Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey opened on July 17, 2026. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, Anne Hathaway is Penelope, and Tom Holland is Telemachus. Based on Homer's epic, the film follows Odysseus's ten-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
Nolan chose real places over studio sets. Filming began in Morocco on February 25, 2025, and ran for 91 shooting days across six countries — the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. A mud-brick village in Morocco became Troy, a small island off Sicily became Ithaca, and a cave above a Greek beach became the Cyclops' lair.
One thing first: the Troy of the film cannot be visited. The set was built to be burned, and nothing of it remains. But the village itself, the island that became Ithaca, and the Cyclops' cave are all still there, open to travelers.
This guide collects only verified facts: which places are real filming locations, how far you can actually go, and where the limits of the reporting are. Filming locations here rest mostly on production and travel coverage rather than an official studio list — that limit is flagged where it matters.
Information checked: October 30, 2026.
Where Was Troy Built?
Troy was built in southern Morocco, at Aït Benhaddou near Ouarzazate. The ksar — a fortified mud-brick village dating back to the 17th century — is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Beside the existing village, the production built close to 60 additional structures — the Temple of Athena, the city gates, whole streets to be burned — to create Troy, and burned them for the sack of Troy early in the film.
So if you go to Aït Benhaddou today, you will not see the film's Troy set. The village itself remains, and you can visit it — about 30 minutes by car from Ouarzazate. Note that the real Troy of Homer's time is an archaeological site near Çanakkale in northwestern Türkiye. Nolan did not film there.
The scenes of the Trojan Horse reaching the shore and Odysseus setting sail were filmed on the Atlantic coast at Essaouira, Morocco — the working port city known for its blue-shuttered medina and Portuguese-era sea walls. Reports mention interior scenes filmed in Marrakech, but no building has been identified, so they are left out of this guide.
Where Is the Real Ithaca?
Odysseus's home of Ithaca was not filmed on the Greek island of Ithaca. It was Favignana, off the west coast of Sicily — the largest of the Egadi Islands, about 30 minutes by ferry from Trapani.
Castello di Santa Caterina, on the island's highest hill at about 274 metres, became the palace of Odysseus and Penelope. The crew reportedly walked the steep mountain path up to it every morning for three weeks of filming. Cala Rossa and the Bue Marino coast also appear as Ithaca's harbour and shoreline scenes. The island is small enough to cross by bicycle.
Favignana is sometimes linked by tradition to the "goat island" of Homer's poem, but that is closer to legend than to established fact, so it is not stated as fact here.
Where Is the Cyclops' Cave?
In Greece, filming took place on the Peloponnese. Nestor's Cave, above Voidokilia Beach in Messenia, is the cave of Polyphemus — the Cyclops who traps Odysseus and his men. The beach is about 16 km from the coastal town of Pylos, and the cave is reached by a steep, rocky path up from the beach.
The same region also supplied Methoni Castle, the Venetian fortress, and Acrocorinth, further east in Corinthia, was also used for filming. The Cyclops sequence is the Peloponnese's main appearance in the film. Troy was not filmed in Greece, and neither was Ithaca.
Where Is the Island of the Winds, Aeolia?
The island of Aeolus, god of the winds, and the scenes of the wandering rocks and the strait of Scylla were filmed in the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily. Lipari, Vulcano, and the uninhabited islet of Basiluzzo were filming locations from late April to mid-May 2025.
The shallows of Pietra del Bagno, off Lipari, were used for the passage past the Sirens' song. The Aeolian Islands are a group of seven inhabited volcanic islands, and the islands can be reached by boat from Lipari.
Where Are Circe's Home and the Underworld?
Findlater Castle, on the coast of Aberdeenshire in north-east Scotland, became the remote seaside home of Circe. The ruined castle stands on cliffs above the Moray Firth, and the production filmed there and along the surrounding Moray coast for about six weeks in the summer of 2025. Culbin Forest, Buckie and Burghead harbours, and Sunnyside Beach in the same part of Scotland were also filming locations. The castle ruin is fragile, but it can be visited.
The Underworld scenes were filmed on a black-sand beach in Iceland, where the dark volcanic sand gave the otherworldly mood. One beach name, Hjörleifshöfði, has been reported — but only by a single outlet, and it is not officially confirmed, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Can You Actually Visit Them?
Most of them, yes. Aït Benhaddou, Essaouira, Favignana, Voidokilia Beach and Nestor's Cave, the Aeolian Islands, and Findlater Castle are all open to ordinary travelers. The one thing to drop is the expectation of seeing Troy: the set itself is gone, so "going to see Troy" will disappoint.
There are also places to be careful about. The Mediterranean Film Studios in Malta are a working studio facility, not a tourist attraction. And although Ireland is mentioned as a filming country in some round-ups, no specific location in Ireland could be confirmed anywhere, so it is left out of this guide. The same applies to Western Sahara (Dakhla) and Norway: production activity was mentioned, but no scene or place was confirmed.
The conclusion is simple. The map of The Odyssey is not a mythical map — it is a real travel map. From Morocco through Sicily and Greece to Scotland and Iceland, the film's journey works as a travel itinerary.
Official Sources
Wego — The Odyssey (2026) Filming Locations You Can Visit Now
https://blog.wego.com/the-odyssey-filming-locations/
Findlater Castle (official site) — Hollywood Comes to Findlater: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Films at Our Historic Castle
https://www.findlatercastle.com/the-odyssey/
Jared's Detours — The Real Hidden Gems Used as Filming Locations for "The Odyssey"
https://www.jaredsdetours.com/odyssey-locations/
Daysolis — The Odyssey Behind the Scenes: Nolan's IMAX Epic
https://daysolis.com/the-odyssey-behind-the-scenes/
TravelersToday — 'The Odyssey' Filming Locations Guide: Troy's Set Is Gone, But Five Others Are Open Now
Morocco Travel Experts — Where Was The Odyssey Filmed in Morocco? Complete Location Guide
4filming — Where Was Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Filmed? Locations (Aeolian Islands)
https://4filming.com/nolans-the-odyssey-is-being-filmed-in-aeolian-islands/
This article is based on information checked on October 30, 2026. Filming-location information rests mostly on production and travel coverage, not on an official studio location list. The release date (July 17, 2026), the 91 shooting days, and the all-IMAX-film shoot are confirmed across multiple reports. The Iceland beach name (Hjörleifshöfði) and the Favignana "goat island" link rest on single reports and tradition, not on established fact. Check each location's opening status and access conditions locally before visiting.