The sceneric island of Kefalonia served as primary filming locations for the 2001 romantic war drama Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, directed by John Madden and based on the novel by Louis de Bernières. The film, set during World War II in the history of the island, tells the story of a young Greek woman named Pelagia and an Italian officer, Captain Corelli, stationed on the island during the Italian occupation of Kefalonia Island in Greece.
We collected the most important filming locations of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin movie, which were used for the movie in Kefalonia Island. All of these movie locations are iconic places, where fans of the film can recall the moments of the story.
Where were filming locations of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin movie in Kefalonia Island
The town of Sami (Σάμη) on the eastern coast of Kefalonia Island and its surroundings were the most important filming locations. Several streets and hillsides of Sami were transformed to portray the main events in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Many memorable scenes in the movie, including a lot of street scenes, market scenes, and views of the Italian troops’ occupation, were filmed here!

The filmmakers used the center of Sami to create the quintessential Greek village. The main square with its cobbled streets and traditional buildings, was the site of many lively scenes, including the Italian soldiers interacting with the locals. The spacious main square of Sami is just a minute walk from the port and has central location, so it’s easy to find on a sightseeing tour in the village.

The square of Sami can be seen in the movie at the night event also, when the Italian solders were dancing with the local ladies. On the walls of the houses there are marks of ‘Argostolion’ in the movie, because the city was arranged as if it was the capital of Kefalonia Island, Argostoli.
The streets of the village around the main square were also filming locations in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Sami’s narrow streets, lined with shops and whitewashed houses, were used for scenes that capture the daily life of the village. Several scenes with Pelagia and Corelli were filmed along these streets, with the stunning coastal views adding to the romantic atmosphere.
The port of Sami was also an important movie set in Kefalonia Island, this scene was in the movie when the Italian soldiers arrived.

Because Sami was leading prominant role in filming location, the area of the village was also very important in many scenes of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, such as Antisamos beach, the hills behind the village, the area of Agia Fanantes, or Old Vlachata (Παλιά Βλαχάτα) near Karavomylos village.

Antisamos beach was the campground of the Italian Army as a film set
The magical Antisamos beach (Antisamos beach, Παραλία Αντισαμος) is not just a recommended place for diving, but is also an important filming location of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin movie. The beach is located just a few kilometers away from Sami, and it served as the main encampment site for the Italian soldiers, including Captain Corelli and his comrades.

The white shore of Antisamos provided a stunning location for the soldiers everyday military life in Kefalonia Island. But if you have already seen the movie, you know that there are a lot of scenes which were shot in military tents, and we can’t see the emerald colours of the Ionian Sea.

The filmmakers set up temporary tents and military equipment along the beach, creating an authentic WWII encampment. Scenes showing Captain Corelli and his fellow soldiers bonding, playing music and camp.
As you can notice in the movie, the road which leads down to Antisamos beach was a dirt road, but since many years this section between Sami and Antisamos is asphalted.

By visiting Antisamos beach today we can see one of the most beautiful beaches in Kefalonia, where visitors can swim, snorkel and relax. Although the encampment of the Italian Acqui division is no longer there, the stunning views are exactly as they were in the film.
The area of Dikhalia was Pelagia’s Family home and a small village in the movie
Dikhalia is an unique filming location of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin movie, which was used as the sets for Pelagia’s home in the film. Although most parts of the village were abandoned following the earthquake of 1953, the filmmakers restored and used some of the old buildings to recreate the authentic look of a Greek village during the WWII period.

This set was built only for the movie as Pelagia’s family home, where she lives with her father, Dr. Iannis. The exact house where most of the shots were taken, was built for only for this movie as a set, but unfortunately it was demolished after shooting of the movie. This set in Dikhalia served as a focal point for many of the film’s intimate scenes, including Captain Corelli’s visits and interactions with Pelagia and her father.

The filmmakers chose the area Dikhalia in Kefalonia Island because of its quaint, untouched charm and traditional Greek look.
It’s important to know that the houses, including the church which were in the movie, were built as a sets for the movie, and were demolished after filming. On this movie location there can be find some old stonehouses only. In these days this place is one of the most important filming locations of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin movie, but there is nothing now – you can meet this abandoned place between Sami and Antisamos beach.
Myrtos beach was in the scene of the movie, when a Turkish bomb was destroyed
The dramatic beauty of Kefalonia Island, the breathtaking Myrtos beach (Παραλίας Μύρτου) is also an important filming location of the Captain Corelli’s Mandolin movie. The white pebbles of this beach and its brilliant turquoise waters provided a striking backdrop for the intense moments in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

The filmmakers chose Myrtos Beach as a filming location especially for its natural beauty and dramatic setting, which contrasts sharply with the events depicted in the scenes. Myrtos was a filming location in the movie, where the Italian soldiers were singing and having fun on the beach. So if you visit Myrtos beach, keep in mind this is the place where Nicolas Cage was singing! 🙂

You can see the cave of Myrtos in background also.
There happened an interesting and famous moment after this events, when a Turkish bomb was found and was blown up on Myrtos beach. In a real life the filmmakers of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin were really exploded a bomb, just not a real WWII bomb, it was cinematic pyrotechnics.

If you visit this great beach during trip, you will see Myrtos beach is accessible by car easily and is a must-see destination, both for fans of the film and anyone who travel to Kefalonia Island in Greece. It is an extraordinary place which offers an ideal spot for swimming in the blue Ionian Sea, sunbathing, and admiring the stunning scenery and steep mountains.

The hill above Myrtos beach is also a filming location, with panoramic views to Assos
In the movie of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin there is a shot, where Pelagia can be seen and you will notice in the background the peninsula of Assos. These filming locations are in the hills above Myrtos beach.

There is an urban legend that Assos was also a filming location in Captain Corelli’s mandolin, but the truth is in the village there were no sets, and the iconic settlement of Kefalonia Island can be seen only in this short scene of the movie.
The ruins and olive forests near Agia Fanantes
There is a hidden gem with exceptional panoramic sights and olive forests above Sami, known as Agia Fanantes. It was an old Monastery of Kefalonia Island, where lush forests grow in the mountains. This place was also one of noticable filming locations in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

It can be accessed via narrow, but asphalted road which leads between Sami and Antisamos beach, situated in the hills just a few kilometers from the ruins of Ancient Sami. In this scene there was a dancing event and the hills of Agia Fanantes were the locations of the village market also.

The small church of Agia Fanantes is also a part of the movie, even in two scenes. You can meet the scenes two times. In the beginning of the movie there is a religious feast, which were shot here.

You can meet the second scene at the and of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

Chorgota
There is a tiny bay on the northeast coast of Kefalonia Island, which was also a filming location in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. This bay is known as Chorgota beach (Παραλία Xοργοτά), and can be accessed via a narrow and winding road from the north mountains, the nearest village is Komitata (Κομιτάτα).

Chorgota beach was and untouched bay of Kefalonia, but during filming small pier was built, as a movie set. The scene when Chorgota beach can be seen in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, when Mandras (Christian Bale) is fishing, and after he swim in the sea with Pelagia (Penelopé Cruz).
The pier was left there for many years as a movie set, but the weather and the waves of the sea slowly eroded its structure. Nowadays the small pier is gone and disappeared mostly, but the untouched beauty of Chorgota has remained.

Conclusion about filming locations of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
By visiting the best filming locations of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin movie, you can see a lot from Kefalonia’s timeless beauty, from its best beaches and rugged mountains to its charming villages. Fans of the film can easily explore the most memorable scenes, when take a sightseeing tour in Sami, visit Antisamos beach, Chorgota or Myrtos beach, or hike in the hills of Old Vlachata.