The Odyssey

Aït Benhaddou Ouarzazate Morocco

The opening sequence depicting the end of the Trojan War was filmed at Aït Benhaddou in Morocco. This 11th-century clay-brick fortified village is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a well-known production location for films such as Gladiator and Game of Thrones. About 30 minutes by car from Ouarzazate.

Voidokilia Beach Nestor's Cave Pylos Greece

The Cyclops Polyphemus sequence was filmed at Voidokilia Beach and the adjacent Nestor's Cave in southwestern Peloponnese, Greece. The omega-shaped sandy bay and the limestone cave perched on the slope above it carry the landscape of Homer's epic almost unchanged. About 15 minutes by car from the town of Pylos.

Favignana Egadi Islands Sicily Italy

The 'goat island' sequence from the epic was filmed on Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands off western Sicily. The Castle of Santa Caterina and the nearby tufa quarry coastline serve as the primary backdrops. Around 20–30 minutes by ferry from Trapani, the island is small enough to circle by bicycle.

Lipari Vulcano Aeolian Islands Sicily Italy

The island of Aeolus, the god of winds, was filmed across the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Basiluzzo, and Vulcano) off northern Sicily. The volcanic black cliffs and sulfurous fumaroles translate the mythological setting onto real geography. Ferries depart from Milazzo on the Sicilian mainland.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula Iceland black sand beach

Odysseus's descent into Hades, the realm of the dead, was filmed on the Snæfellsnes peninsula in western Iceland. Black-sand beaches and the mist-shrouded glacier peak rising over them shape the cinematic underworld. About two hours by car from Reykjavik.