10 famous films shot in the Canary Islands

If you are in the Canary Islands on your next vacation, we propose a new way of discovering the wonders they hide through the eyes of the cinema.

TheCanary Islands is one of the preferred destinations for film production companies, both nationally and internationally.

One of the key factors for choosing the Canary Islands as a filming location for blockbusters is attributed to the great variety of landscapes and natural scenery on each of the islands, making it possible to recreate scenes that combine beach and forest or terrestrial and underwater life.

In this post we have created a list of the 10 most famous films shot in the Canary Islands. In addition, we have also added the location of the shootings, so you can discover the wonderful landscapes that captivated these super-producers to shoot the feature films.

1. Films shot in Gran Canaria

The landscapes of Gran Canaria have been a key setting for the filming of different movies over the years. Natural landscapes such as the Maspalomas Dunes and more urban landscapes such as the city of Las Palmas have been chosen as film sets for the following films:

ALLIES (2016)

This film, starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, is set in the 1940s in North Africa. The main character is a spy who falls in love with a French resistance fighter, who could be a double agent collaborating with the Nazis.

Part of the story of the film is set in the city of Casablanca, so in order to recreate the setting of the place as well as possible, parts of the old quarter of Vegueta and part of Las Dunas de Maspalomas were used.

AS QUEENS (2016)

This American comedy starring the famous actresses Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Lange and Demi Moore, in which Eva (the protagonist), after being widowed and receiving an inheritance of 5 million dollars, decides to travel to the Canary Islands with her best friend, but things go wrong in a very comical way.

The capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the old quarter of Vegueta and the Hotel Lopesan Costa Meloneras Spa & Resort, brought the story of this comic film to life.

TAXI TO GIBRALTAR (2019)

This Spanish comedy starring actors Dani Rovira, Joaquín Furriel and Ingrid García Jonsson, in which the three protagonists go in search of a supposed shipment of gold hidden in the tunnels of the Rock of Gibraltar, was filmed in the capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

lightbulb Livemovie adventures!

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2. Films shot in Tenerife

The national and international film producers who have chosen the island of Tenerife as the set for their productions have been fascinated by the great variety and distinction of landscapes where the coast and geographical features formed by volcanic rocks meet, as inPunta de Teno, as well as more urban and everyday settings such as the La Salud neighbourhood in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

A clear example of this is the following films:

FURY OF THE TITANS (2010)

This fantasy film stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Gemma Arterton in an adaptation of the myth of Perseus, son of Zeus, who sets out on a dangerous mission to save the life of Princess Andromeda.

We can see that practically 80% of the film was shot in Tenerife, specifically in the north-western and central part of the island where we can see parts of Punta de Teno, Masca Ravine and the Teide National Park.

FAST & FURIOUS 6 (2013)

This American crime film is part of a 9-film saga, starring actors Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Paul Walker .

In short, the plot of the film is about a mission where Don's team will have to collaborate with agent Hobbs to catch some mercenary drivers.

We can see at the beginning of the film several scenes shot in the north of Tenerife, specifically in the Punta de Teno and in the village of Garachico. Also near the end of the film there is an incredible scene with a tank where you can see the road to the south, the Anillo Insular.

JASON BOURNE (2016)

This latest film in the Bourne saga, starring Matt Damon and Tom Lee Jones, shows a Bourne who must fight against an organisation that uses technology to spread terror in society, while being pursued by the CIA.

We can see that part of the story takes place in the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which are represented in the film as the streets of Greece, as well as one of the main fights that takes place in the municipality of Güímar.

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (2019)

The famous Rambo film saga comes to an end and much of the filming set was located on the island of Tenerife. This time Sylvester Stallone plays a Rambo who seeks justice after the kidnapping and death of his niece at the hands of drug dealers and women from Mexico.

Places such as Santa Ursula, Teide National Park, Los Gladiolos and El Rosario were used to recreate Arizona and Mexico, the cities in which the film was set.

If you are curious to see the locations used for the filming of these movies, I recommend that you take a look at the article of the best viewpoints in Tenerife (especially those in the north), from which you will be able to recognise several of the landscapes that appear in some of these films and enjoy magnificent views of the island.

3. Films shot on Fuerteventura

The desert landscapes are an identifying element of the island of Fuerteventura, reflected in places such as Playa del Matorral or the Natural Park Corralejo Dunes, which have served as the background for the following films:

EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (2014)

An adventure-drama film starring Christian Bale, Maria Valverde and Joel Edgerton, in which Moses, the main protagonist, discovers his Hebrew heritage and vows to free his people from slavery, even if it means ending his brotherhood with Ramses.

With the different landscapes offered by the island of Fuerteventura, the shooting of this feature film is given free rein.

The scenery includes the natural parks of the Corralejo and Jandía Dunes, the coastal area of El Cotillo, the Barranco del Mal Paso ravine and the beach of Cofete.

THE ORCA LIGHTHOUSE (2016)

This Spanish production starring Maribel Verdú, Joaquín Furriel and Joaquín Rapalini, tells the story of Lola and her autistic son Tristán, who travels to Patagonia in search of improving her son's situation through contact with the Orcas.

We can see how the island of Fuerteventura enters into this story through the scenery offered by the village of Las Playitas and the Jandía mainland.

HAN SOLO (2018)

This American sci-fi film starring Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson and Emilia Clarke, tells the story of young Han Solo as he and his band of smugglers attempt to steal coaxium from the planet Kessel.

As you can see in this feature film, one of the main scenes is located in a desert, which comes to life with the dunes found on the beach of El Matorral in the municipality of Pájara.