Mini Hollywood & various locations around Almería province

Movies: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, Conan the Barbarian and lots more… 

Almería was a paradise for Hollywood film producers in the 60’s and 70’s, providing sensational backdrops to their movies, without a hefty location fee or suffocating bureaucracy. The Tabernas desert has unique and enigmatic landscapes that have doubled for the Wild West (see The Good, The Bad and The Ugly). Mónsul beach near San José has featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Never Ending Story and The Wind and the Lion. The well worn sets of Mini Hollywood have now been turned into an amusement park, but once saw the likes of Clint Eastwood, Brigitte Bardot, Harrison Ford, Alain Delon, Sean Connery, Raquel Welch and Orson Welles treading its boards. 

Tossa de Mar, Catalonia

Movie: Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

Ava Gardner’s close affinity with Spain began with this hauntingly beautiful movie, gorgeously photographed by Jack Cardiff and enthusiastically championed by Martin Scorsese. The little coastal town of 'Esperanza' is actually the lovely little seaside resort of Tossa de Mar, near Girona on the Costa Brava, about 65 miles northeast of Barcelona. There’s a statue of Gardner in one of the town squares and the local baker still bakes ‘besos de ‘Ava Gardner’ (translation: Ava Gardner's kisses) to nibble on.

Cádiz, Andalucia

Movie: Die Another Day (2002)

Do you remember Halle Berry’s stunning homage to Ursula Andress on a Cuban beach in Die Another Day? Well, the scene was actually shot on La Caleta beach in Cádiz. As Berry and Pierce Brosnan exchange flirty one-liners, you can see the Castle of San Sebastian in the background.

Seville & Cordoba, Andalucia 

Movies: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002), Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

The Plaza de España is a remarkable building and outdoor leisure area in Seville, built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It popped up in Lawrence of Arabia representing The Officer’s Club in Cairo, it doubled as the City of Theed on the Planet Naboo in Star Wars. Seville’s Casa de Pilatos Museum and Alcazar were used in Kingdom of Heaven as stand-ins for King Baldwin IV’s palace in Jerusalem. The film also featured scenes shot in Cordoba’s Palma del Río’s Palacio Portocarrero. Well known TV shows who have also chosen Seville and Cordoba as shooting locations include Game of Thrones and The Crown. 

Soria, Castile and León

Movie: Dr Zhivago (1965)

Classic movie auteur David Lean chose Spain as a key filming location for his epic weepy. While viewers may think they’re looking at tsarist Moscow and Soviet Siberia, the snow-covered woodlands in the movie were actually filmed near Soria. The train station in Villar del Campo is featured in the long sequence covering Omar Sheriff’s escape from Moscow, while the charming village of Candilichera was a stand-in for Varynkino, the Gromeko estate in the Ural Mountains. 

Majorca and Begur, Catalonia 

Movie: Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift starred in this beautiful and dramatic Gothic mystery film. Both female leads were nominated for the 1960 Best Actress Academy Award. The disturbing "Cabeza de Lobo" sequence, which served as the climax of the movie, was filmed in Majorca and Begur, S'Agaró and Castell-Platja d'Aro, picturesque Catalan seaside resorts on the Costa Brava. 

Barcelona, Catalonia 

Movies: Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008), All About My Mother (1999) 

Woody Allen’s romantic drama, starring Scarlett Johansen and Javier Bardem features major Barcelona landmarks like La Sagrada Familia, Joan Miró Foundation art gallery, and Casa Milà, an apartment building designed by Gaudí. Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother is set mostly around the Palau de la Música, and the final scene is shot in the cemetery of Montjuïc. 

Madrid, Cuenca, Santiago de Compostela, Toledo, A Coruña & Segovia

Movie: The Pride and the Passion (1957)

Starring Cary Grant, Sofia Loren, and Frank Sinatra (whose Spanish accent in this movie is guaranteed to give you a good laugh) set tongues wagging with their shenanigans on set. It was rumoured that Sinatra only took the role to be near his wife, Ava Gardner, with whom he was having marital problems at the time. While Cary Grant spent most of the shoot pursuing co-star Sophia Loren, who went on to marry her agent, Carlo Ponti later that year. Locations used in the movie include Ciudad Encantada, Cuenca, El Escorial's monastery, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Segovia’s Roman Aqueduct, and Toledo.

Cantabria, the Basque country, Aragon, La Rioja, Castile La Mancha and Andalucia

Movie: The Trip to Spain (2017)

Steve Coogan convinces Rob Brydon to go on a road trip through Cantabria, the Basque region, Aragon, La Rioja, Castile, La Mancha and Andalucia, retracing the journey Steve took as a young man. On their journey the pair discuss history, fame, and fatherhood. Highlights include the bucolic fishing village of Getaria, the pretty coastal resort of Hondarribia on the Spanish/French border (pictured), and Sos del Rey Católico, a historic town in Aragon. 

Navarre

Movie: Robin and Marian (1976)

Oscar winners Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn star in this sweet film that picks up the Robin Hood and Maid Marian love story in their old age. Filmed in Zamora, and some other beautiful Medieval Navarre villages such as Artajona and Quinto Real. Connery loved Spain so much that he became a Costa del Sol resident in the late seventies. He and his wife settled down in Casa Malibú, a property located between Marbella's Golden Mile and Puerto Banús. 

Agua Amarga, Almeria

Movie: Sexy Beast (2000)

Agua Amarga is a quaint fishing village in the Cabo de Gata Nature Reserve, with white-washed houses overlooking a picturesque bay with an 800-metre blue flag beach. It also served as the backdrop to one of the UK’s top gangster movies. Ray Winstone’s retirement in this beautiful Almerían fishing village is cut short when he’s asked to return to the UK to carry out ‘one last job.’ 

Buitrago de Lozoya, Madrid Region

Movies: El Cid (1961), Asteroid City (2023), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Like any medieval city, Buitrago del Lozoya is a town where the greatest pleasure is just getting lost in the winding streets and listening to the whisper of centuries of history around every corner. Buitrago is a charming municipality 74 km from Madrid, with a historic centre encircled by an ancient Arab wall, next to the Lozoya river. This historic town has been considered a Site of Cultural Interest since 1993, and has been a favourite location among filmmakers for decades.

So there you have it, fellow film enthusiasts and prospective property owners! Spain is not only a hub for cinematic creativity but also a treasure trove of unique and quirky locations to call home. Whether you're drawn to the sunny coasts, historic towns, or desert landscapes, there's a piece of Spain that's just waiting for you to make your own cinematic memories. Lights, camera, action – it's time to start your Spanish property adventure