On Location with 8 Movies Filmed in the Caribbean

With more than 7,000 islands in the Caribbean, it’s no wonder that it’s a perfect place for setting the scene of reality TV vacation hot spots and motion pictures on the big screen. Go behind-the-scenes and explore the following Caribbean islands you might recognize from these eight iconic movies filmed on location, from Cuba and Puerto Rico to St. Vincent and the Bahamas.

Havana, Cuba

1. “Guava Island” – Explore “Guava Island” filming locations for a colorful chance to experience an off-the-beaten-path adventure around Havana, Cuba. The 2019 musical short film from Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, tells the story of how Deni Maroon (Glover) and his girlfriend Kofi Novia (Rihanna) decide to put on a music festival to liberate the island’s oppressed people; the fictitious Guava Island is controlled by a harsh paramilitary group called Red Cargo and violence takes over and industrializes the paradise. Hiro Murai directed this almost hour-long visual album shot in a similar way to Beyonce’s “Lemonade.” Afro-Cuban local actors, artists, dancers and musicians were cast in this film to exude artistry and capitalism through color-coded attire – the reds, blues and yellows symbolize the power struggle between social classes. Although “Guava Island” isn’t a real place, its filming locations across the capital city’s backstreets and low-key neighborhoods like Miramar in the westernmost part of the capital are.

• Astilleros Chullima is the factory where Deni and his friends worked.
• Iglesia del Wajay is where the funeral celebration took place.
• Paradero de La Lisa is where the festival at the warehouse took place.
• Playa del Fontan is a popular beach for sun- and sea-lovers where “Feels Like Summer” plays.
• El Hueco is where Deni and Kofi’s home is located.

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Dance in the streets of Old San Juan and Ponce, Puerto Rico that were made to look like Havana, Cuba in the 2004 remake of the 1987 original, “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.” This is a story of revolution, young love and salsa about two high schoolers from different worlds. Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski, the movie’s production designer, said “Filming in Puerto Rico, we were able to capture the feel of Havana’s streets – the golden, warm tropical light, the idea that people live outside as much as they do inside.” Some say Puerto Rico and Cuba are called “two wings from the same bird,” due to their similar city structures. Plus, Puerto Rico served as a backdrop for many other movies thanks to its convenient proximity to the U.S., film industry tax incentives, diverse landscape and picturesque, picture-perfect locations within its regions. Visit these places in Puerto Rico that were showcased by other features on the big screen below.

2. “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” – Dance and drink at the Bacardi Distillery where Katey (Romola Garai) and Javier (Diego Luna) fell in love with each other and sensual Cuban salsa during the Cuban revolution.
3. “The Rum Diary” – Travel back to the beaches of Vieques and Vega Baja like Johnny Depp did when he acted out Hunter S. Thompson’s memoir about his time as a journalist in Puerto Rico during the 1960s.
4. “22 Jump Street” – Party on spring break like undercover officers Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) at Caribe Hilton Hotel and Condado Beach.
5. “Bad Boys II” – Visit towns like Manati and Arecibo along the north coast of the island where police detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) wreaked havoc with their car chases, military shootings and explosions.

From Dominica, St. Vincent, The Bahamas and Back to Puerto Rico

Cruise around the Caribbean islands just like Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies from 2003 to 2017. Depp brings Captain Jack Sparrow to life (and back to life) in these films about the epic misadventures of the swashbuckling pirate alongside Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and many more. Bring out your inner pirate by going island hopping IRL and visit a few iconic islands and places in paradise you might recognize from the series below.

6. “Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl” – Most of the major sequences in the original 2003 film were filmed on the jungle island of Dominica. Wallilabou Bay in St. Vincent appears as Jamaica’s notorious pirate’s haven called Port Royal in this film. Visit St. Vincent’s northwest coast to take a dip in the natural pool near the 60-foot cascade called the Falls of Baleine.
7. “Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” – Dominica’s northeast coast provided the perfect backdrop with dramatic cliffs and lush foliage in the sequel from 2006. Iconic spots where key moments were filmed that you can visit are the Indian River dubbed “Pantano River,” in the movie; “Cannibal Island” in the Valley of Desolation; and “Shipwreck Cove” located near Capucin Cape. Grand Bahama Island and Exuma in the Bahamas are other filming locations from this second installment. Visit the Pirates of Nassau Museum to learn about actual brigands and Buccaneers.
8. “Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” – Puerto Rico’s east coast city of Fajardo is where the final beach scene was filmed in the fourth installment from 2011. Other scenes from this movie were filmed in Old San Juan at the San Cristobal Fort and the iconic El Conquistador hotel in Palomino Island.

Tell us about your favorite movies filmed in the Caribbean in the comments below.