A country that has stood in for Naboo, Dorne, the Wild West and the Dothraki Sea, Spain is one of Europe's richest destinations for visiting real film and television locations.
Spain hosts filming locations for Game of Thrones, Star Wars, spaghetti westerns, James Bond, Money Heist and more. Highlights include Plaza de España and the Alcázar in Seville, the Tabernas Desert film sets in Almería, Gaztelugatxe in the Basque Country, and Madrid sites from Money Heist and The Bourne Ultimatum. Guided location tours run in Girona, and several sites sit within easy day trips of major cities.
Few countries have served as many different worlds on screen as Spain. Its deserts have doubled for the American West and ancient Egypt, its palaces for Star Wars planets and Game of Thrones kingdoms, and its cities for everything from Bond chases to heist dramas. The result is a screen tourism trail that stretches from Andalusia to the Canary Islands.
The Spain Film Commission coordinates a network of 48 film commissions and offices, and official routes such as the Spain Screen Grand Tour connect productions to visitable locations across the regions. Many of the most famous spots, including Seville's Plaza de España and the hermitage of Gaztelugatxe, are free to visit, while others such as the Alcázar of Seville require tickets.
The productions filmed here read like a history of modern cinema and television. Sergio Leone shot A Fistful of Dollars in 1964 and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in 1966 in the Tabernas Desert, following Lawrence of Arabia, which used Tabernas and Doñana National Park in 1962. Game of Thrones spent several seasons shooting across Andalusia, Navarra and the Basque Country between 2011 and 2019, while Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones turned Seville's Plaza de España into Naboo in 2002. Spanish productions have travelled too: Money Heist has filmed in Madrid since 2017, and recent series including The Witcher and Black Mirror have used landscapes in the Canary Islands.
| Title | Year | Type | What was filmed here |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | 1966 | Film | Spaghetti western scenes in Tabernas Desert, Almería |
| A Fistful of Dollars | 1964 | Film | Western scenes in Tabernas Desert and surrounding areas |
| Game of Thrones | 2011-2019 | TV | Multiple locations including Dorne Water Gardens (Alcázar of Seville), Meereen (Osuna bullring, Peñíscola), Dragonstone (Gaztelugatxe), Bardenas Reales |
| Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones | 2002 | Film | Naboo arrival scenes at Plaza de España, Seville |
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 1989 | Film | Bird-flushing scene on Mónsul beach, Almería |
| Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) | 2017- | TV | Heist scenes in Madrid including CSIC building and Nuevos Ministerios |
| The World Is Not Enough | 1999 | Film | Opening sequence at Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao |
| Vicky Cristina Barcelona | 2008 | Film | Rooftop scenes at Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Barcelona |
| Kingdom of Heaven | 2005 | Film | Medieval scenes at Loarre Castle and other Andalusian sites |
| Lawrence of Arabia | 1962 | Film | Desert sequences in Tabernas and Doñana National Park |
| The Bourne Ultimatum | 2007 | Film | Chase scenes at Atocha Station, Madrid |
| Fast & Furious 6 | 2013 | Film | Chase on coastal road at Punta de Teno, Tenerife |
| The Crown | 2016- | TV | Various scenes including Seville locations standing in for international spots |
| Penny Dreadful | 2014-2016 | TV | Horror scenes in Tabernas Desert |
| Doctor Who | 1963- | TV | Episodes in Sierra Nevada, Tabernas Desert, Canary Islands |
| Exodus: Gods and Kings | 2014 | Film | Ancient Egypt scenes in Fuerteventura and Almería |
| In the Heart of the Sea | 2015 | Film | Whaling sequences in La Gomera and Lanzarote |
| Black Mirror | 2011- | TV | Futuristic episode in Tejeda, Gran Canaria |
| The Witcher | 2019- | TV | Fantasy landscapes in Canary Islands including Gran Canaria and La Palma |
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Andalusia, Seville Free to see
Filmed here: Naboo palace arrival; various
Seville's grand semicircular plaza played the Naboo palace in Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones and also appeared in Game of Thrones. Access is free and the square is one of the city's most popular spots, complete with boat rides. It pairs naturally with the Real Alcázar, a short walk away, for a double dose of screen heritage in a single afternoon.
Andalusia, Seville Ticketed
Filmed here: Dorne Water Gardens
The palace's courtyards and gardens became the Dorne Water Gardens in Game of Thrones. A UNESCO site still used by the Spanish royal family, it requires tickets, which sell out in high season. Visitors can walk the same arcades where the Martell storylines unfolded, then continue to Plaza de España, which features in Star Wars, for a full day of location hunting in Seville.
Andalusia, Tabernas Free to see
Filmed here: Western and desert scenes
Europe's only desert became the American West for A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, later hosting Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the horror series Penny Dreadful. Original western sets from the spaghetti era remain open to visitors, and the surrounding natural park offers hiking and guided tours through landscapes that have impersonated deserts on screen for over sixty years.
Andalusia, Níjar Free to see
Filmed here: Umbrella bird scene
This volcanic cove inside Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is where Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade filmed its famous bird-flushing scene in 1989. The beach is publicly accessible, with parking and paths leading down to the sand, and the dramatic rock formations make it easy to recognise from the film. It combines well with a trip to the Tabernas Desert further north.
Basque Country, Bilbao Free to see
Filmed here: Opening Bond sequence
The titanium-clad museum opened the 1999 Bond film The World Is Not Enough, with 007 meeting an adversary on its riverside terrace. Viewing the exterior is free, and the building remains one of Europe's most photographed pieces of architecture even without the Bond connection. A museum ticket is needed for the galleries inside, but the film locations are all outside.
Basque Country, Bermeo Free to see
Filmed here: Dragonstone
The hermitage perched on a rocky islet off the Basque coast became Dragonstone in Game of Thrones, its narrow stone bridge instantly recognisable to fans. The site is publicly accessible and a long-standing pilgrimage route, so arrive early in summer. The climb over the bridge and stairs rewards visitors with coastal views that need no CGI enhancement.
Navarra Free to see
Filmed here: Dothraki Sea / badlands
The eroded badlands of Navarra served as the Dothraki Sea in Game of Thrones, a moonscape of bare clay hills and plateaus. The area is a natural park with hiking and biking trails, and its unusual terrain has attracted film crews precisely because it looks like nowhere else in Europe. Public access makes it an easy detour between Pamplona and Zaragoza.
Andalusia, Osuna Ticketed
Filmed here: Fighting pits of Meereen
This historic Andalusian bullring became the fighting pits of Meereen in Game of Thrones, hosting one of the series' most memorable arena sequences. The bullring is ticketed and open for visits, letting fans stand on the sand where the scenes were shot. Osuna itself is a short drive from Seville and makes a quiet alternative to the coast for location hunting.
Valencian Community, Peñíscola Free to see
Filmed here: Meereen
The walled medieval town and castle on the Valencian coast stood in for Meereen in later seasons of Game of Thrones. The old town and beach are publicly accessible, with castle tours available for those who want the full visit. The combination of fortress walls and sea views explains why the production chose it, and it remains a working tourist town rather than a film set.
Madrid Outside only
Filmed here: Royal Mint exterior
The stately CSIC building on Calle Serrano in Madrid served as the exterior of the Royal Mint in Money Heist. As a working research building it can only be viewed from the street, but that costs nothing and takes minutes. Fans often pair it with other Madrid locations from the series, making it an easy stop on a walking route through the Salamanca district.
Madrid Free to see
Filmed here: Chase sequences
Madrid's main railway station, with its famous tropical garden concourse, hosted chase sequences in The Bourne Ultimatum. As a working station, access to the platforms and concourse is free, and most visitors pass through it anyway when travelling by train. It is one of the easiest film locations in Spain to tick off, requiring no ticket and no detour.
Catalonia, Barcelona Ticketed
Filmed here: Rooftop scenes
Gaudí's undulating apartment block provided the rooftop scenes in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The sculptural chimneys and roof terraces are accessible with a ticket, and the building remains one of the most visited attractions in the city. Film fans get a double reward: striking architecture and the exact spot where the film's characters lingered over the Barcelona skyline.
Spain's screen tourism offer is supported by two main pillars. The Tabernas Desert Film Sets in Almería preserve original western sets from the spaghetti western era and remain open to visitors, part working attraction and part film history museum inside the natural park. On top of that, the Spain Screen Grand Tour promotes official routes linking productions to visitable locations across the regions, from Game of Thrones and Star Wars sites to western country, all coordinated alongside the Spain Film Commission network of 48 offices that keeps attracting international productions.
Guided tours make sense where locations cluster together or where context matters. Girona is the strongest example: the medieval city hosted Game of Thrones filming and now supports a dense selection of walking tours, from one hour express visits to full day trips from Barcelona with private guides. Booking a tour saves research time and usually unlocks anecdotes from local guides who watched the production arrive in their city.
Girona: Game of Thrones Small Group Tour
The most booked option on the page, with 951 reviews, this small group walk suits travellers who want a sociable guided visit without a private guide price.
Game Of Thrones Walking Tour in Girona
A conventional guided walk through Girona's filming spots, ideal for visitors who prefer a standard group format with a local guide.
From Barcelona: 'Game Of Thrones' Small Group Tour in Girona
A small group day trip from Barcelona aimed at visitors who want the Girona locations without organising their own transport.
ONLY Game of Thrones Sightseeing Tour - All the spots in one hour
Rated 4.9 from 94 reviews, this one hour sprint covers all the major spots and fits easily between lunch and an afternoon of sightseeing.
From Barcelona: Girona & Costa Brava Game of Thrones Tour
Priced at $191.42, this full day outing from Barcelona bundles Girona with the Costa Brava, suiting travellers based in the capital without a hire car.
Self Guided Girona Game of Thrones and Beyond Audio Tour
A self guided audio tour that lets visitors move at their own pace, good for independent travellers who dislike fixed departure times.
One Hour Game of Thrones Tour
A compact one hour guided option for short stopovers or cruise passengers with limited time in the city.
Girona: Game of Thrones Walking Tour
At $31.53 this is the cheapest guided walk listed, a low commitment choice for fans who want the essentials covered in Girona's old town.
Barcelona: Girona Game of Thrones Private Tour with Pickup
At $258.98 with hotel pickup included, this private option works for families or small groups who want flexibility and door to door convenience.
Girona: Game of Thrones Private Tour
The most expensive listing at $292.76, a fully private tour for visitors who want an itinerary built around them and an undivided guide.
Across several regions. The Alcázar of Seville became the Dorne Water Gardens, Osuna's bullring and Peñíscola stood in for Meereen, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe in the Basque Country became Dragonstone, and the Bardenas Reales badlands in Navarra served as the Dothraki Sea. Girona also hosted filming and is where most guided tours now run.
Yes. Plaza de España, which played the Naboo palace in Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, has free public access and is one of Seville's most popular attractions, with boat rides available. No film related ticket is required.
Yes. The western sets built during the spaghetti western era in Tabernas, Almería remain open to visitors, and the surrounding natural park offers hiking and tours. The desert appeared in A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Penny Dreadful.
The CSIC building on Calle Serrano served as the Royal Mint exterior and can be viewed from the public street. Madrid also hosted other heist scenes, including at Nuevos Ministerios, so fans can assemble a walking route through the capital.
No. Most locations, including Plaza de España, Gaztelugatxe, the Bardenas Reales and Mónsul Beach, are publicly accessible and free. Tours add most value in Girona, where guides cover Game of Thrones filming in a compact medieval centre, and on day trips from Barcelona for travellers without a car.
The Canary Islands hosted The Witcher on Gran Canaria and La Palma, Black Mirror in Tejeda on Gran Canaria, Exodus: Gods and Kings in Fuerteventura, and In the Heart of the Sea in La Gomera and Lanzarote. Fast & Furious 6 filmed its coastal chase at Punta de Teno on Tenerife.
Spain rewards both the casual fan and the dedicated location hunter. A single day in Seville covers Star Wars and Game of Thrones royalty, while a road trip through Almería takes in six decades of desert cinema. Book a guided tour in Girona for the richest fan experience, or simply download the Spain Screen Grand Tour routes and build the trip yourself.
Set tourGame Of Thrones Tours In Girona
Filming locationsWhere Was Lawrence Of Arabia Filmed?
Filming locationsWhere Was The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Filmed?
Filming locationsWhere Was Kingdom Of Heaven Filmed?
Filming locationsWhere Was Money Heist Filmed?
DestinationMovie And TV Locations In New YorkBefore You Go
The tours travellers book most for Spain.