30 Scenic Movies Set in Greece You Need to Watch Before You Visit
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There’s something magical about seeing whitewashed villages cascade down cliffsides, azure waters sparkle under the Mediterranean sun, and ancient ruins whisper stories of gods and heroes.
And while nothing quite compares to experiencing Greece in person, these films offer the next best thing—a cinematic escape to one of the world’s most captivating destinations.
Whether you’re planning your first Greek adventure and want to preview the stunning landscapes, reminiscing about a past trip, or simply craving some armchair travel, these movies set in Greece deliver that perfect blend of wanderlust and entertainment.
From romantic comedies filmed on sun-drenched islands to epic historical dramas that bring ancient mythology to life, there’s something here for every type of traveler (and movie lover).
I’ve rounded up 30 films that showcase Greece in all its glory—some shot on location among those iconic blue-domed churches and crystal-clear waters, others recreating Greek settings elsewhere but still worth a watch.
So grab some popcorn (or better yet, some olives and feta), get comfortable, and let these movies transport you to the land of endless summer, warm hospitality, and timeless beauty.
Ready to start your cinematic journey through Greece? Let’s dive in!
Note: I’ve pulled these film descriptions from IMDB
Movies Filmed in Greece
1. Arcadia Lost (2010)
Arcadia Lost follows two teenagers stranded in rural Greece after a car wreck. Charlotte, a sixteen-year-old seeking connection, hides behind a sullen face and her sexual power. Sye, her recent stepbrother, is introverted, smart, but always distant through his camera and sharp wit.
As they explore the Peloponnese’s dusty roads and vistas, they meet Benerji, an American philosopher-drunk vagabond, and adopt him as their guide.
Their journey to Mount Parnassus’s sacred waters takes them through ancient and modern landscapes, confronting their past and the beauty and fear of their present.
Filming Location: It was filmed in the village of Poulithra, in the municipal unit of Leonidio, within the municipality of South Kynouria, in the regional unit of Arcadia. Poulithra is a traditional settlement. It remains one of the last peaceful coastal villages with traditional stone houses.
Rated: Not Rated
2. Before Midnight (2013)
We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.
Filming Location: Filming took place entirely on the Peloponnese coast in Southern Greece, including the Kardamyli home once owned by author Patrick Leigh Fermor.
Rated: R
3. Boy on a Dolphin (1957)
A woman who finds a treasure is torn between two men: one who wants to sell it, and one who wants to donate it to Greece.
Filming Location: Much of the film was shot on location on the Greek Saronic Islands, notably Hydra. Establishing shots of Athens, Rhodes, and Delos are also featured.
Rated: Approved
4. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001)
When a fisherman leaves to fight with the Greek army during World War II, his fiancée falls in love with the local Italian commander.
Filming Location: The movie was filmed at numerous spots around Kefalonia.
Notably, scenes were shot in the village of Sami, which was partially reconstructed to resemble its appearance before the devastating earthquake that struck the Ionian islands in 1953, as well as on the stunning Antisamos beach and in Fiscardo.
Rated: R
5. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Secret service agent James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
Filming Location: While this spy thriller was shot in multiple locations, it was filmed in part on the island of Corfu and on the mainland at Meteora.
Rated: PG
6. High Season (1988)
The lives of an English expat photographer, her daughter, her player ex, a commie spy, a “00” agent and other English in Lindos, Rhodes, Greece.
Filming Location: This film was shot on location at Lindos, Rhodes.
There are tons of things to see on Rhodes so it’s of little surprise they only needed the one island!
Rated: R
7. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
Lara Croft sets out on a quest to prevent Pandora’s box from landing into the wrong hands.
Filming Location: Tomb Raider is one of my favorite films, and the sequel was partially shot on location in Greece, specifically on the island of Santorini, showcasing the endless blue of the Aegean Sea.
Wondering if this iconic island is worth the trip? Check out my pros and cons for Santorini!
Rated: PG-13
8. Mamma Mia! (2008)
Donna, an independent hotelier, is preparing for her daughter’s wedding with the help of two old friends.
Meanwhile, Sophie, the spirited bride, has a plan. She invites three men from her mother’s past in hope of meeting her real father.
Filming Location: Although Mamma Mia! takes place on the fictional island of Kalokairi, the film was mainly shot on the Greek islands of Skopelos and Skiathos in the Sporades archipelago, as well as at the charming seaside village of Damouchari in Pelion.
Mamma Mia! is one of my favorite movies set in Greece!
Rated: PG-13
9. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)
After the death of the family’s patriarch, Toula attempts to locate her father’s childhood friends in Greece for a family reunion.
Filming Location: Much of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was filmed on the mainland, including Athens, and on several islands, such as Corfu, which was amalgamated into one location in the film.
Thinking about island hopping like this film did? Steal my 10-day Greek island guide!
Rated: PG-13
10. My Life in Ruins (2009)
A disgruntled tour guide in Greece gains an unexpected new outlook on life thanks to one of the people on what she intends to be her last tour.
Filming Location: The film is set in Greece and Alicante, Spain. Notably, it was the first time an American studio was permitted to shoot on location at the Acropolis.
Other filming sites in Greece include Olympia, Delphi, and Epidaurus.
Heading to Athens? Read my Athens city guide to get budget tips and tricks!
Rated: PG-13
11. Never on Sunday (1960)
An American scholar in Greece sets about improving the prostitute with whom he is infatuated.
Filming Location: The movie was filmed in Piraeus, the main port of Greece.
Rated: Not Rated
12. Opa! (2005)
A modern day treasure hunt for a mystical relic that turns into a love story for all time.
Filming Location: The film was shot entirely in Greece, on the island of Patmos, with many locals featured in bit parts or as extras.
Rated: PG-13
13. Shirley Valentine (1989)
Shirley is a 42-year-old bored Liverpudlian housewife who takes a holiday trip to Greece and meets a local man who bolsters her self-confidence. She evolves and transforms to the point that her husband doesn’t even recognize her.
Filming Location: While the first half of the film was shot and set in England, the latter half was filmed in Mykonos, Greece, making it one of the most famous films shot on the island.
I hadn’t heard about this film before, but a lovely commenter on my’ Movies Set in Europe’ post brought it to my attention. Although it’s a bit slow at the start, I enjoyed it by the end.
Rated: R
14. Summer Lovers (1982)
A young American couple and a French woman engage in a threesome in the Greek Islands.
Filming Location: Summer Lovers is a movie filmed on the island of Santorini. The production secured permission to film at Akrotiri, an archaeological site (that’s well worth visiting) located on the island.
Fun fact! During filming, Valérie Quennessen, who played Lina, an archaeologist, discovered pottery at the Akrotiri site that was circa 3,500 years old.
Scenes were also filmed on the islands of Crete, Delos, and Mykonos.
Rated: R
15. The Big Blue (1988)
The rivalry between Enzo and Jacques, two childhood friends and now world-renowned free divers, becomes a beautiful and perilous journey into oneself and the unknown.
Filming Location: Much of the film was shot on the Greek island of Amorgos, but some shots were also filmed on the islands of Ios and Amorgos.
Rated: PG
16. The Bourne Identity (2002)
A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory.
Filming Location: Although The Bourne Identity was mostly filmed in France, Italy, and the Czech Republic, the movie’s final scenes were shot on the island of Mykonos.
Rated: PG-13
17. The Guns of Navarone (1961)
A team of Allied saboteurs is assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held Greek island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.
Filming Location: The Greek island of Rhodes served as a filming location.
The actor, Quinn, was so impressed with the area that he bought land nearby and later received more land from the local government in gratitude for making the island famous – today, that place is called Anthony Quinn Bay.
Some additional scenes were filmed on the islands of Gozo, near Malta, and Tino, in the Ligurian Sea.
Planning to visit Anthony Quinn Bay? Grab my Greek packing guide for tips on what to bring!
Rated: Not Rated
18. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Four best girlfriends hatch a plan to stay connected with one another as their lives start off in different directions: they pass around a pair of secondhand jeans that fits each of their bodies perfectly.
Filming Location: Since the film is about the girls separating for the summer, it’s shot in several locations, such as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and British Columbia, Canada. But as for Greece, it focused on the island of Santorini.
While it’s unlikely you’ll have family to stay with like Lena, so check my Where to Stay in Santorini post!
Rated: PG
19. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
Four college freshmen and best friends find that it may take more than a shared pair of jeans to help them stay in touch as their lives go in different directions.
Filming Location: Just like the first film, this movie was shot in several countries, but primarily focuses on the island of Santorini. Scenes were shot at the village of Oia, at Ammoudi Harbor, at rock formations, and other locations around the island.
In my opinion, these two films are some of the best movies set in Greece to gain insight to what your trip will look like!
Want some restaurant recommendations for epic sunset views? Snag my 3-day Santorini itinerary.
Rated: PG-13
20. The Trip to Greece (2020)
Actors Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan travel from Troy to Ithaca following in the footsteps of the Odysseus.
Filming Location: This film shot extensively in Greece at the locations of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the island of Hydra, the Caves of Diros, Nestor’s Palace, Niokastro Fortress in Pylos, and Ancient Stagira, as well as a lot of shooting in restaurants and hotels in Athens, Hydra, Lesvos, Chalkidiki, Pelion, Kavala, and at the Peloponnese.
You can easily island-hop, too, by either flying or taking the ferry around the Greek islands.
Rated: Not Rated
21. The Two Faces of January (2014)
A thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.
Filming Location: The film is among the few granted permission to shoot at the Acropolis and also features scenes of Plaka and Crete (including Chania Port, the Chalepa district, and Heraklio).
This was not one of my favorite movies set in Greece, as it’s a bit slow. However, Athens itself is well worth visiting!
Rated: PG-13
22. Zorba the Greek (1964)
A reserved English writer travelling to Crete on a matter of business finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.
Filming Location: The film was shot on location on the Greek island of Crete.
Specific locations featured include the city of Chania, the village of Kokkino Chorio in the Apokoronas region, Stavros Beach in the Akrotiri peninsula, and the beach of the village of Stavros.
Rated: Approved
Movies Set in Greece (But Not Shot There)
23. Alexander (2004)
Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.
Filming Location: Shot in Morocco, Thailand, and Malta.
Rated: R
24. Clash of the Titans (2010)
Perseus, a demigod and the son of Zeus, battles the minions of Hades and the Underworld in order to stop them from conquering Olympus and Earth.
Filming Location: Filming took place in England, Wales, and the Canary Islands.
Rated: PG-13
25. Hercules (1997)
The son of Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.
Filming Location: This one is pretty obvious that it wasn’t ‘shot’ in Greece, but I had to include this classic nonetheless!
Rated: G
26. Immortals (2011)
Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.
Filming Location: I went to the premiere of this film, and while it is epic to watch, it is unfortunately filmed mostly in Istanbul.
Rated: R
27. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
Five years after the events of Mamma Mia! (2008), Sophie prepares for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna as she learns more about her mother’s past.
Filming Location: While the first film was shot in Greece, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was filmed on the island of Vis, off Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, with additional filming taking place in France and England.
Mamma Mia! and its sequel are my comfort films, so even though the 2nd one wasn’t shot in Greece, it’s well worth a spot on this movies set in Greece post!
Rated: PG-13
28. The Trojan Women (1971)
The women of Troy face enslavement after the fall of their city.
Filming Location: The film was shot in Atienza, a village in Spain.
Rated: GP
29. Troy (2004)
An adaptation of Homer’s great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces.
Filming Location: Troy filmed in Malta and Cabo San Lucas, but also at Shepperton Studios near London.
I still recall going to the movies to see this film with friends because of the epic cast! While about ancient history, it’s still a worthwhile watch before you visit Greece!
Rated: R
30. 300 (2006)
In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army.
Filming Location: This film employed the digital backlot technique on a set in Montreal, Canada.
Rated: R
Related Greece Travel Guides
- Simple 10-Day Greek Island Hopping Itinerary For First-Timers
- What to Wear in Greece: A Practical Packing Guide for Women
- How to Travel the Greek Islands: Quick and Leisurely Ways
- 30 Scenic Movies Set in Greece You Need to Watch Before You Visit
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