In recent years, Spain has established itself as one of the leading filming destinations for international films and TV series. In addition to the diversity of its landscapes and the charm of its historic towns, there is a truly unique feature: Paradores. The distinctive nature of these buildings—castles, monasteries, convents and palaces converted into hotels—means that, as well as accommodating travellers, they also serve as a setting or base for numerous film and TV productions.
More and more directors are finding Paradores to be the perfect setting for their stories. From international productions featuring Hollywood stars to Spanish thrillers and fantasy series, the Paradores have become true “cinematic hotels”.
Read on and find out if you were already familiar with these productions.
Asteroid City and the Parador de Chinchón
One of the most high-profile productions filmed in Spain in recent years has been ‘Asteroid City’, directed by Wes Anderson and released in 2023. The film features a star-studded ensemble cast with big Hollywood names such as Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton.
Set in a small fictional town in the American Southwestern Desert during the 1950s, the film was largely shot in the Madrid town of Chinchón between 2021 and 2022. A huge set was built there to recreate the town of Asteroid City.
During filming, the crew and most of the cast stayed at the Parador de Chinchón, where they could enjoy a well-deserved rest after a busy day of shooting. This former 17th-century Augustinian convent, now one of the most iconic establishments in the Paradores network, has previously hosted other film productions such as Orson Welles’s ‘The Immortal Story’.
Its historic architecture, its inner courtyards and its location in one of Spain’s most beautiful medieval squares make it the ideal venue for hosting a major production. Anderson’s crew staying there for weeks placed the Parador at the heart of one of the most unique productions in recent cinema.
Artificial Justice and the Parador Costa da Morte
Another of the most recent films featuring a Parador is the thriller ‘Artificial Justice’, directed by Simón Casal, which depicts a near future in which an artificial intelligence system could replace judges in the system of justice. The film stars Verónica Echegui, Alberto Ammann and Tamar Novas.
Part of the filming took place in Galicia and used the spectacular Parador Costa da Morte as a location. Situated facing the Atlantic in a setting of great scenic beauty, the Parador appears in the film transformed into the headquarters of a powerful technology company. Its contemporary architecture, integrated into the landscape of the Galician coast, provided a modern and futuristic aesthetic perfect for the tone of the film.
The presence of the production team provided an opportunity to showcase one of the network’s newest Paradores in a cinematic context very different from the usual nature tourism.
Dark Matter and the Parador de Ronda
And it’s not just films; TV series also turn to the Paradores to set their stories. We saw this with the Spanish series ‘Cuéntame’ at the Parador de Alcalá de Henares, and now with the British fantasy series ‘His Dark Materials’, based on the novels by Philip Pullman, an international blockbuster from the BBC and HBO released in 2019.
Starring Dafne Keen, James McAvoy and Ruth Wilson, the series recreates a fantastical universe made up of parallel worlds. For the third season, part of the filming moved to Andalusia, where various natural and monumental locations in the Serranía de Ronda were used.
The surroundings of the Parador de Ronda served as a base of operations for the crew during filming in the area. Situated next to the famous Tajo de Ronda and the Puente Nuevo, this Parador is housed in the town’s former town hall and offers one of the most spectacular views in Andalusia. The combination of natural scenery, historic architecture and proximity to numerous filming locations made it a strategic location for the production.
Television programmes: Paradores as real-life settings
In addition to films and series, the Paradores have also found a prominent place in television formats. Their monumental architecture and historic atmosphere make them perfect settings for reality shows, game shows and entertainment programmes.
Traitors España and the Parador de Sigüenza
One of the clearest and most recent examples is the reality show Traitors España, the Spanish adaptation of the international format created by Marc Pos. The programme, which premiered in 2023 and is presented by Juanra Bonet, brings together a group of contestants who must complete challenges and uncover which of them are the ‘traitors’ hidden within the group.
The entire first series was filmed at the Parador de Sigüenza, a 12th-century medieval castle situated high above the town. Its stone corridors, towers and historic halls lend the programme an atmosphere of mystery and conspiracy that fits perfectly with the mechanics of the game. The castle, which for centuries served as a fortress and episcopal residence, thus becomes an ideal television setting where strategy and suspense unfold in a unique historical setting.
MasterChef and Paradores
The popular culinary talent show MasterChef España, broadcast by RTVE since 2013, has also on several occasions used establishments in the Paradores network as the setting for its outdoor challenges.
In these episodes, the contestants must tackle culinary challenges by cooking for dozens of diners in monumental settings. Some of the Paradores that have hosted challenges for the programme include historic sites such as the Parador de Santiago de Compostela, considered one of the oldest hotels in the world, and the Parador de León, located in the monumental Hostal de San Marcos. Furthermore, the new series of the talent show, which kicked off on 30 March, was filmed mainly at the Parador de Verín.
These settings not only add visual spectacle to the programme, but also showcase the culinary and heritage richness of different regions of Spain and of the Paradores.
