Famous movies filmed in the Canary Islands

Throughout the years a lot of movies were shot in the Canary Islands, among these also quite a few hollywood blockbusters. Here we’ve put together a selection of international movies for you.

1) Clash of the Titans (2010) & Wrath of the Titans (2012)

The two fantasy adventure movies Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans not only boast a huge star cast (such as Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson und Ralph Fiennes) but also stunning pictures of Tenerife.

Most of the filming has actually been done on this beautiful island. Fancy a sample? The trailer of the second movie of the Titan series features amazing pictures of the National Park Teide.

For those preferring to experience the locations for themselves, the local trekking company “Patea tus Montes” offers a special “Clash of the Titans – Tour”. A pdf of the trail may be downloaded here.

2) Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

In 2013 the sixth installment in The Fast and the Furious movie series was filmed in Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Here’s the trailer so that you can find out which scenes have been shot in the Canaries:

3.) Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

This film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley was released in 2014.

The location shooting took place between Almería and Fuerteventura, there particular in Cofete, Punta de Jandía, El Cotillo, the valleys of Buen Paso and Los Canarios, Risco del Paso and Tebeto.

It’s impressive to see how the different landscapes of Fuerteventura turn into the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea:

4) Moby Dick (2015)

The Canary Islands have been chosen twice for the film adaption of “Moby Dick”. The classic by Herman Melville narrates the sinking of the whaler Essex in 1820. Some scenes of the “Moby Dick” (1956) film, starring Gregory Peck and Orson Welles and directed by John Huston, were shot at Canteras beach in Gran Canaria.

The second time was in 2013, the year in which “In the Heart of the Sea”, featuring Ron Howard as director and Chris Hemsworth as main actor, was filmed. This time the location shooting took place in Lanzarote and La Gomera.

5) Palm trees in the Snow (2015)

This Spanish film is an adaptation of the bestseller “Palmeras en la Nieve” by Luz Gabás, starring Mario Casas and Adriana Ugarte. The movie is set in the 1950’s and narrates the forbidden love between a European and an African girl on a seclucted island of Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony.

“Palm trees in the Snow” was shot between Huesca, Colombia and Gran Canaria. The island was the film location for 10 weeks. Although the majority of the scenes were filmed around the Finca de Osorio, close to Teror, Las Palmas, Arucas, Gáldar and Telde were also part of the location shooting.

For the movie the Finca de Osorio, an historic farmhouse amidst the nature reserve Parque Rural de Doramas, was turned into an exotic cocoa plantation.

6) Allied (2016)

Fuerteventura’s famous dunes turned out to be an ideal setting for a film set in 1940s North Africa. Part of the story takes place in the Moroccan city of Casablanca, which was recreated in part in the historic quarter of Vegueta in the capital of Gran Canaria. This action film – with a hint of romance – stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. 

7) Jason Bourne (2016)

Tenerife’s streets whisked us off to Greece on the set of the most recent film of the Bourne saga, starring Matt Damon and Tommy Lee Jones, which premiered in 2016. One of the film’s key fight scenes was shot on location in the municipality of Güímar. 

8) Wild Oats (2016)

This American comedy centres on a trip to the Canary Islands and stars none other than Demi Moore. It was filmed on location in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the island’s capital, and the historic Vegueta district. 

9) Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

The fifth and last film of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo saga features locations on Tenerife such as Santa Úrsula, Teide National Park, Los Gladiolos and El Rosario, made to look like the border between Arizona and Mexico. 

10) Taxi to Treasure Rock (2019)

This film – with a cast led by Dani Rovira together with Joaquín Furriel and Ingrid García Jonsson – was shot in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, made to look like the Rock of Gibraltar.

11) Eternals (2021)

The superheroes at Marvel Studios and SurFilm Canarias flung on their capes and headed to the island of Fuerteventura to film Eternals, starring Hollywood royalty including Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie herself. The film is set to hit cinema screens in November. 

Categories: Canaries, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife