Portugal has known some recent popularity concerning its potential for film locations, but the truth is that this sunny, low-cost country has been the set for movies you know and love for some time now.

If you’re thinking of visiting lovely, warm Portugal and getting to know Portuguese people better, get some inspiration now and maybe snap a photo in your favorite location. Get in touch with Start Adventure to know more about our expeditions.

1. The House of the Spirits

Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep and Winona Ryder star as members of the Trueba family in The House of the Spirits, a 1993 adaptation of the book by Isabel Allende. Even though this intriguing story of four generations is set in Chile, many of its most memorable scenes were filmed in Portugal — specifically the famous Rua Augusta in Lisbon, other parts of Lisbon and Alentejo.

Everyone can agree that Portugal is the best place for stories of magical realism like The House of the Spirits, which incorporate elements of fantasy in everyday life.

2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

That’s right, bet you didn’t remember a James Bond had been filmed in Portugal. The sixth James Bond film, released in 1969, uses several locations in and around Lisbon: breezy gardens, white cobblestone sidewalks lined with palm trees, sunny beaches like Praia do Guincho, and quaint squares or buildings coming right out of a belle époque like Praça Dom Pedro IV or Palácio do Estoril.

If you’ve been a long time fan, you surely remember the scene Bond girl Tracy dies, a road by the cliff in Arrábida, overlooking a deep blue ocean.

3 .The Invisible Circus

This 2001 movie starring Cameron Diaz tells the story of a woman trying to uncover information on her sister’s death: she was found dead beside a cliff in Portugal after journeying through Europe. Diaz’s character spends some time in Portugal with her sister’s former boyfriend, mostly hanging around S. Jorge Castle, the old quarter of Alfama, Arrábida and Sintra.

There are a lot of references of Portuguese culture and history, namely about major historical events in the 70’s like the Revolução dos Cravos (or Carnation Revolution), an extremely tactful military coup that succeeded in freeing Portugal from a 30-year old dictatorship under Salazar.

4. The Ninth Gate

What’s coming?

What are some movies being filmed in Portugal, or that recently wrapped? Coming up are, for instance, Fast and Furious 10( Fast X), Damsel and Casa de Papel season 5.

Some of these film locations include the enchanting northern village of Castro Daire, the Monastery of Batalha, the templar city of Tomar, and in Lisbon: Rua da Bica, Bairro Alto and the restaurant Ponto Final.