Despite the critics’ opinions, Mamma Mia! The Movie won big at the latest edition of the National Movie Awards. The film won best musical, while Meryl Streep was named best actress.

Those who watch Mamma Mia! The Movie tend to have two opposite reactions: either they love it or they hate it. But if you happen to like Greece, you might just want to skip the dialogues, the story and the music and want to watch the lovely scenery unfolding behind the characters. Oh and what a scenery!

Where was Mamma Mia! The Movie filmed?

According to IMDb the movie was filmed in: Pelion, Skopelos and Skiathos.

Pelion

Pelion forms a peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. The area offers both great walking and hiking trails but also beautiful beaches. It is a tourist attraction but there’s only one way to get to Pelion: from Volos by bus.

On the west side (to the Pagasetic Gulf) the beaches are sandy, small and the water is calm, while on the east side (to the Aegean Sea), the beaches are very large, with deep waters and often big waves.

Skopelos

It is the largest island of the Northern Sporades, located east of mainland Greece. Slightly larger than Mykonos and Santorini, the island of Skopelos is closest to Skiathos (to the west) and Alonissos (to the east).

There’s only one way to get to Skopelos: by ferry. During the tourist season there are regular ferries from Thessaloniki, Alonissos, Kymi ,Volos and Skiathos. Also during the season, many travelers prefer to fly into Skiathos (as Skopelos doesn’t have an airport) and then take a ferry to Skopelos.

>>Read more about Ferries from Alonissos to Skopelos (and return)

The things to do on the island include visiting one (or more) of the 360 churches and chapels, sunbathing, swimming, shopping or hiking in the forests. The atmosphere is laid back and thankfully the island is not over crowded with tourists (yet).

Some lovely shots in Mamma Mia! The Movie were taken at the Monastery of Agios Ioannis and on Kastani Beach.

The monastery of Agios Ioannis is located at 23 km / 14 miles from Skopelos Town and is perched on top of a hill. The monastery was built in the 18th century but it was reconstructed after a devastating earthquake in 1967. The views from the monastery are spectacular (watch the stairs!).

Kastani Beach is located at 15 km / 9 miles from Skopelos Town. The road leading to the beach is well hidden by pine trees.

Skiathos

The island is by far the most tourist island in the Sporades. The medieval center of the island (Kastro) was abandoned in the 19th century and is definitely one of the landmarks on the island.

Many travelers get to Skiathos only for a short stop before heading to more quiet islands such as Skopelos, since the island is accessible both by boat and plane. Skiathos is served by an International Airport (JSI) served by both Greek carriers and some other European airlines (Austrian Airlines). If you choose to arrive by boat, there are regular ferries from Thessaloniki and Volos.

Much like the quieter “sister” Skopelos, Skiathos offers the tourists a lot of places to enjoy the sun or swim. The sea shells are popular souvenirs so if you don’t want to spend the time searching for them yourself, you can always buy them from the numerous stores.

Mamma Mia! The Movie tour?

You can plan a vacation touring the locations where the movie was filmed in Greece. As long as you make the plans for the tourist season, you won’t have any problems with transportation.

Since all of the locations are very close to mainland, you can fly into Athens and then take a local flight into Skiathos. Spend a day checking out the medieval city center and the second day exploring the beach. On your third day, catch a ferry to Skopelos. Make sure to visit the monastery in the morning though as they sun tends to get pretty hot on these islands. Spend another two days here exploring the beaches and the nature – Skopelos is the greenest island in the Sporades – and then take a ferry to Volos, from where you’ll be heading to Pelion (by bus). Explore the small peninsula and then get back to Athens and catch your flight back home. Seven perfect days and you can say you’ve seen the places where your favorite musical was filmed!