Where was Pirates of the Caribbean filmed? Top 7 Movie Series Filming Locations

Yo-ho-ho, folks. Isn’t it the right time to remember how wonderful it was to observe all those breathtaking sceneries from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise?

And what if we tell you that we manually reviewed all of them to present you with a shortlist of our favorite locations?

When it comes to the popular Captain Jack Sparrow movies, people seem to be excited by the mere thought of visiting all those picturesque views present in the five parts released so far: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, since it offers lots of value to those who study cinematography from an applied perspective.

We are fans of taking a sneak peek at what was left behind the scenes, so, read on to get acquainted with all those top-notch filming locations all around the world from your favorite Pirates of the Caribbean film series.

1- St Vincent and the Grenadines - Any fan will remember all the details from the first-ever film. More precisely, the mere existence of the Port Royal, an infamous spot that served as the pirates’ haven, was believed to be shot in Jamaica.

Unfortunately, the real Port Royal was erased from our planet by the earthquake nearly five centuries ago. That is why The Curse of the Black Pearl was filmed in St Vincent, which makes it worth mentioning in your traveling-related wish-list.

What makes this location so unique for the setting of the franchise was that the original Wallilabou Anchorage hotel actually appeared in the film, eventually making its way through the editing stage of the movie.

The franchise returned to the island to film scenes for Dead Man's Chest in Port Royal and Tortuga, reusing the sets from the previous movie that had survived three hurricanes.
Image courtesy of Ross Tsai - Map

2- Dominica - Yeah, maybe it wouldn’t be a big of a secret to tell you that, but a lot of the buccaneer's saga was shot in the jungle island of Dominica.

One of the most outstanding features was that the movies brought much attention to the island, eventually helping it to become one of the most trendy locations for tourists.

Cast and crew took the small island for several weeks in 2005. Some of the locations filmed here include The Pelegosto village in Cannibal Island (High Meadow), the canyon (Titou Gorge), the Pantano River (Indian River), and the ruined church and the forest of the battle on Isla Cruces (Vieille Case and Port Hampstead Beach).

If you’re fond of the Dead Man’s Chest (the second movie of the franchise), you are most likely to spot most of Dominica’s lands there.

So, if you were curious where in the world the filming crew found all those overwhelming locations, just take a closer look at Dominica since it is just too good to be true.

In 2019, it is even possible to purchase tickets for specialized tours across the locations where the original movies were filmed, which is a decent option for those willing to recreate that charming experience.
Image Walt Disney Pictures - Map

3- Bonneville Salt Flats (Utah) - The third installment At World's End (2007), contains many interesting locations in the USA like this desert salt west of Salt Lake City, the Niagara Falls, and the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes in California.
Image courtesy of Tom Kelly - Map

4- Puerto Rico - Now, it might become a real shock for you to know that the director of the fourth movie, Rob Marshall, just moved the Pirates of the Caribbean from the Caribbean!

Actually, most of this episode On Stranger Tides (2011) was filmed in a wide range of locations in Hawaii.

But what attracts the most attention is the representation of Puerto Rico in the final scene of the entire movie. Definitely, that beach scene was something that caught the attention of the viewers.

That infamous finale of the movie was filmed in the uninhabited Isla Palominos, near the coastal city of Fajardo, which is a real gem of Puerto Rico’s outstanding charm.

Solely because of the bad-ass decision to move those pirates from the Caribbean, the location of Puerto Rico has its place in our featured list.
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures - Map

5- Hawaii - At World's End filmed the last scene at Pohaku Mauliuli Beach on the small island of Molokai.

The next movie, On Stranger Tides, was filmed in several iconic locations in the major Pacific islands archipelago.

We highlight Halona Beach Cove in Oahu (Whitecap Bay in the film), the Allerton Garden in Kauai, and the Honopu Arch (pictured), situated in a remote area of the magnificent Nā Pali Coast.
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures - Honopu Arc Map

6- London and its surroundings - You’re right to guess that we will talk now more about the On Stranger Tides movie.

Throughout the entire narrative of the film, the beloved characters from the franchise sort it all out in the recognizable setting of New England.

What makes it so unique is that the filming crew did an outstanding job of virtualizing the St. Paul’s Cathedral, alongside including the footage from the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich (where also Enola Holmes was filmed).

But why had we mentioned the surroundings of London? In the plot of the film, both Jack and Gibbs are transported to some place after the trial. In reality, the so-called “St James Place” is just a Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, which is not that far from London.

So, that means that the movie fans from the UK have probably recognized all that amazing scenery that is present in this installment.

Also, don’t you recognize those London streets that are visible when the episode of chase starts as part of the narrative?

With all that being said, you should probably now be aware that the setting of London is somewhat natural in the context of the movie, which was also shot in the Knole House in Kent.
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures - Hampton Court Palace Map

7- Australia - Finally the last part of Johnny Depp's troupe adventures was entirely shot really far away from the Caribbean, in the country of the kangaroos and koalas.

We have a complete report about the 2017' Dead Men Tell No Tales filming locations, including the dazzling Whitehaven Beach in Whitsunday Islands (pictured).
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures and Atlas of Wonders - Map

Well, you can always say that all those sceneries from the Bahamas or even the Dominican Republic or Tortuga were also present in the course of the franchise.

Yet, they seemed to play only a little role in the overall outstanding recollection of the locations, which was briefly reviewed above. Also, Wikipedia has an interesting list of some of the most relevant fictional locations of the film series.

In case you have any hesitations regarding your next vacation destination, you should definitely give at least one of those locations a try, even if you are uncertain how to make it there. In reality, it would be much easier and more accessible than you could ever imagine.

2 comments:

1- Anonymous - May 19, 2022, 6:28 PM
I was at my timeshare in 2005 in Jamaica. I had no idea the crew was filming last-minute changes on the island, darn. So when leaving we had to take a puddle jumper to catch our flight back to the States.

Those rickety planes are a tight fit. Anyhow, I have face blindness (Prosopagnosia), and it causes me to confuse people that resemble each other or one actor with another (I was convinced Matt Lauer and Kevin Nealon were the same person, same with Meg Ryan and Melanie Griffin). Before we boarded I was reading People magazine, they had a small announcement that Rachel Weisz was pregnant. I just looked at the photo and thought about POTC.

What a surprise when the crew of POTC boarded this model airplane with us and introduced themselves. I asked how they were going to work Kiera's pregnancy. Not my MOST embarrassing F*** U*, but close.

You could have heard a pin drop, on that noisy plane, it felt just that quiet. They kinda went a little crazy-making call where ever those cells of that day could reach. One of the crew asked me how I learned of this. I said People magazine, I took it out and showed him.

Of course, he was courteous, he should have waylaid me for that screw up which would've cost them a fortune since they started filming the next movie in the series.

One of the passengers said, "I mix them up too, I can't believe I'm not alone!".

2- Anonymous - Apr 3, 2023, 1:54 PM
Pirates, outstanding films and breathtaking scenery!