DISCOVER WHITE COAST LOCATIONS THAT HOLLYWOOD FELL IN LOVE WITH
“Lights, camera and action”. This is a phrase that has never ceased to be heard in the most impressive landscapes of the Costa Blanca. The sea, the beach, the mountains, the old town, the historical monuments, the luminosity and the climate are the most outstanding factors of the Costa Blanca that have turned the Mediterranean Sea into a place admired by Hollywood producers and directors for filming mythical scenes of the big screen.
Dénia, Altea, Benidorm or Alicante are some of the locations where filmmakers have set up their own studios and have managed to bring the Costa Blanca to the seventh art. Now it is easier than ever to live near one of these locations and feel like a film star.
DÉNIA: SCENE OF MORE THAN 20 FILMS
Since 28 December 1895, when August and Louis Lumière, pioneers of the technology, projected moving images before the public, cinema has not stopped growing and innovating. Spain has always been a reference country for cinema, but the Costa Blanca is the red carpet for Hollywood.
Thus, Dénia has been the setting for almost 20 films and TV series. Its streets have become the setting for important and colourful scenes such as the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham, the raising of the first American flag or the explosion of the Krakatoa volcano.
One of the locations most often seen on the big screen has been its port. It has been used to represent the Bermuda Triangle in Encounters in the Deep. It has been the Caribbean in The Son of Captain Blood or Portsmouth in John Paul Jones
The streets and squares of this municipality in the north of Alicante have also served as a set for films such as The Cold Light of Day or El Canto de la cigarra.
JÁVEA: SEA AND MOUNTAINS ON THE BIG SCREEN
Ever since John Farrow dropped anchor in Jávea in 1958 to shoot his film Captain Jones in l’Arenal, this Alicante town has not stopped welcoming celebrities such as Kirk Douglas, Sigourney Weaver, Bruce Willis or Paco Rabal.
The light of the Mediterranean and the beauty of its landscapes surrounded by the Montgó Massif Natural Park have been used as a set for more than 18 films.
La Granadella was the starting point for the film The Cold Light of Day, shot by Mabrouk El Mechri in this local paradise. The presence of actors such as Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver aroused passions among the people of Jávea. Many of the locals were lucky enough to take part as extras in the filming of the movie.
The life of Joaquín Sorolla could not be missing on the big screen with landscapes of Jávea. “The best thing I know to paint”, said the artist about the town. As a result of his admiration for the area, dozens of paintings were born that made Jávea known to the world and have become part of the History of Art. And now many of the landscapes of his creations are reflected in Cartas a Sorolla . Thus, Sorolla and Jávea came together again.
In addition, the Montgó was witness and setting for the filming of Billy Budd, about the harsh living conditions in the British Navy in the 18th century.
BENIDORM: THE NEW YORK OF THE WHITE COAST
High skyscrapers, an enviable climate and breathtaking scenery. This could be a good definition of Benidorm, a city that never sleeps and the setting for legendary series and films.
The Terra Mítica amusement park was the setting for the film Asterix at the Olympic Games. In addition, successful series have been filmed in this town, such as Benidorm. This series was created by Derren Litten and narrates the experiences of a series of British tourists who stay at the Solana Hotel in the Mediterranean city. In it you can see in detail every corner of the city.
Benidorm has also been the set for films that would later receive nominations for important awards such as the Biznga award at the Malaga Film Festival. Secun de la Rosa’s Cover and Julia Paz’s Ama bear witness to its success.
One of the most recent filming that has taken place in the city was the film by director Isabel Coixet, Nieva en Benidorm. It has counted with an international cast where we can see the actor Timothy Spall or Sarita Choudhury.
mentioned above, this location is easily accessible by a small secondary road, with a parking area.
It is one of the best known beaches in the area, even in Spain, as the crystal clear water and turquoise tones make it unique in the area.
As it is easily accessible, it has become a crowded area. So we recommend going early in the morning to make room.
