Tatooine and the forest moon of Endor may seem like they’re in a galaxy far, far away, but these Star Wars worlds are closer than you think. The fantastical environments of these fictional planets were inspired by and filmed in real-world locations, from the craggy peaks and windswept isles of the Scottish Highlands to the ancient ruins and whitewashed houses of Tunisia.
Leslye Headland, the showrunner/creator of the newest original Star Wars series,The Acolyte, now streaming on Disney+, says that one of the goals of the production from the very beginning was “to find locations that would feel otherworldly.” [The Walt Disney Company is majority owner of National Geographic Partners.]
Places in Wales and Portugal ended up having the alien appeal she was looking for. And the actors, including Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae, appreciated it as well. “The cast really loved being on a location, and being able to play scenes in a different climate than we’d been shooting in London. For them to be transported…you can’t achieve that for your performers by staying on set.”
There’s no need for a Millennium Falcon to visit the ethereal landscapes our favorite Resistance fighters and Imperial forces call home. Simply take a plane, train, boat, or car to these eight stellar Star Wars filming locations.
Dawn illuminates the jagged spine of the São Lourenço Peninsula, on the eastern end of Madeira island, Portugal. Madeira’s varied landscapes served as settings for three different planets in the Star Wars original series The Acolyte.
Photograph by Roberto Moiola, Sysaworld, Getty Images
Madeira, Portugal
The planets Khofar and Olega, The Acolyte
Located in the Atlantic Ocean, some 300 miles off Morocco’s west coast, Madeira is an autonomous Portuguese archipelago that some might know better for its wine, which was beloved by George Washington and other Founding Fathers. The main island (also called Madeira) is small—only 35 miles long and 14 miles wide—but its terrain is diverse, ranging from sheer, wave-bashed cliffs to rugged mountains to sun-drenched beaches.
Madeira’s variety of landscapes made it ideal forThe Acolyte, which tells the galaxy-hopping story of a mysterious assassin who is murdering Jedi one by one. “It was an incredible place to shoot because there’s actually so many areas in it that feel like different planets,” Headland tells National Geographic. “[The planet] Olega is Madeira, but also the planet of Khofar is Madeira.”
The island also stands in for an “unknown planet” that is revealed in episode six. “Madeira was a really beautiful, spacious, very welcoming place where we were able to shoot three planets in one location,” she says.
Many the of film sets in Tunisia commissioned for A New Hope are slowly eroding away due to desert sandstorms, but a few, like this structure in Djerba, remain.
Photograph by Naftali Hilger, Redux
Island of Djerba, Tunisia
Tatooine, various episodes
As the primary filming location for the planet Tatooine (based on the Tunisian town of Tataouine), the island of Djerba is home to some important Star Wars sites, including the iconic Mos Eisley cantina first introduced in A New Hope. If there’s time, hop back over to mainland Tunisia for more Star Wars locations, like the Hotel Sidi Driss, a traditional Berber subterranean house that was used as Luke Skywalker’s childhood home (and is still open for guests).
Find the right spot at the optimal angle and you may recall a few familiar Star Wars scenes while strolling Lake Como, in Italy.
Photograph by Dorothea Schmid, Redux
Lake Como, Italy
Naboo, Attack of the Clones, Episode II
Several scenes on the planet Naboo, including Padmé and Anakin’s stay at Varykino Villa, were filmed on the shores of Lake Como, Italy’s third largest lake. Lavish mansions dating from the 18th-century line the lake, including Villa del Balbianello, used as the set piece for the couple’s secret wedding between Padmé and Anakin in Attack of the Clones. Visitors can arrive by water taxi to explore the on-site museum housing explorer Count Guido Monzino’s collection of art and travel mementos, or take a stroll through the elaborate terraced gardens to feel as regal as Queen Padmé herself.
The soaring trees of California’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (pictured here) inspired a scene that takes place on the forest moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi.
Photograph by Radius Images/Alamy Stock Photo
Redwood National and State Parks, California
The forest moon of Endor, Return of the Jedi, Episode VI
During certain seasons, a thin layer of water transforms Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni into a mirrored canvas. The stark white salt plains became the planet Crait during the final battle between Resistance Forces and the First Order in The Last Jedi.
Photograph by Michael Kittell, Getty Images
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Crait, The Last Jedi, Episode VIII
Stretching more than 4,050 square miles of the Altiplano, Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat—and a lucrative extraction site for salt and lithium, the element needed for powering laptops, smartphones, and electric cars. In another universe, this harsh but beautiful landscape doubles as the remote mining planet of Crait, a rebel outpost. Plan a stay during rainy season (December to April) when a thin layer of water from nearby overflowing lakes transforms the flats into a breathtaking reflection of the sky.
In England, Puzzlewood’s maze of lichen-clad pathways, age-gnarled trees, and ancient ruins was the location for the first standoff between Kylo Ren and Rey in The Force Awakens.
Photograph by Guy Berresford, Alamy Stock Photo
Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean, U.K.
Forest of Takodana, The Force Awakens, Episode VII
With 14 acres of lush forest, secret caves, and ancient ruins, it’s no wonder the mystical woodlands of Puzzlewood made the ideal setting for the forests of Takodana in The Force Awakens. Take in the otherworldly scenery on a 1.5-mile scavenger hunt, where visitors search for Roman coins, animals, and other items hidden throughout the woods, or plan an enchanting stay at one of the Puzzlewood cottages.
These beehive houses on Ireland’s Skellig Michael housed monks seeking a safe haven to practice their beliefs between the sixth and eighth centuries. The island and the former monastery became the secret hideaway for Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi.
Photograph by Peter Barritt, Alamy Stock Photo
Skellig Michael, Ireland
Luke’s Hideout, The Force Awakens, Episode VII
No wonder Luke Skywalker chose these beautiful Irish islands for his hideout. Located eight miles off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, this UNESCO World Heritage site is home to the world’s second largest cormorant colony, as well as many other seabird species, including puffins. Once a sixth-century monastic settlement, Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl in Irish) is only accessible by boat. When visitors arrive on the island, they can climb the 600 steps to the monastery. You can’t spend the night there, but find accommodations in County Kerry.
Hikers leap across a crevasse on the Hardangerjøkulen Glacier in Norway. Star Wars fans may recognize it as the remote ice planet Hoth, where Han Solo rescues Luke Skywalker after his tauntaun was attacked by a wampa.
Photograph by Thomas Linkel, Redux
Hardangerjøkulen Glacier, Norway
Hoth, The Empire Strikes Back, Episode V
There won’t be any wampas waiting for you on this glacier, but you can still pretend to be part of the battle on the ice planet of Hoth. The glacier is located near the isolated mountain village of Finse, which is only accessible by train. A guided tour is required to access the glacier and is offered between July and September.
The Acolyte is available to stream on Disney+.
This story was originally published on December 11, 2017. It was updated June 25, 2024, to reflect new information.
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