This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission from the discount codes used or when a link/ad is clicked. All purchases made will come at no extra cost to you, and I only include products and services that I have personally used and would recommend.
Everyone knows about Game of Thrones, whether you watched the record-breaking television show or not. But did you know that they filmed quite a lot of important scenes in Spain? During our trip to Iceland last year, we had the opportunity to go on a Game of Thrones tour which was an incredible experience. We've also visited a number of filming locations in Malta.
This got me thinking: what other Game of Thrones filming locations are there in Europe? I've recently been touring around Andalusia, and other than Seville, I wasn't aware of any other spots. After doing a bit of research, I found that there are actually a good number of Game of Thrones filming locations in southern Spain - and a lot of them are free!
From imposing castles, to desert landscapes, to royal palaces - southern Spain really does have some amazing filming locations to choose from. Many of these locations are places I would have visited anyways because of their historical significance, so it's just an added bonus that they were also used in some Game of Thrones scenes! Here is my list of 10 Game of Thrones filming locations in southern Spain you need to visit on your next trip to Andalusia:
Game of Thrones Filming Locations
1. I'm going to start off this list on the eastern side of Andalusia, in Almería. Here is where we'll find Alcazaba de Almería and the Muralla de Jayrán, a 10th century Moorish citadel which was added to by the Catholic monarchs in the 15th century. It's the largest citadel built by the Arabs in the whole of Spain, and offers incredible views of the city and the surrounding landscape. Alcazaba de Almería was used as a filming location in Game of Thrones as part of the Kingdom of Dorne ruled over by the House of Martell. While most of Dorne was filmed in Seville, the Alcazaba gardens were merged with the gardens in the Real Alcázar de Sevilla to create the beautiful Water Gardens in Sunspear. It was also used to depict Meereen. So if you're close to Almería and can't make it to the Game of Thrones locations in Seville, you can at least say you've walked around Dorne. It's been the location of a number of other popular movies such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Wonder Woman 1984. Best of all, entrance is complete FREE!
2. A short drive north of Alcazaba de Almería brings you to the Tabernas desert, but more specifically Paraje de El Chorrillo. Due to its unique landscape, this area of southern Spain has been used in a number of different movies to depict locations in the Middle East as well as Egypt. In season 6 of Game of Thrones, El Chorrillo was used as Vaes Dothrak, where the Dothraki were holding the Khaleesi captive. It's also where the Khaleesi emerges from a Dothraki cabin which is up in flames, unharmed. In terms of Andalusia filming locations, El Chorrillo is only growing in popularity and is well worth visiting if you're planning a trip to southern Spain.
3. Rounding off the Game of Thrones filming locations in Almería is Torre de la Mesa Roldán located in the town of Carboneras. It's very close to some of the best beaches in Almería as well. If I had been passing by this tower in the car I probably wouldn't have stopped because it doesn't look overly appealing compared to other Game of Thrones filming locations in southern Spain. The tower itself dates back to the mid-18th century, and was built during the reign of Charles III. It was meant to hold 24 cannons and be part of the Spanish defensive system along the coast, however it was eventually deemed useless due to its distance from the sea and its elevation. It's completely free to access the outside of the tower, but the inside is closed to the public. The tower takes on a similar physical appearance in season 6 of Game of Thrones, when we see the surrender to Daenerys of the Masters of Yunkai, Astapor, and Volantis who were at that time attacking Meereen. Although a Game of Thrones tour in Spain probably wouldn't stop at this tower, if you're out on your own road trip in Andalusia, you may as well stop for a few photos!
4. Seville and the surrounding area were heavily used for filming some very dramatic Game of Thrones scenes, but before talking about Seville, I wanted to mention a couple of other important filming locations located in Córdoba. The city itself is a paradise for anyone who loves medieval history, and its old town has been declared a World Heritage Site. In terms of Game of Thrones filming in Córdoba itself, they used just one location and surprisingly no actors had to travel there thanks to the work of CGI. Puente Romano (Roman Bridge of Córdoba) was transformed into the Long Bridge of Volantis, which was lined with stalls where people could buy anything they needed. It's shown in season 5 when Tyrion and Varys were entering the city. This is another fantastic Game of Thrones filming location in southern Spain, and you can easily make a day out of visiting Córdoba as well.
5. Just outside of the city of Córdoba sits a seriously impressive Game of Thrones castle: Castillo de Almodóvar del Río. The castle sits overlooking the surrounding countryside, and was completely restored to its medieval glory in the early 20th century. Its origins date back to the 8th century when it was one of the main Arab fortresses in Spain, and in the 13th century it fell to the hands of the Christians who did extensive alterations to it. This is one of my favourite Game of Thrones filming locations in southern Spain because it took on two different roles. Its dungeons played a small role as the underground section of Casterly Rock in season 7, and you have access to that area when you visit the castle. But have you ever wondered where the real life version of Game of Throne's Highgarden was? Well wonder no more because Castillo de Almodóvar is the House of Tyrell's Highgarden, and it even has the balcony from which we see Lady Olenna looking out from as the Lannister army comes to sack the city. There are large photos set up around the castle to show you which scenes were filmed in a specific area, and they also have some of the costumes on display. Entry is only €9 and in my opinion is well worth it.
6. If you're driving from Córdoba to Seville, make sure you visit Osuna. This small hillside village is located just outside of Seville and was used in season 5 of Game of Thrones. It's home to one of the largest bullrings by diameter in Spain (Plaza de Toros de Osuna) which dates back over 100 years, as well as a few other key historical sites in its old town. It came as a surprise to many that Osuna was chosen as a Game of Thrones filming location in southern Spain, but the producers deemed the bullring to be a perfect fit for the Daznak’s Pit of Meereen. The scene that takes place here is when Daenerys reopens the fighting pits and is overseeing the fight where Jorah is fighting, trying to win back her favour. The Sons of the Harpy try to attack Daenerys and start killing everyone inside, which is when one of the dragons swoops in and takes Daenerys to safety. Not a bad scene for a small village to be a part of! You can enter the bullring for €2.50 but I would check the opening times beforehand. There is also a small Game of Thrones museum in Osuna, which displays some of the props and photos from the filming.
7. Seville was a major filming location in southern Spain for Game of Thrones and is full of incredible historic sites to visit. It's well worth spending at least a full day in the city, if not more. One of the most popular attractions in Seville is Plaza de España, which was built in 1928 and has been used in a number of popular movies such as Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars. While the entire plaza wasn't used in Game of Thrones, sections of its corridors were used in scenes taking place in Dorne. It's a beautiful plaza to walk around and is completely free too, unless you want to rent one of the rowing boats along the plaza's canals.
8. Have you ever visited a medieval shipyard? Reales Atarazanas (Royal Shipyards of Seville) date back to the 13th century and were built after the fall of the Moorish stronghold to the Christians. The king wanted to push ahead into Africa but needed a place to build the ships first, which was the Reales Atarazanas original purpose. In Game of Thrones the shipyards were used to represent the crypts underneath the Red Keep in King's Landing. One of the scenes shot there from season 7 was when Cersei shoots a bolt through the skull of Balerion, before the weapon was used on Daenerys' dragons. A second scene shows a heated standoff between Tyrion and Jaime. If you want to visit the shipyards, you'll have to wait until 2022 when it reopens!
9. One of the main points of interest in Seville, if not the whole of Andalusia, is the Real Alcázar de Sevilla. The site has been a royal residency since the 8th century, but it wasn't until the 12th century that it became more established as a palace. By the 13th century the area was reclaimed by the Catholic monarchs, and the Islamic elements were combined with Christian ones, leading to the unique style known as Mudéjar. It's actually considered to be the oldest royal palace still in use in the world, and if that doesn't scream "Game of Thrones filming location" then I don't know what will. The Alcázar is where the majority of Dorne was filmed. The gardens of the palace were heavily used and parts of it were merged with those of Alcazaba de Almería. The Ambassador's Hall was used when Prince Doran welcomes Jaime into his salon, and the baths of María de Padilla were where Sand Snakes plotted their revenge. See? Not a bad filming location for Game of Thrones in southern Spain at all! Entry costs €12.50, so it's not the cheapest place to get into but there's a lot to see that's for sure.
10. A very short drive from the centre of Seville will bring you to the small town of Santiponce. Here is where you'll find the incredibly well preserved ancient Roman city of Itálica. It was the birthplace of both emperor Trajan and Hadrian, and holds the third largest amphitheatre in the Roman empire. Surprisingly, entry is free for EU citizens, and only €1.50 for those outside of it. Based on this photo, I'm sure you've already guessed what Itálica was used for in Game of Thrones. That's right - the Dragonpit! It was first used in season 7 as part of King's Landing, where there was a large meeting between Cersei and Daenerys and their followers to discuss the white walkers. It's also the scene where Daenerys arrives overhead flying on one of her dragons. Itálica is again used in the final episode of the whole series when the great lords and ladies of Westeros meet to discuss who their new ruler should be. You even get a glimpse of the rest of the city of Itálica as the camera zooms in on the Dragonpit.
If you're ever in the north of Spain, there are a lot more incredible Game of Thrones filming locations - many of them being dramatic castles that I can't wait to visit. But Andalusia has its fair share of filming locations too, some of which I had never heard of before doing some research. Even if you aren't a fan of the television show, these historic places are well worth visiting. I would recommend doing some background reading before heading to a new location, because you never know what unique places are nearby. I definitely didn't know about half of these Game of Thrones filming locations in southern Spain - but I'm glad I do now!
Have you visited any Game of Thrones filming locations during your travels? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comment section below. Don't forget to check out my Instagram page and follow me so you can keep up to date with my latest adventures!
Like this post? Why not pin it for later?
