Ahead of the Game of Thrones season 7 finale this weekend, we are paying homage to the incredible landscapes and backdrops of this iconic series. From Northern Ireland and Iceland, to southern Croatia, Malta and Morocco, we have seen many countries playing a starring role in George R.R. Martin’s epic creation. Season 6 and 7, however, have seen Spain become the protagonist and shows off the incredible areas of Andalucia, Cataluña and País Vasco, amongst others. Here we break down the different epic Game of Thrones Filming locations in Spain:
Andalucía
Andalucía and its Moorish influence has proven to be a hit with the show’s makers. Once it became more successful and it was decided to invest in overseas filming locations, producers were drawn to Mediterranean Spain, especially with the introduction of Dorne in Season 5, which was inspired by real-life medieval Islamic Spain.
Sevilla
The Water Gardens and Sunspear, seat of House Martell in Dorne, a large peninsula in the southernmost part of Westeros, were filmed in the Real Alcázar de Sevilla.
The Plaza de Toros de Osuna was used for filming the main fighting pit of Meereen, the northernmost and largest of the three great Slaver Cities of Slaver’s Bay, conquered by Daenerys Targaryen.
Season 7 began in Astilleros de Sevilla (the Royal Dockyards) and includes scenes shot in the amphitheater of the Roman ruins in Itálica, just outside of Seville.
Córdoba
Season 7 featured the stunning location of Castillo de Almodóvar del Río, a castle of Muslim origin located in the small town of Almodóvar del Río in the province of Córdoba which was the ancestral home of House Tyrell, and *SPOILER*seized by the Lannister family near the end of season 7!
The 1st century BC Puente Romano de Córdoba (Roman Bridge) also served as the Long Bridge of Volantis.
Almería
The Alcazaba fortress of Almería was used for filming parts of the Water Gardens, the private retreat to House Martell, rulers of Dorne. The region also hosted the filming location of the only city of the Dothraki people – Vaes Dothrak – in a beauty spot called El Chorillo, located within the mountain range Sierra de Alhamilla, which lies only 15km northeast of Almería city. The Dothraki Sea was filmed in the Tabernas desert 30km north of the capital.
Almería was also used for filming the outskirts of Meereen – the largest and northernmost of the cities in Bay of Dragons/ex Slaver’s Bay.
Castilla – La Mancha
Guadalajara
The 12th century Castle of Zafra, located in the municipality of Campillo de Dueñas, Guadalajara, at an altitude of 1400 metres, was used as the Tower of Joy located in the Red Mountains of Dorne. The Tower of Joy appears in one of Bran Stark’s visions where a young Ned Stark and his Kingsguard clashed swords with Sir Arthur Dayne and other Targaryen henchmen.
Valencia
Castellón
Parts of Meereen were filmed in the Valencian municipality of Peñíscola, province of Castellón located on the Costa del Azahar along the Mediterranean coast.
Various scenes with Tyrion, Varys and Grey Worm were filmed along Calle Mayor of Castellón, Portal Fosc on the same street, Parque de la Artillería and Plaza de Santa María.
País Vasco
Navarre
The Bardenas Reales is a semi-desert natural region in the southeast Navarre that was used to film parts of the Dothraki sea. This was where the Mother of Dragons met the Dothraki tribe and was held captiave, and featured heavily in season 6.
Bermeo
Season 7 began with scenes of the Dragonstone filmed on Gaztelugatxe, an island 35km from Bilbao on the coast of Biscay in the Basque Country. The name translates as ‘Castle Rock’ and there are 241 steps to the top of the rock! There is no castle at the top, however, just a small church but the journey to get there is worth it.
Zumaia
By far the protagonist of season 7, the Itzurun beach, beside the small town of Zumaia in the in the province of Guipúzcoa, served as the site of the beautiful Dragonstone beach in Westeros. Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen finally returned back to her homeland in season 7, and Jon Snow even came for a visit.
Cataluña
Girona
Locations in Girona were used in season 6 for filming parts of King’s Landing and Braavos, a change to the initial sets in Split, Croatia. The Catedral de Santa María de Gerona was used to film the exterior of the Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing.
The Braavosi bridge, street markets and theater stage were filmed in Sant Pere de Galligants; streets of Ferran el Catòlic, Sant Martí and l’Escola Pia; and Plaça dels Jurats respectively.
Barcelona
Horn Hill, House Tarly’s home castle, was filmed in the Castell de Santa Florentina, located a short distance northeast of old town Barcelona.
Spain’s beautiful landscapes served as the perfect filming locations for the various parts of the Game of Thrones world, as well as many other movies, and have inspired a great many authors and artists over the years. If you are interested in traveling to Spain, learning the Spanish language and finding out more about its culture, visit LAE Madrid’s website for information about courses and follow our social media for interesting learning materials and blog updates about all-things-Spain and Madrid.
