Mamma Mia! Filming Locations Tour in Greece – plus giveaway!
By Marriska Fernandes on October 17, 2018 | 65 Comments
“Life is short, the world is wide. I want to make some memories.” — Donna Sheridan, Mamma Mia!
And truly, I did make some fantastic memories this past September. To celebrate Mamma Mia’s 10th anniversary and the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Blu-ray and DVD release (Oct. 23), I was invited to visit Greece to check out some of the stunning filming locations from the original movie. The sequel brings together the original cast: Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters and Meryl Streep, as well as new cast members Cher, Andy Garcia and Lily James.
A select group of press from the U.S., U.K., Italy, Germany and Canada traveled to Skiathos Island and then took a water taxi to Skopelos Island. Overlooking the sapphire waters surrounding this lush island was Adrina Beach Hotel, which became our home for the next few days.
Skopelos Island is one of the three islands that make up the Sporades, a group of four Greek islands in the northwest Aegean Sea. The three others are Alonnisos, Skiathos, and Skyros. Skopelos was the main island used to film the fictional island setting of Kalokairi in the original Mamma Mia! movie. You will recognize the backdrop in famous numbers like “I Have a Dream,” “Money, Money, Money” and more.
On the first day, I spoke with Lily James and Jessica Keenan Wynn about playing the young Dynamos. They also revealed which song they would sing to woo someone. Hugh Skinner, Josh Dylan and Jeremy Irvine talk about playing the young dads, nailing the impressions of the legacy characters and more.
The next day we visited the Church of Agios Ioannis Kastri, located in the region of Kastri in Northern Skopelos. You will recognize this church, which was featured in both Mamma Mia! films. This was the very same church where Sophie (Seyfried) decided to get married — remember the scene in which her family and friends walk up the 202 steps to the top of the rock?
Donna (Streep) and Sam (Brosnan) sang “The Winner Takes It All” at the bottom of the rock. Climbing to the top of the rock provides a breathtakingly gorgeous view of Skopelos and Alonissos. Although I’ll let you in on a secret — the inside of the church was filmed elsewhere. I think it’s time we say, “I do!”
In Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, we once again see views of this church towards the end of the film. I can’t reveal the scene, of course.
We then took a boat tour around the Greek island, taking in the picturesque views on the crystal waters found all along the coastline. It’s no wonder Mamma Mia! looked like a slice of paradise. While on the tour, we passed Cape Amarantos, which has two pine trees on the limestone rock near Agnondas Beach. If you remember, Sophie and her dads shot a scene under the trees for the song “Our Last Summer.” The harbor of Agnontas was also the location for filming a portion of “Money, Money, Money.”
When we arrived at Kastani Beach, it was one of the most magnificent, exotic beaches I’d ever seen. The blue-green water was crystal clear and was truly a slice of paradise. It soon became crystal clear (pun intended) why this island was used in filming several of the songs in Mamma Mia!
Our beloved Tanya, played brilliantly by Christine Baranski, danced in a red ensemble to “Does Your Mother Know” with a crew of young lads on the beach, right in front of the beach bar. Of course, the beach bar was built for filming and is no longer there — but the beach still looks the same.
Also filmed on this beach was the number with Sophie and and Sky (Cooper) singing “Lay All Your Love on Me” as the young men emerge from the waves. Shot at night on Kastani Beach was the scene in which Sophie says goodbye to her dads. You can see the moonlight glistering on the sea, marking a bittersweet moment in the film.
Of course, with Kastani Beach playing such an instrumental role in the film, I also got to have some fun. Lucy Bardrick, the assistant choreographer on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, gave us media folks a dance class, teaching us the choreography she taught Pierce, Stellan, Firth and the rest of the crew to the epic number “Dancing Queen.” With the beach in the backdrop, we all shook a leg and spent a wonderful afternoon, as “Dancing Queen” lyrics were forever engraved in our minds. I also had the chance to speak to Lucy about the choreography, training the dads and more! Click here to see our dance videos and interview with Lucy.
I left my heart on the island, and will forever know that I have two left feet when it comes to choreography. Thank you for the memories, Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is now available on Digital HD and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 23. And there’s a sing-along edition — imagine that! Watch out for our review next week. If you would like to win a Blu-ray copy of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, leave a comment below telling us what’s your favorite Mamma Mia! song. ~ Article and photos by Marriska Fernandes
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- Adrina Beach Hotel
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- Church of Agios Ioannis Kastri
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- Chapel views
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- The view from top
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- Nearby islands
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- Cape Amarantos
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- Boat tour views
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- Kastani Beach
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- A view of Kastani Beach
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- Lucy Bardrick
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- Media learns Dancing Queen
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- An aerial view of the dance
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- Mamma Mia! press dinner
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- The sunset dinner
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- A view of the set up
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- Skopelos Village
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- Skopelos views
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- Skopelos Village walk
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- Skopelos Village views
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My favorite Mamma Mia! song is Super Trouper.
Lay all your love on me is my favourite.
My favourite is S.O.S.
Mt favorite is Dancing Queen!
Dancing Queen
How am I supposed to pick just one? So I choose…ALL OF THEM!
My Love, My Life. Beautiful song that brings me to tears every time.
My favourite song. Oh no so many.
Dancing queen!
The pictures are beautiful. My favorite – My Love My Life and Slipping Through My Fingers.
This is so cool! I would love to visit Greece to check out the filming locations some day – I also loved the sequel!
My favorite song is Dancing Queen!
Such a great article – looks like it was a lot of fun!
Fave song – I have a dream
Great article and my fav is “Fernando”!!!
I Have A Dream and My Love, My Life.
Money, Money, Money is my favorite Mama Mia! song
My favourite song is Dancing Queen.
My favourite Mamma Mia song is Waterloo
Dancing Queen!
My fave is Dancing Queen
My Love, My Life
My fave is Dancing Queen!
Dancing Queen
My favorite one is “Dancing Queen”
Dancing Queen is my favourite!!
Dancing Queen!
I Have a Dream makes me tear up every time! My favourite! <3
My favourite song was Fernando which was in Mamma Mia Here we go again.
My favorite Mamma Mia! song is “Dancing Queen”.
Oh God how can I chose, I love them all, so hard to just pin-point to one. I have a dream because I am always dreaming, and it makes me look back to all the dreams that I wanted to come true. Saw the movie Mama Mia, here we go again, I loved it, I lost 15 of the beginning didn’t realize it was so far away, but that was OK, I might buy or win a Blue Ray, who knows, another one of my dreams.
Oh God how can I chose, I love them all, so hard to just pin-point to one. “I have a dream” because I am always dreaming, and it makes me look back to all the dreams that I wanted to come true. Saw the movie Mama Mia, here we go again, I loved it, I lost 15 of the beginning didn’t realize it was so far away, but that was OK, I might buy or win a Blue Ray, who knows.
Dancing Queen!
Oh,so many, hard to pick. Super Trouper.
Although all of the songs from “Mama Mia – Here We Go Again” were a hit I’d have to say “When I Kissed the Teacher” was my absolute favourite! I’m pretty clear on this decision because I saw this movie 5 times!
Oh God how can I chose, I love them all, so hard to just pin-point to one. “I have a dream” because I am always dreaming, and it makes me look back to all the dreams that I wanted to come true. Saw the movie Mama Mia, here we go again, I loved it, I lost 15 mins. of the beginning didn’t realize the theatre was so far away, but that was OK, I might buy or win a Blue Ray, who knows.
Oh God how can I chose, I love them all, so hard to just pin-point to one. “I have a dream” because I am always dreaming, and it makes me look back to all the dreams that I wanted to come true.
Dancing Queen for sure.
Oh God how can I chose, I love them all, so hard to just pin-point to one. “I have a dream” because I am always dreaming,
I love them all, so hard to just pin-point to one. “I have a dream” because I am always dreaming,
I love them all, “I have a dream” because I am always dreaming,
So sorry for all the times my name appears, it kept telling me that I was repeating something I said, and did not see the first submission, so thought it did not accept it and I kept taking out sentances. Thanks
Best song for me is I Have A Dream! We should all have a dream, a goal in life that keeps us going.
My favourite song is Mama Mia and whenever I have to go to the bathroom, I start to sing this song, Mama Mia Here we go again over and over!
It may sound funny but it’s true LOL.
It is so hard to pick just one song as a favourite, loved the movie so much fun. Dancing Queen gets you moving so I will go with that one.
Though all of ABBA’s songs for the Mamma Mia movies are my favourites, Super Trouper has always topped them all with My Love, My Life and Slipping Through My Fingers as close second(s). Meryl’s voice clearly makes these songs irresistible.
My favorite song is Mamma Mia!
Dancing Queen
I have 2 favorites because they have a common theme with so much meaning to me. They are “My Love, My Life” and “Slipping Through My Fingers” . These are very bittersweet to me. I was told I wouldn’t have children and had always preyed for a daughter. Low and behold..a miracle happened. I had a little girl. Like both Donna and Sophie I was a single mother, experiencing all of the joys of parenthood on my own. She has now grown up and left me to live her own life. I miss our living together time so much but see her whenever I can and always treasure those times.. In my heart she is still my little girl.
Dancing Queen
I was surprised that the sequel was actually filmed in Croatia. Your article just says “I was invited to visit Greece to check out some of the stunning filming locations from the original movie.”.
Lay all your love on me! 😀
Dancing Queen. Loved the movie and sang all throughout it!
Dancing Queen. Loved the movie and sang all throughout it!
My favourite Mamma Mia song is slipping through my fingers. Thanks for the chance
Fernando of course
Chiquitita… My Fav….
Dancing Queen
The Winner Takes It All was my favourite because it revealed Donna’s pain from what she thought was Sam’s betrayal
Dancing Queen of course!
I love all the songs, but my favourite is Dancing Queen. There is just something about that song that makes me want to get up and dance every time I hear it.
The winner takes it all.
The Winner Takes It All
Dancing Queen!!
I love the song where they start sipping chilled retsina and switch to ouzo when their palates are numb.
Dancing queen
I love all the Abba songs, so uplifting. Dancing Queen is my favorite because when my daughter was little we used to dance to this before I took her for a shower. It’s such nice memories. All the music seems to be so uplifting and energizing.
Dancing queen!