As Christopher Nolan’s epic new film The Odyssey arrives in cinemas this summer, luxury cruise specialist Mundy Cruising has curated a collection of small-ship voyages allowing travellers to discover the spectacular destinations that brought Homer’s legendary tale to life on screen.
With “set-jetting” continuing to influence travel choices, the new collection offers an opportunity to experience the dramatic coastlines, hidden harbours and ancient landscapes featured in one of the year’s most anticipated films.
Rather than relying on studio sets or CGI, Nolan chose to film in some of Europe’s and North Africa’s most breathtaking natural locations, including Greece, Sicily, Malta, Morocco, Iceland and Scotland.
Many are best explored from the sea, where smaller luxury ships can reach secluded bays, historic ports and islands beyond the reach of larger vessels.
Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of Mundy Cruising, comments: “Mundy Cruising has spent more than 50 years helping clients discover the world’s most extraordinary coastlines, so it’s exciting to see Christopher Nolan showcasing many of the same remarkable destinations on the big screen. Small ships offer an entirely different way to experience these places. From sailing into the beautiful harbour of Pylos to cruising among Sicily’s volcanic islands or exploring Malta’s dramatic coastline, guests can enjoy the same landscapes that appear in the film while travelling in exceptional comfort.”
Alex Loizou, Director of Sales, Marketing & Operations, adds: “The Odyssey is a story defined by the sea, making it the perfect inspiration for a cruise holiday. We’ve selected sailings that not only visit the filming locations, but also immerse guests in the history, mythology and spectacular scenery that have captivated travellers for thousands of years.”
Cruise through the world of The Odyssey
- Troy: Aït Benhaddou, Essaouira and Marrakesh, Morocco: The film opens at Troy, and Nolan built his Troy in Morocco. The fortified mudbrick village of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has stood in for ancient cities from Gladiator to Game of Thrones, provided the city walls, with further filming around Essaouira and Marrakesh. Silversea’s Spain and Morocco sailing featuring Casablanca aboard Silver Nova is the one to book, thanks to an overnight in Marrakesh. A night ashore opens Morocco up properly. Essaouira becomes an easy trip and Aït Benhaddou, Nolan’s Troy itself, is around three hours by road. Few sailings hand you this much of the film’s opening act.
- Ithaca and the Cyclops: Pylos and Methoni, Greece: Nolan’s Ithaca is not Ithaca at all. The production was filmed around Pylos in the southwest Peloponnese, using Methoni Castle, a Venetian fortress that runs straight into the sea, along with Almyrolakkos beach at Yialova and Nestor’s Cave above Voidokilia beach for the encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus. There are three ways to get there. SeaDream calls at Pylos just twice, including on this Adriatic and Greek Isles voyage, a yacht-style sailing for those who want to feel like the ship is all theirs. Seabourn runs excursions to Methoni Castle itself on its Dalmatian Gems, Montenegro and Greece itinerary. And if you want to go this year, Explora’s Journey Through Legendary Marvels gets you there in pure contemporary style.
- Acrocorinth: the fortress above Corinth: Some scenes were shot at Acrocorinth, the vast citadel rock above ancient Corinth, just minutes from the Corinth Canal. The canal is a highlight in its own right, a sheer-walled cut through the isthmus, barely 25 metres wide, and only the smallest ships can transit it. SeaDream, Windstar, Emerald and Ponant all squeeze through. Ponant’s Landscapes and Historic Sites of the Peloponnese sailing is Mundy Cruising’s pick as it is built around exactly the classical sites the film draws on.
- Corfu & Kefalonia – Legendary Scheria and Ithaca: Although neither Corfu nor Kefalonia were filming locations, Corfu has long been associated with Scheria, where the shipwrecked Odysseus meets Princess Nausicaa, and Kefalonia is thought to be the true home island of Odysseus, rather than the neighbouring island of Ithaca. Regent’s Ionian Interlude pairs Corfu with Kefalonia getting you as close the source as any cruise will take you.
- The Land of the Cyclopes: Sicily and Trapani: Sicily has been identified as the Land of the Cyclopes since antiquity, and Nolan honoured the tradition, filming in the Aegadian Islands just off Trapani. Sea Cloud’s Naples to Valletta voyage calls at Trapani and sails the Aeolian Islands under real canvas, which is about as Homeric as modern travel gets. Ponant’s short Sicilian Interlude suits those with less time, while Windstar’s Sicilian Splendors covers both Trapani and the Aeolians in one sailing.
- At sea: the Aeolian Islands: The film’s sea scenes were shot throughout the Aeolian Islands, around Lipari, Basiluzzo and Vulcano, with Stromboli smouldering on the horizon. This is the home of Aeolus, keeper of the winds, and it remains one of the most cinematic stretches of water in the Mediterranean. Emerald’s Amalfi Coast, Sicily and Malta yacht sailing threads through the islands, as do the Sea Cloud and Windstar voyages above.
- Calypso’s island: Malta: Malta served as a production base, and Gozo’s Calypso Cave, looking down over the red sand of Ramla Bay, is the legendary spot where the nymph kept Odysseus for seven years. Crystal’s Piraeus to Civitavecchia sailing calls at Malta as a full day ashore on the way from Athens to Rome, so you get time to explore Gozo rather than just a few hours in Valletta.
- Hades: the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland: For the underworld, Nolan left the Mediterranean entirely. The black sand beaches of Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula became his Hades, all dark volcanic shoreline under a vast grey sky. Several small ship lines sail here, including Windstar, whose Around Iceland itinerary runs multiple departures and circles the island properly rather than clipping a corner of it.
- Scotland: the Moray coast: The production also filmed along Scotland’s Moray coast, at Findlater Castle and Culbin Forest, around 90 minutes from Inverness. Hebridean Island Cruises’ Voyage Through the Great Glen takes you through the heart of the Highlands aboard one of the smallest luxury ships afloat, with just 48 guests. Add a night or two around Inverness, and the film’s Scottish locations are an easy drive away.
Full details for this collection of sailings can be found https://www.mundycruising.co.uk/cruise-news/news/the-odyssey-filming-locations.
For more information on Mundy Cruising visit https://www.mundycruising.co.uk.
For reservations or further information on the departures highlighted, call 020 7399 7670 or email sales@mundycruising.co.uk.
Images: © Mundy Cruising
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