Where Was Your Favorite Movie Filmed?
Oftentimes we watch movies, discover a scene that captures our imagination, wonder where in the world it was filmed, and realize how awesome it would be to actually visit.
We can begin pull out our favorite old movies, or even find some new ones, and discover some iconic filming locations to add to our bucket lists. To get you started, here are some alluring destinations that played host to some popular movies we all know and love.
Kauai
A producer once said that one of his favorite locations to shoot films was the Hawaiian island of Kauai. “We shoot on Kauai because it’s beautiful, magical, tropical, and just plain paradise.”
Allerton Garden is a must-see lush botanical paradise with exotic flowers and scores of indigenous Hawaiian plants. Its massive fig trees were featured in the raptor egg discovery scene in 1993's Jurassic Park. Kauai is renowned for its magnificent waterfalls. If you can recall the opening scene of the movie, a helicopter dramatically descends alongside Jurassic Park Falls. Not surprisingly, it’s actually Kauai’s glorious Manawaiopuna Falls featured in the film, which is still accessed only by helicopter today.
Kauai’s beaches have also been the setting for Soul Surfer, the story of Bethany Hamilton, the teenage surfer who lost her left arm in a shark attack, and different Pirates of the Caribbean films. One of the most famous musicals, South Pacific, was filmed on the incredible Lumahai Bay, known as the origination point for those hiking the magnificent Na Pali Coast.
Martha's Vineyard
A small island located off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard is known for its sea captains’ homes with white picket fences, charming gingerbread inns, impressive lighthouses, beautiful beaches, clam shacks and seafood digs. It’s perfect escapism from the hustle and bustle of big city life. Visiting in the off-season offers more time to linger over pastoral and ocean views and bike along the picturesque coastline.
Summer is the high season on Martha’s Vineyard, the setting for Steven Spielberg’s 1975 Hollywood blockbuster, Jaws. The movie was so popular that even today, visitors can pick up a map to tour the 11 filming destinations of the island, renamed Amity in the movie. And who can forget the famous line by actor Roy Scheider “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
New Zealand
It’s no wonder the Oscar-winning movie trilogy Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand. The country’s magnificent landscapes range from the bleak volcanic mountains representing Mordor to the lush verdant hobbit hills portraying the Shire. The rolling hills of Matamata became Hobbiton, the home of Bilbo and Frodo, and the Southern Alps and South Island glaciers represented the Misty Mountains where Gollum hid away with the ring for 500 years.
New Zealand’s topography is truly stunning. It’s the land of beauty and adventure. Cycling and walking trails dot the countryside from north to south. Its coastal waters are ideal for kayaking, sailing and diving. Stargazing becomes a magically breathtaking experience on Mount Cook, home to the darkest skies in the world, where constellations and shooting stars feel close enough to almost touch. To boot, the kiwis (locals) are a friendly lot and more than willing to share their piece of paradise with visitors who come to share in the bounty of this heaven on earth.
Petra, Jordan
A city half as old as time, Petra, Jordan is one of the magnificent wonders of the ancient world. Parts of the city have been miraculously preserved, but until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt “rediscovered” it in 1812, Petra had been forgotten for centuries.
This lost city in Jordan became an even more popular destination after the filming of Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade, starring Harrison Ford.
Though the movies were filmed in multiple world locations, one of the blockbuster’s most unforgettable scenes was shot at Al Khazneh, Arabic for “The Treasury,” one of the most elaborate temples in Petra. Carved out of the face of a cliff, it’s here in the climactic scene of the film that Indy and his father, played by Sean Connery, are seen leaving the temple on horseback.
Today, the massive World Heritage archeological site is Petra’s greatest tourist attraction, luring historians, professional photographers, and adventurers from all over the world.
Rome, Italy
Who can deny that Rome remains one of Europe’s most popular destinations?
All who visit the Eternal City fall in love with it. You name it, you’ll find it here—great wine and food, love and romance, history, ancient structures, culture, resplendent fountains, and the heart and soul of the Catholic faith. So many memorable movies have been filmed here that it’s impossible to name them all.
We’ve had unforgettable experiences walking in the steps of emperors as characters did in cinematic hits like The Gladiator, Ben-Hur and Spartacus. Everyone who comes to Rome must make a wish in the Trevi fountain, as did the female stars of the movie Three Coins in the Fountain. Remember, it’s right hand over left shoulder to ensure your return visit.
When Julia Roberts character Elizabeth Gilbert escaped to Rome searching for the beauty of Italian food in the first destination of the movie Eat, Pray, Love, spectacular images of Rome are forever etched in our minds—the cobblestone streets and piazzas, charming outdoor cafes, the imposing Roman Coliseum, Pantheon, Jewish Ghetto, picturesque Borghese Gardens and, of course, San Crispino Gelato, touted as the best gelateria in all of Rome.
Cephalonia, Greece
The Greek islands have long been a siren call to romantics. It seems that each island we visit is more seductively inspiring than the last.
In Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Nicholas Cage plays a World War II Italian officer posted to the alluring Ionian island of Cephalonia. It's there where he falls in love with a Greek beauty played by Penelope Cruz. Movie scenes are breathtaking, but only because the Mediterranean island is truly a natural paradise.
Following the release of the film in 2001, the island bustled with tourists. Today though, travelers still come to take in the lushness of its verdant mountains, crystalline sapphire waters, enchanting caverns, picturesque fishing villages, and remote idyllic beach coves. Cephalonia remains one of the Greek Island’s best-kept secrets, a true hidden gem.
Dream Vacations - The Operach Team is a travel agency based in Overland Park, Kansas. We take pride in working with clients across the country who love to travel. We build vacation experiences that will create memories to last a lifetime. Our team has specialties across a wide range of vacation options; custom Europe itineraries, Alaska, escorted tours, all-inclusive resorts, Disney, Caribbean, Hawaii, South Pacific, cruise holidays, and river cruises.
We look forward to making your dream vacations come true!!
We look forward to making your dream vacations come true!!
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