yakamoz S 245
Although it is a Turkish series, the presence of a German scientist who doesn’t speak Turkish means that a lot of the dialogue is in English.
It’s the end of the world as we know it; this time because of the Sun’s rays, but the crew of a Turkish submarine has survived.
On their voyage they visit Gijón in Asturias in episode 6, searching for a group of miners who claim to have an underground refuge. Consequently some scenes were filmed at the port, although it’s night-time and we don’t see much.
101 Rivals
A tale of television and rivalry which has an interlude in Spain in season 1 episode 6 when Rupert and Cameron meet up.
We can see them stroll along Calle San Agustin, through Plaza del Obispo, Málaga, dine at the 19th century of Casa de los Bates Restaurant in Motril, with accommodation at Las Dunas Grand Luxury Hotel, Estepona.
102 Baby Doll
Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen participates in this series about a kidnapping, with scenes shot in Álava.
103 Fallen
A rehabilitation centre which is not quite what it seems.
Some of the second series was shot at Alhaurín de la Torre and Fuengirola, Málaga.
104 Death in Benidorm
Not a canal to be seen as a retired detective has to resume his career investigating fatalities on the beach and in the bars. Filmed, imaginatively in Benidorm, Alicante.
105 Dark Matter
Season two of the science fiction series included filming in September 2021 in the iconic town of Ronda, Málaga, whose bridge (Puente Nuevo) crosses a deep gorge to join the two halves of the city.
Cueva del Gato, a cave located at Benaoján, Coín and Ardales all featured while the province of Cádiz added Grazalema and Villaluenga del Rosario to the list.
Films in Development
Government Work
Alex Cox returns to the Tabernas desert of Almería for what might be his final film.
Untitled Don Johnson film
Since September 2023 the local media have been raving about the arrival of Don Johnson in the tiny Basque village of Zeanuri, Vizcaya.
All we know is that Johnson’s character will have a house in the village, and that filming will take place in the locations of the Lanbreabe electricity plant and the Undurraga reservoir.
An Actor’s Journey 2020
An Indian actor goes west looking for the dream, and visits a lot of European locations, including Madrid.
To be continued…………?
Movies Made in Spain 