When we are not sailing we are watching tv, and we can’t help but notice the incredible landscapes and vacations shown are some of our favourite shows and film. If you want to travel to some of your favourite tv and film locations, we have compiled a list of our top 5 places to set-jet this 2023.
The White Lotus
Despite the first season of The White Lotus showcasing some magnificent views in Hawaii, the second season of the show is the one that really blew fans away. Mainly being set in the four seasons resort in Taormina, the show whisked away main characters Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) on a sailing getaway to Palermo. With the yacht being a main feature of the season, even though the scenes were full of tension it was difficult not to get distracted by the scenery in the background.
Palermo is the regional capital of Sicily and is perfectly situated on the northern shore of Sicily to explore the coast and the Aeolian Islands making it a great location to sail. The actual city is made up of beautiful Norman-style buildings, such as the Palermi Catherdral or palazzos such as the Villa Elena which is featured in the show. The White Lotus was filmed on location, showcasing some of the other beautiful parts of Sicily, including Cefalu, Noto and Taormina.
Glass Onion
Fans were excited last year for the release of the highly anticipated sequel of the ‘Knives Out’ murder mystery. Starring celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Daniel Craig and Ed Norton, the film was a major success and part of the conversation around the sequel involved the setting of the film. Like many famous films including a secluded island, the film was filmed in large part in Greece, specifically Porto Heli.
The star-studded cast set off on the 151-foot superyacht Aquarius from the Spetses Island harbour, one of the most popular of the Saronic islands, located close to Athens and known for its upscale atmosphere and architecture. However, the majority of the film was located on the fictional island named ‘Pisceshite Island’ which was in actuality filmed largely on the landscape at Korakia Beach on the well-known Greek Island of Crete.
Succession
It’s safe to say that most people would agree that they would rather be trapped on the boat from Jaws than be stuck on a yacht with Logan Roy for a weekend. That said, there is no denying that Roy’s yacht trip at the end of Season 2 of Succession was one of the most stunning holidays to take place on tv. While the more intense scenes of the finale were filmed on the $150,000,000 super yacht Solandge, the rest of the episode was set and filmed in the Aegean Sea and Croatia.
Production occurred in the beautiful towns of Korcula, Mljet and Sipan, where scenes set in the Old Town of Korcula feature iconic views such as St Mark’s Cathedral, as well as the seafood restaurant Cupido. Korcula is one of the most underrated islands in Croatia and is the sixth largest island in the country, sometimes nicknamed ‘Little Dubrovnik’ due to the abundance of medieval squares, churches, palaces and other architecture.
Death on the Nile
Although it seems obvious from the title, Death on the Nile was not actually filmed on the Nile, but rather in Surrey, England. Based on the popular book by Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile was released early in 2022 with the return of — as Hercule Poiret. The film was set in the late 1930s as a voyage in Southern Egypt along the Nile, however, the production proved difficult and although the cast and crew were keen to film in both Egypt and Morocco, the film was ultimately shot in Surrey, which included creating a life-sized replica of the Abu Simbel temple on the M3.
That’s not to say that the film did not show off Egypt as a great sailing destination. With plenty of background shots being filmed in both Egypt and Morocco, sights can be seen in the Egyptian city of Aswan, including the nearby Elephantine Island, which is a great place to go to see the history of Egypt being home to some Unesco-listed archaeological remains. The Abu Simbel twin temples are also a place you can actually take a boat trip to along the Nile and across Lake Nasser.
Aftersun
The Oscar-nominated film Aftersun quickly became a fan-favourite in 2022, with the film following a father-daughter holiday in the resort town of Oludeniz, Fethiye. A popular destination among British holiday-goers, Fethiye is one of the most popular cities in Turkey for sailing, with the famous blue lagoon and butterfly valley. The city is popular among sailors due to the unique panoramic views, the beautiful blue-green waters and the convenient location next to the coast where you can sail to Gocek, Gemiler Island or Bedri Rahmi Bay to name a few.
The father (Paul Mescal) and daughter (Frankie Corio) can be seen later in the film on a day trip to the nearby area of Sultaniye, visiting a mud bath as Sultaniye is Turkey’s most famous natural thermal spa. Finally, we also see the duo visit the town of Kaunos, where they see the ancient amphitheatre, built in the Greek period, slowly being taken over by Olive Trees.
