THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
In July of 2008, many of us took a musical trip to Greece and the magical island of Kalokairi.
Not only is this a magical island, but it is also a mythical one, as are many Greek things.
Kalokairi is the Greek word for summer, and there is no Greek island by this name.
Like all Greek islands, no two are exactly alike, and the fictitious Kalokairi is no different.
To film the movie Mamma Mia would require three different islands, part of the mainland, and two studios in England.
All of the interior shots take place in either the Pinewood or Shepperton Studios near London.
So staying at the Villa Donna is out of the question, even if you have a little money.
Mamma Mia’s Skiathos.
This island, just off the Greek mainland north of Athens, plays the role of the mainland in the movie.
The old harbor is the setting where the three potential fathers try to catch the ferry to the island.
In reality, there are no ferries from the old harbor to Kalokairi or anywhere else. Instead, ferries leave from a newer pier around the corner.
An eight-minute walk from the old harbor pier will bring you to the Church of Agios Nikolaos and the clock tower.
The church and tower, along with digital editing, create the opening scene. As a backdrop, it is the location of the mailbox where Sophie mails her letters.
The actual mailbox is (was) in a London soundstage.
Even if you cannot recognize anything in this area, the views are lovely over the town.
Mamma Mia on the Mainland.
Almost three hours west by slow ferry is the port of Volos on the Greek mainland.
From Volos, it is an additional 1+ hour drive through the mountains to reach the coastal village of Damouhari Mouresi.
Here, you can see the charming harbor where Donna meets her two friends arriving by ferry.
You may also recognize the paths along the harbor as the setting for parts of the “Dancing Queen” montage.
That scene starts in the movie studio in London.
Next, you see Donna pop through a gate on another island at the time of the shooting.
Then they are skipping through olive trees above, then along the bay in Damouhari Mouresi. Finally, the scene ends with them jumping off the dock in the harbor.
Even the dock is a Mamma Mia mirage appearing a few days before filming. Then, it disappears a few days later.
Skopelos in Mamma Mia.
A 20-minute fast ferry east of Skiathos is this island where most of the filming in Greece took place.
Nisi Glisteri is no more than a 20-minutes drive from the ferry pier to the west. They would film scenes for “Thank You for the Music” on a cliff in this area.
Also, they would film an existing gate as the entrance to Villa Donna.
After filming, a beach bar on Glisteri Beach will buy the arch and move it to the beach. It is now an Instagram spot on the island.
On the west coast of the island is Kastani Beach, where several scenes will take place.
At the north end of the beach, another one of those mythical docks will appear.
They use it for filming “Lay All Your Love on Me” and where the newlyweds sail away at the end.
They build a temporary beach bar at the south end for “Does Your Mother Know?”
The bar and the dock magically disappear days after shooting.
The chapel of Agios Ioannis Sto Kastri (Saint John at the castle.)
This is the island’s most popular Kodak moment, with or without seeing the movie.
That tiny chapel on the tall rock in the film exists.
Approximately 200 steps will take you more than 300 feet above the sea below.
Filming takes place around the base and some of the steps.
Unfortunately, you cannot hear “The Winner Takes it All” over the crash of the waves. Darn.
No one is sure what year the little chapel dates to. However, it is on the site where the locals find an icon of St John.
No filming takes place in the little chapel. Instead, being an interior location, the wedding takes place in a London studio.
That is good news for everyone except Meryl Streep and the guy who carries the camera equipment.
The last 10 seconds of the song take place in the arch at the bottom of the chapel base.
Unfortunately, there is no elevator to the chapel for people or heavy equipment.
To date the movie, the aerial shots are from a helicopter. Drones are still six years away.
Is it a Mamma Mistake?
In reality, most of the filming took place in London.
Filming in Greece only took around two weeks, and they took the set pieces away afterward.
For the second Mamma Mia movie, they do not even come to Greece for filming.
Is there any reason to visit this part of Greece?
If you saw the movie, can you remember seeing the Greek scenery and the azure water?
It is all still there. So yes, there is your reason to visit.
This is a great part of Greece to visit.
The islands, part of the Northern Sporades island group, were famous for their beauty long before the movie.
The cruise ships do not come here, and arriving takes some planning. So the crowds are small and often local Greeks.
That’s part of the charm. These are Greek islands, not overrun tourist traps.
Skiathos has more than 60 beaches to explore.
Skopelos has several lovely beaches and places for Greek sunsets, including Amarandos Cove.
Volos, on the mainland, has a train service from Athens and an airport 40 minutes south.
The Pelion Train, a narrow gauge trip through beautiful mountainside scenery, departs just northeast of Volos.
From Volos, it is less than a two-hour drive to Kalabaka and the UNESCO monasteries of Meteora.
Add a day or two in Athens and you have a great week in Greece.
There’s a great destination with something good in everything you’ll see.
Once you see the Greecian blue, you couldn’t escape if you wanted to.
Take a chance on Mamma Mia’s Greece. You will love it.
Would you please scroll down to the “Hey Explorer, what are your thoughts” section below?
Then, please comment or tell me your thoughts on:
“What inspires you to visit Greece?”
Would you mind helping me spread the news by rating, commenting, and sharing this blog below? – THANKS!
“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.
Mamma Mia (1 and 2) are such fun, uplifting movies and this was a fun little tour of everything Greece that was (and mostly was not!) in the movie. Another movie that you refer to and I haven’t seen is Shirley Valentine (is that the title or just the character?). I wonder if that is more authentic and traceable to Greek islands and tourist spots. Regardless, travels to Greece is the Name of the Game!
Perfect sweetener for my morning cuppa Joe. <3