Shows filmed in and around Marbella
Gangs of Galicia/Clanes (2024): in this Spanish series about Galician drug trafficking on the Costa del Sol, it won’t be hard to recognise the scenes shot in Marbella. Puerto Banús proved the perfect setting for drug cartel shenanigans against the backdrop of superyachts and luxury cars.
Los Farad (2023): this Spanish thriller set in 1980s Marbella delves into the murky world of international arms trafficking. It’s all about the lavish lifestyle and jet-set parties, so suitably chic locations include the Marbella Club Hotel jetty, Las Chapas beach – home to the famous Nikki Beach Club – and the exclusive residential neighbourhoods of Cabopino and Guadalmina. And Málaga’s City Hall – Casona del Parque – a beautifully ornate Baroque revival building, was transformed into a Monte Carlo luxury hotel.
The Courier/El Correo (2024): not to be mistaken for the 2021 historical spy film by the same name, this fast-paced Spanish thriller revolves around corruption in Marbella during the real estate boom in the early 2000s. Spanish director Daniel Calparsoro – the doyen of action films in Spain – based his film on the true story of Iván Márquez, an ambitious young valet who rises through the ranks of an international money laundering cartel. Scenes feature the iconic Marbella arch at the entrance to the town, The Golden Mile and extravagant parties on superyachts in Puerto Banús.
Anyone would think that Marbella had been typecast as the location for shows about corruption and organised crime! Far from it: an eclectic line-up of productions has featured Marbella and many other places across Málaga province: adaptations of award-winning novels (The Bridge of San Luis Rey, 2003) and historical dramas (We Were the Lucky Ones, 2024), alongside biopics depicting the lives of famous figures in cinema and music, and a murder-mystery or two, not to mention a blockbuster of a series about a certain royal family…
The Crown (2016-2023): you would have had to be living under a rock not to have seen or at least heard of this hugely successful 6-season Netflix series about the British Royal Family! Numerous scenes were shot in locations in Andalucía, which doubled as far-flung destinations. The exclusive resort of Sotogrande – the largest private residential estate in Andalucía – played its part: the Santa María Polo Club provided the backdrop for Prince Charles’ and Princess Diana’s 1983 tour of Australia; and the palm-fringed avenue of Paseo del Parque replicated the streets of Los Angeles during Princess Margaret’s visit in 1965. The beautiful natural beach of Playa de los Alemanes in Atlanterra easily passed for the Caribbean island of Mustique, where Princess Margaret spent time with her friends and lover Roddy Llewellyn. And in the scene where Mohamed Al-Fayed’s 73-metre-long superyacht docks in the Côte d’Azur in France, it’s actually Puerto Banús playing stand-in. Some of Málaga’s luxury hotels proved popular locations, including the enviably located AC Málaga Palacio Hotel for scenes set in Brisbane, Australia, and the Gran Hotel Miramar, for scenes recreating Margaret Thatcher’s trip to Nassau in the Bahamas. And when it came to finding a venue for a 1960s-look Los Angeles Airport, the Torremolinos Palacio de Ferias easily met the brief, with its kitsch 1970s vibe, circular design, translucent dome and impressive central chandelier.
Toy Boy (2019): if you like your series with a generous serving of male eye candy, then this steamy Spanish show totally delivers! The story centres around a crew of male strippers strutting their stuff and living la vida loca in Marbella. It’s not all rippling muscles and sexy dance moves, though… there’s some murder and intrigue too. But whodunnit? Location favourites include the Marbella Club Hotel jetty, the Estrella del Mar beach club, and El Pósito – an 18th century granary in Vélez-Málaga, now a Cultural Centre, which was converted into a police station. Other Costa del Sol locations include Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Mijas and Estepona. Enjoy the view, but no binge-watching!
If you prefer your shows rooted in reality, don’t miss these two, based on legendary performers, and filmed in a variety of locations in the province of Málaga.
Archie (2023): this four-part biopic tells the story of English-American actor Cary Grant, from his unhappy childhood in the UK to his stage career and subsequent rise to stardom on the silver screen. Careful camerawork turned Marbella’s palm tree-lined locations and Málaga’s coastline into convincing versions of the Pacific ocean and the actor’s California home.
Aline, The Voice of Love (2022): a musical comedy-drama inspired by the life of Canadian singer Céline Dion. Two weeks of shooting took place in Andalucía, which producers of the film considered to be similar enough in climate and light to pass for Las Vegas, Monaco, Italy and Brazil. Las Vegas lookalike locations included the Tabernas desert in Almería, Málaga’s Gran Miramar Hotel and Benalmádena’s Torrequebrada Casino. Marbella’s El Jardín restaurant turned into a brasserie in Monaco, and Málaga’s beautiful cathedral square – Plaza del Obispo – served as a piazza in Naples, while bar scenes in Brazil were filmed in Málaga’s urban beach bars.