Those of us who live in the Costa Blanca were attracted to the wonderful scenery of this beautiful area on the Mediterranean coast, the wonderful climate and the light produced by the sun and sea. It is these same elements that have attracted film and TV production teams to the area for many decades now, and below are just a few examples of stories that have used the Costa Blanca as their backdrop.
One of the earliest films to use the beautiful Costa Blanca towns of Javea and Denia as a location was Captain Jones (John Paul Jones) in 1959, which starred the legendary actress, Bette Davis. Javea’s Arenal beach is disguised as an island, and a small square in Denia was used as the location for the Scottish village where Captain John Paul Jones was born. The film is the semi-biographical story of a Scottish marine who joined the US Navy and became a hero of the American Revolution, and, although uncredited, gave budding actress Mia Farrow her debut role.
The early 60’s brought film maker Peter Ustinov to the shores of the Costa Blanca to film the Infernal Frigate (Billy Budd) using the area as a backdrop about an English warship during the Napoleonic wars, with the Montgo appearing from the sea in the background, and Portitxol can also be seen. Later during this decade, Krakatoa, East of Java, used the Montgo natural park as the setting for this action-adventure about a dangerous mission to the island of Krakatoa.
The early 70’s brought icons of cinema Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Welch, Faye Dunaway and Charlton Heston to the shores of the Costa Blanca to make the film The Three Musketeers: The Queen’s Diamonds. Javea port and Cap de Sant Antoni were used as locations. This was quickly followed by The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge, adding Michael York, Oliver Reed and others to the cast list and filming several scenes in Denia. The novel by Jules Verne was brought to life by Kirk Douglas and Yul Bryner in the film The Lighthouse at the End of the World, where the coast of Javea is used to recreate Cape Horn.
A Spy in my Bedroom was filmed in the late 80’s and starred a young Kim Cattrall. This comedy film is part of the Police Academy franchise and was filmed partly in Javea, including in the historic centre, Duanes de la Mar and Las Planas. More recently, the scenery of both Moraira and Javea can be seen in the 2012 Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver film The Cold Light of Day.
There are many, many more, so it is not unusual to spot familiar film and TV faces during a walk around your Costa Blanca hometown and on occasions, you might see the opportunity advertised to audition for a part as an extra.
Other locations in the Costa Blanca also attract the imagination of film and tv producers, with locations in Torrevieja, Elche, Santa Pola and Benidorm recently being used to film the State of Prey, which is a crime thriller about an MI6 agent who is investigating the connection between the local mafia and the Beijing underworld in the Costa Blanca.
The new miniseries Past Lies (Las largas sombras) to be streamed on the Disney channel is set on the Costa Blanca as well as in other areas of Spain. This is a Spanish thriller-drama series which follows the story of women whose lives have become entwined in a web of secrets and deceit. Scenes have been shot in Denia, Benidorm, Altea and other parts of the Valencian Community.
Benidorm itself has, of course, been the location for the comedy series about British holidaymakers for many years now and has brought the town more tourists who wish to visit the bars and hotels where the series was filmed and also to hire mobility scooters to get around the town. During episodes of the program, you also get to see some of the wonderful spots that can be visited in the area, including the Algar Falls and Altea. Before
In addition to the fictional dramas and comedies set in our beautiful part of Spain, there are also many television programs showing property and locations to others who hope to follow in our footsteps and move to the Costa Blanca. If you haven’t yet moved here and are just starting your journey, perhaps watching some of the film and TV series located here will encourage you, and at Hamiltons Real Estate (formally Hamiltons of London), we will be very happy to assist with your search for your dream home in Spain.
