Films set in the Mediterranean to inspire your next holiday

The Mediterranean is nothing if not photogenic, so it should come as no surprise that Greece, Corsica in France and the Italian island of Sicily have provided the alluring backdrop for countless films over the years. Often overshadowing the stars themselves, some places have even become tourist destinations thanks to the films they have graced.

Films set in the Mediterranean that we love

From France to Italy, some of the best films are set in the Mediterranean. Here is our carefully curated selection of the best films set in Greece, Corsica and Sicily.

Image: The Durrells

Excellent films set in Greece

Stunning landscapes, great light, natural beauty, unique architecture and some of the bluest seas you could ever wish to see make Greece a readymade film set for all sorts of productions. And the relationship is mutually beneficial. Many Greek communities are still feeling a positive impact after featuring as locations in some of the best known films set in Greece, such as Mamma Mia! and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin — to this day, travellers from all over the world flock to these gorgeous filming spots, helping to bolster the local community.

1. For Your Eyes Only (1981)

As James Bond, Roger Moore had the pleasure of shooting several scenes from For Your Eyes Only on the beautiful island of Corfu. Scenes were shot at Avlaki Bay (and the White House where Lawrence Durrell once lived), Corfu Town and the Achilleion Palace, one of the main tourist attractions on the island.

2. Shirley Valentine (1989)

The award-winning film adaption of Willy Russell's play took the UK by storm and was also well-received in the US. The romance and life-affirming moments that convince Shirley not to go back to Liverpool take place on Mykonos, and the film played a large part in making the island the popular destination it is today.

3. Mamma Mia! (2008)

Our beloved Skopelos had its 15 minutes of fame when Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters came to film the smash hit film version of Mamma Mia! Love Mamma Mia!? We recommend staying in our gorgeous property Adina, as it offers a view of the iconic church featured in the film.

4. The Lost Daughter (2021)

This recent psychological drama, filmed on Spetses, follows a woman on a beach holiday who confronts her troubled past - only to find that what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation has taken a dark and unexpected turn. It stars Olivia Colman from The Crown and Dakota Johnson. Discover our exclusive villas in mainland Greece and our excellent villas on the Greek Islands.

Television series set in Greece

The Durrells (2016)

It may not be a film, but it is a wonderfully escapist series based on The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell and filmed almost entirely on Corfu. Visit our blog to learn more about The Durrells in Corfu.

Surviving Paradise (2023)

This US reality television series brings together a dozen strangers at a mesmerising hilltop villa on the island of Lefkada in Greece. To their complete surprise, they are taken to a nearby forest where they must first complete series of gruelling challenges in order to gain access to the villa. The starring villa in question happens to be Noiya, one of our mesmerising properties on the island. img:https://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/media/Resized/The%20Thinking%20Traveller%20Various/1000/Queen_to_Play_film_still.jpg

Queen to Play (2009) © Zeitgeist Films

Films set in France: 5 Corsican favourites

Location managers in search of rugged mountain scenery, untouched sandy beaches, picture-perfect historic towns and pristine maquis-carpeted coastline regularly flock to Corsica. The mix of films set in Corsica is diverse and includes everything from Hollywood blockbusters of yesteryear to contemporary French art-house movies. Here are some of the best films set in France — specifically Corsica — to get you in the mood.

More inspiration for a Corsican holiday

1. The Longest Day (1962)

The Longest Day stars John Wayne and Richard Burton and is arguably the most famous film about D-Day and the Normandy landings. The beaches of Saint Florent near Bastia on the north of the island are among the many filming locations in Corsica.

2. The Corsican File (2004)

Jack Palmer (played by Rémi François) is a private investigator on a mission to find Ange Leoni, a Corsican who has inherited property. The film shows off the splendid scenery of southern Corsica, the historic towns of Sartène and Ajaccio, and L'Île-Rousse, a seaside resort on the north coast.

3. A Very Long Engagement (2004)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Audrey Tautou, the director and lead actress of the multi-award-winning and Oscar-nominated Amélie, teamed up again for this tale of love and tragedy set during World War I. Some scenes were filmed in and around Calvi, in the northwest of Corsica.

4. The Man from London (2007)

Based on the novel by Georges Simenon, this detective noir was partly filmed in the port of Bastia. The mainly Eastern European cast also includes Tilda Swinton.

5. Queen to Play (2009)

A young Corsican woman working as a maid for an American doctor falls in love with the game of chess. Coached by her employer, she has to balance her new passion with her family life. Most of the film is shot on location in the south of Corsica.

Discover our exclusive villas in Corsica

A Bigger Splash (2015) © StudioCanal

Films set in Italy: Our 5 favourite films set in Sicily

Sicily is the ultimate film set. Its breathtaking seascapes, towering mountains, erupting volcanoes, Arcadian pastures, age-old mountain villages, burnished wheat fields, bustling towns, ancient traditions and paradisiacal beaches are just a few of the reasons why so many location managers and directors choose to film in Sicily. But what are the best films set in Sicily? Here’s our guide.

Download our inspiring Sicilian itineraries:

• Menfi and the southwest

• The northwest

• Val di Noto and the southeast

1. The Godfather I (1972), The Godfather II (1974) and The Godfather III (1990)

Francis Ford Coppola chose Sicily as the location for large parts of his multi-Oscar award-winning trilogy. The small mediaeval villages of Savoca and Forza d'Agro feature in some of the most iconic scenes in the movie, such as Michael Corleone's first meeting with Apollonia's father, and the wedding.

2. Cinema Paradiso (1988)

If you’ve never seen Giuseppe Tornatore’s wonderfully gentle, Oscar-winning film Cinema Paradiso, it’s definitely one to look up. You’ll notice the town of Palazzo Adriano and the coastal city of Cefalù among the locations.

Download Cefalu’s inspiring itinerary

3. The Best of Youth (2003)

Another highly rated film set in Sicily, The Best of Youth is a six-hour-long multi-award-winning family saga shot in the Aeolian Islands (specifically Stromboli and Vulcano) and Palermo.

4. The Palermo Shooting (2008)

German director Wim Wenders tells the story of a young German photographer looking for calm in the beautiful city of Palermo.

5. Inspector Montalbano (1999-2021)

It’s not just great films that are set in Sicily. The Inspector Montalbano television series has brought the beautiful Sicilian towns of Ragusa, Scicli, Noto and Modica to millions of screens around the world. Inspector Montalbano is lucky enough to wake up every morning in his seafront house in Marinella, which is, in reality, the small village of Punta Secca, just south of Santa Croce Camerina. His house is now a bed and breakfast and is situated just off the main square, recently renamed Piazza Montalbano. The police station in Vigata where Montalbano plies his trade is actually the town hall of Scicli, on the beautifully conserved Baroque street of Via Mormino Penna. Many of the Vigata scenes are filmed in and around Ragusa’s gorgeous Piazza Duomo, which is overlooked by the impressive Cathedral of San Giorgio. Apart from swimming off the beach outside his house in Punta Secca, Montalbano often finds himself on the long expanses of sand in Donnalucata and Sampieri, just south of Scicli. The beach at Sampieri is also home to the Mannara, an evocative ruined brick factory that doubles as a tuna fishery in certain episodes of the series. Apart from their associations with Montalbano, both beaches are among the loveliest on this stretch of the Sicilian coastline.

Find a Sicilian villa

Why not come and discover Montalbano's homeland for yourself? Take a look at our villas near Punta Secca, stay in a villa near Scicli, view our villas near Ragusa or discover our villas across Sicily. We would love to help you start planning your next Mediterranean adventure — contact our team when you are ready to begin.