Four movie and TV locations not to miss in Almeria

There’s a very good reason why Hollywood became the movie capital of the world. It was simply a question of practicality; within a couple of hours’ drive, one can reach any number of different shooting locations from deserts to forests and beaches to snow-capped mountains.

In fact, European filmmakers can find the same wide range of places much nearer to home, in Spain. For example, when Sergio Leone was searching for the ideal setting for his spaghetti westerns he found it in Hoyo de Manzanares, close to Madrid. And when the makers of The Bourne Ultimatum needed a café to look like it was Turin but were shooting in Spain, they found that the 19^th-century architecture of the city’s Café del Principe made for the ideal alternative.

Further south, Almeria and the Costa del Sol have also proved to be very popular, and fans of any of these four movies or shows might want to head for where the action was filmed.

Sexy Beast, Agua Amarga

The 2001 film which is regarded as one of the very best of the era’s British gangster movies was filmed almost entirely on location in Agua Amarga. This is a tiny village with a permanent population of only around 200 people within the Cabo de Gata desert, and the luxury villa where the main character, Gary Dove (Ray Winstone) lived is one of the grandest homes in the area.

Game of Thrones, Desert of Tabernas

The HBO saga recreated its fictional world in a huge range of locations ranging from Northern Ireland to Croatia to Spain. In season 6, the Desert of Tabernas became the land of the Dothraki and many fans still head there to experience the scenery for themselves. It’s quite off the beaten track so car hire from Malaga airport, available to book online no matter your requirements, is the best way to get there. Also worth checking out is the Alcazaba Fortress, which was the capital of Dorne in the series.

Dr Who, Fort Bravo

Back in the old days when the Daleks looked like they were made of cardboard, production values were undoubtedly low. But all that changed with the Russell T Davies reboot in 2005. By 2012 they were even filming abroad and the episode A Town Called Mercy, which had a wild west theme, was largely filmed at Fort Bravo. This is an American-styled theme park with many sets including a traditional main street and a Spanish pueblo – which were both featured in the filming.

Black Mirror, Almeria

In a series largely filmed in the US after the franchise was acquired by Netflix after its initial run on Channel 4, it was surprising that they chose the area around Almeria as the location for the controversial Black Museum episode in the fourth season. It’s an anthology episode telling three separate narratives about three different artefacts found in the museum, an one-storey building that it will take the most dedicated of Black Mirror fans to find.

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to films made in Almeria. Visit for yourself and it won’t take long for you to see its appeal to filmmakers for yourself.

The editorial unit