Almodóvar’s Spain

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The films of the famous filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar are a journey to the essence of Spanish geography. From urban settings in which Madrid undoubtedly plays a leading role, to landscapes of inland Spain that pay tribute, especially, to Castilla-La Mancha. The beauty of coastal locations in Galicia, Cadiz and the island of Lanzarote are also part of this wonderful journey through our country that is anything but fictional.

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Madrid plays the leading role

Most of the film is shot in a forest in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, province of Madrid. “The Room Next Door” (2024) is the director's first film shot in English, with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore playing the leading roles.Streets, squares, venues and iconic buildings of the Spanish capital have a constant presence in most of Almodóvar's films. The Madrid City Council prepared a mapwith 272 spots of the over 20 films shot by the director in Madrid and other spots near the capital. A good way to get to know the places that appear in the Oscar-winning films 'All About My Mother' (1999) and 'Talk to Her' (2002); or, the most recent ones, 'Pain and Glory' (2019) and 'Parallel Mothers' (2021), among others.In addition, at each point indicated on the map there is a brief description of the moment in the script to which it corresponds, so you can relive your favourite scenes. Another option is to follow the route “Pedro Almodóvar's Madrid” and discover the 25 spots in which you can delve into the director's creative universe.
Tourist at Castilnovo Beach in Cadiz, Andalusia

From the virgin beaches of Lanzarote to the Aragonese Pyrenees

The grandeur of Spain's seas and mountains is also integrated into many of the filmmaker's titles. Much of the plot of “Law of Desire” (1987) takes place in the Andalusian province of Cadiz, between Jerez de La Frontera, the beach of Castilnovo, in Conil de la Frontera, and the legendary Trafalgar lighthouse in Barbate.Almodóvar once mentioned that “Broken Embraces” (2009) is simply a picture he once took at the island at Lanzarote. A panoramic view of the beach with the impressive Charco de los Clicos, near Timanfaya National Park, in which he noticed there was a couple hugging each other after taking the picture. That place of deep contrast between green waters and black volcanic sand captivated the director from La Mancha to the point of wanting to film there. The “dramatic, dark and original” colours are not for him a landscape, but “a mood, a character” in themselves. Jameos del Agua and Famara cliff, in Haría, or the vineyards of La Geria were also two spots chosen to shoot the film.His film 'Julieta' (2016) is probably one of the stories with the greatest geographical reach. The main actress's journeys evoke various mindsets and moments of life, which are blended with a delicate richness into diverse settings. From Seville, Toledo and Madrid to the welcoming coastal towns of Ares and Mugardos, in the A Coruña. Most sequences are shot in a large house, built in the traditional Indiano style of the small town of Redes. And if the beauty of the Galician coast were not enough, the story ends with the impressive views of the mountain roads of Panticosa, in the heart of the Aragonese Pyrenees.
Almagro in Castile-La Mancha

Landscapes of Castilla la Mancha in Ciudad Real, the city where he was born

Several of Almodóvar's films are set in Castilla-La Mancha, the autonomous community where he was born, but “Volver” (2005) symbolises the return to special places of his childhood, such as Calzada de Calatrava, Ciudad Real. The masterful way of narrating human emotions, an unmistakable hallmark of his films, is present in every minute of this story, which begins in Granátula de Calatrava cemetery and is then shot in other important municipalities of the region, such as Almagro. A must-see is the 'Espacio Almodóvar' at the Rafael Serrano Cultural Centre, where film costumes and personal items belonging to one of the most admired film directors in the world are on display. The sculpture 'Encuadre Manchego' or the park where it is located, which also bears his name, are other tributes present in Calzada de Calatrava, his birthplace.Another great option to understand such intimate settings is to take the cinema tour, which travels across different towns and ends in Puertollano. Its auditorium held the premiere of “Volver”, in with leading actresses played a role, such as: Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas and Blanca Portillo.