Working in Alhamilla is like having your own huge back lot. The area is bigger than the 20th Century Fox back lot in California.
Arthur Max, Production Designer on Exodus: Gods and Kings
Spain’s success as a filming location has improved significantly since the introduction of an incentives system in early 2015. The country now offers up to 15% back in tax credits for an eligible spend, increasing to 35% for any productions filmed within the Canary Islands.
Game of Thrones filmed in Seville and Osuna in 2015 and will be added the Catalonian city of Girona to its list of Spanish filming locations for its latest season.
The Location Guide has visited Girona and found a bustling historical city with great local production support and strong transport links to nearby Barcelona.
The small region of Navarra, located near the northern coast of Spain, is set to implement its own specialised tax incentive programme. Much like the Canary Islands before it, productions shooting on location will be able to access 35% in tax credits on the basis that they spend at least a week filming in the region.
The 35% tax credits available in the Canary Islands has always been extremely competitive but have been compromised by the difficulty of travelling to the territory. Being part of mainland Spain however and under an hour away from Barcelona and Madrid by plane, Navarra suffers no such setback.
Working in Alhamilla is like having your own huge back lot. The area is bigger than the 20th Century Fox back lot in California.
Arthur Max, Production Designer on Exodus: Gods and Kings
Because of Spain's position on the Iberian peninsula, its climate is affected by both the Atlantic Ocean on its western and northern sides and the Mediterranean Sea to its south and east.
Mediterranean Spain has hot, dry summers and mild winters. There is virtually no rain between June and August except for the occasional thunderstorm.
Central Spain and the Southern Atlantic coast also have low rainfall, although there can be heavy snow in the Sierra Mountains in winter. Summers can be very hot.
North and north-west Spain are more influenced by the Atlantic. They are the wettest, cloudiest and coolest parts of Spain.