What movie should you watch based on where you’re going on your next vacation?
There are cinematic destinations that not only deserve to be visited, but also experienced on the big screen. To some extent, travelling is akin to making a film: crossing the globe gives you the opportunity to find yourself in various scenes and locations, crafting your narrative beyond your everyday script. At the same time, inspiring audiovisual stories have the power to transport you afar without having to move from your couch. Thanks to these stories, you can step into the shoes of different characters, feeling what they feel. What better way to gather ideas for your trips than to lose yourself amidst celluloid dreams? Start by choosing a movie to watch during your vacation that connects with your next big storyline. At Iberostar hotels, the action never stops.
Lanzarote: Broken Embraces
Lanzarote was one of the settings for the 2009 film Broken Embraces (Los abrazos Rotos), directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Penélope Cruz, along with other luminaries of Spanish cinema such as Ángela Molina, Lluís Homar, and Blanca Portillo. The film's concept emerged from a photo taken on Playa del Golfo by the filmmaker from La Mancha in the late 90s, a stunning coast with strong waves and red sands next to Charco de los Clicos. In the photo, an unknown couple embraces. The creative act of breaking and reassembling the fragments of this union led to a dramatic thriller filled of love, jealousy, and secrets with intense emotional depth, narrated across various timelines in quintessential Almodóvar style.
In addition to recreating the photograph in its original location, the team also visited the town of Yaiza, with its vineyards and natural pools; as well as Timanfaya National Park and the beaches of Caletón Blanco and Famara to the north of the island. The Cactus Garden in Guatiza, Teguise, designed by architect César Manrique, hosted one of the most emblematic scenes. The renowned Canarian artist also oversaw the design of Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Park, five-star accommodation with a volcanic soul located at Playa Blanca in Yaiza. From the hotel, open to the sea in three traditional zocos or semicircular terraces, you can explore all these film locations and many more.
Ibiza: Chaotic Ana
Chaotic Ana(Caótica Ana), a dreamlike fable with a feminist perspective directed by Julio Medem, premiered in Spanish cinemas in 2007. Manuela Vellés plays Ana, a girl who leaves her native Ibiza to study Art in Madrid. Through hypnosis, she experiences regressions to past lives that help her understand many aspects about herself and the women who preceded her. They all have one thing in common: they died tragically at the age of 22. The film begins with the protagonist saying goodbye to her father, an old-school hippie, in the rock cove of Ibiza where they live. Their home is a marine cave. The islet of Es Vedrá also appears at sunset.
You can visit these cinematic destinations along with other secret coasts of Ibiza during your stay at Iberostar Selection Santa Eulalia Ibiza, a hotel specially oriented towards adults located on the front line of Playa s’Argamassa, in the area of Es Canar and next to the Punta Arabí cliff. The complex is surrounded by pine trees and other native plants that provide shelter for animals like the Ibizan wall lizard or sargantana, a species endangered in Spain. It is an ideal area for hiking and other outdoor activities that will allow you to soak up the energy of its lush nature with a respectful and sustainable outlook. Remember to leave the environment better than you found it: its human and non-human inhabitants will thank you.
Costa de la Luz: 007: Die Another Day
Who can forget that luminous scene where Halle Berry emerges from the sea dressed in an orange bikini with a knife-belt? In the background, the beach of La Caleta in Cádiz is displayed in all its splendour. It belongs to 007: Die Another Day, a 2002 film that recounts one of the many feats of the world's most famous secret agent. In this instalment, under the creative direction of Lee Tamahori, the spy is portrayed by Pierce Brosnan. The sequence was included in the film as a nod to another iconic moment from the saga, when in Dr. No from 1962, Ursula Andress did the same dressed in a two-piece white swimsuit she designed herself. At that time, it became a symbol of feminist liberation.
The beaches of Cádiz, whose coastline is nicknamed Costa de la Luz, are a cinematic location where you will also enjoy the sun and the pleasant atmosphere (even when no one is filming). Alongside La Barrosa, repeatedly honoured for its ecological commitment and excellent facilities, the Iberostar Selection Andalucía Playa offers you the chance to stay in Chiclana de la Frontera, one of the finest coastal enclaves on the Atlantic. Its restaurant, Cataria, awarded the Sol Repsol 2023, updates the technique of the seafood grill, inherited from the oceanic expeditions of the 19th century. The tasting menu, Landscape Culinary, offers a journey through the various marine biotopes of the region, including the Bay of Cádiz, one of Andalucía’s most special natural parks.
Greek Islands: Mamma Mia!
The Mediterranean and hedonistic spirit of Mamma Mia!, filmed in Skopelos under the direction of Phyllida Lloyd, will accompany you on your trip to the Greek Islands to a destination equally enticing: Crete. In this delightful film for a holiday viewing, which premiered in 2008, reinterprets the musical theatre work of ABBA of the same name. Sophie Sheridan, portrayed by Amanda Seyfried, is trying to discover the identity of her father. Her mother, Donna (played by Meryl Streep), has never revealed it. Three potential candidates appear on the occasion of her wedding.
At Iberostar Selection Creta Marine, you will have access to a private beach, three seawater pools, four restaurants and bars to savour the best of Cretan cuisine, and even an Underwater Music Club, for dancing to the rhythm of your own romantic comedy. Here you will find golden sandy coves bathed by the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea; countryside landscapes dotted with pines, fruit trees, vines, and olives; archaeological sites that retain the charm of an era when, in addition to trees and music, mythology also flourished; and, of course, white villages nestled on the slopes of the mountains like those seen in Mamma Mia!
Tunisia: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The first instalment of the original trilogy, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, was mostly filmed on the island of Djerba, in Tunisia. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is discovering the Force within him when an unavoidable mission arises: to rescue Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), leader of the resistance, from the Galactic Empire. Alongside the smuggler and space captain Han Solo (Harrison Ford), his second in command, Chewbacca, and the droids R2D2 and C3PO, they will fight against the dark schemes of the emperor and his mysterious enforcer, Darth Vader. Stolen plans of the Death Star, the imperial planet-destroying weapon, keep their hope alive.
This cult film directed by George Lucas hit cinemas in 1977, with film locations that seem plucked from a galaxy far, far away. Some exterior sequences of the Mos Eisley Cantina were filmed at the fishing port of Ajim. Moreover, the house where Obi-Wan Kenobi exiled himself is located on the outskirts of the town. The Iberostar Waves Mehari Djerba, an oasis featuring 80,000 m² of gardens and palm groves located in front of Sidi Akkour beach, will transport you to the atmosphere of the saga at the speed of light. You won’t need to board the Millennium Falcon to experience thrilling adventures across seas and deserts, but you will have the advantage of being able to relax in the spa and toast with a cocktail by the poolside at the end of the day.
Brazil: Rio
Rio, an entertaining film for a holiday with children (and which includes an important anti-speciesist message), is an animated work by Carlos Saldanha that premiered in 2011 from Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation. The voices are provided by renowned actors such as Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jamie Foxx. When Blu, a blue macaw raised in captivity who cannot fly and believes himself to be the last survivor of his species, is taken to Rio de Janeiro to mate with Jewel, a wild macaw, his entire world changes. Together, they embark on an exciting journey towards freedom. Eccentric friends they meet along the way accompany them.
The blue macaw is considered extinct in its natural habitat. Conservation efforts have allowed some individuals to thrive in protected spaces. Other species are also seriously threatened, like the red macaw, an endangered bird in Mexico. Friendship, love, the joy of living, justice, and empathy towards animals are some of the themes developed in Rio, set against the backdrop of the Carnival festivities. From the Iberostar Bahía resort located in Praia do Forte, the whole family will learn more about the local fauna. This sustainably-minded accommodation features a sea turtle monitoring station, which includes facilities to care for and protect these fascinating creatures. Up to five protected species live on the beach, where ethical observation is also possible.
Jamaica: The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is a classic film from 1980 set in the Victorian era and directed by Randal Kleiser, the renowned director of Grease. The plot revolves around the survival and emerging love between two orphaned siblings, portrayed by Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins, who find themselves stranded on a deserted island along with the ship's cook after their ship wrecks. At the time of its release, the narrative sparked controversy. Controversies aside, the most inspiring aspect of the film has always been its unforgettable film locations, which include Nanuya Levu, a private island in the Fiji archipelago, Isla Saona in the Dominican Republic, and various spots in Jamaica.
In Montego Bay, an idyllic bay located in the northwest of the Jamaican territory, you'll feel as though you're inside a masterpiece of adventure cinema while enjoying the sun and the exclusivity of its coastal postcards, surrounded by tropical vegetation and protected by coral reefs. Here, Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach, a family-friendly hotel that is part of an all-inclusive resort, offers you the chance to lose yourself among stunning virgin beaches, jungles, caves, lakes, and waterfalls. Leave the compass aside (or switch your mobile to airplane mode) and prepare for an expedition. For, if these and other cinematic destinations are known for anything, it's for deviating from the stipulated course to invite you to explore a world map full of excitement.
