Christopher Nolan's billion-dollar epic has put Ithaca, Greece on travel wish lists — even though no scene was shot there. Locals expect the Odyssey movie surge to land in 2027.
Cover image: Sailing boats lie moored in the sheltered horseshoe harbour of Kioni village on Ithaca, Greece, with traditional houses climbing the green hillside behind. — photo by Michael Paraskevas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The small Ionian island of Ithaca, Greece — mythical homeland of Odysseus, population roughly 3,000 — is banking on a tourism windfall from Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the July 16 release that has already crossed $1 billion worldwide to become the director's highest-grossing film, according to Variety. There is one catch, reported by AFP in coverage carried by France 24 and Euronews: not a single scene of the blockbuster was shot on Ithaca itself. Nolan's Ithaca is largely Favignana, an island off western Sicily. Even so, mayor Dionysis Stanitsas calls the publicity "tremendous," and local hoteliers, archaeologists and shopkeepers expect the real payoff in the 2027 season, as international audiences turn a cinema ticket into a ferry ticket. The island was already fully booked for this summer by the time the film opened — a reminder that a destination with no airport and limited beds has little slack to absorb a set-jetting wave.
Was The Odyssey filmed on Ithaca, Greece?
No. According to location reporting by Variety and the film-locations database Movie-Locations.com, Nolan shot his 91-day production across Sicily's Egadi and Aeolian islands, the Greek Peloponnese, Morocco, Iceland, Scotland and Malta, plus Los Angeles studio work — but never on Ithaca. Favignana stood in for Odysseus's kingdom, with the Castello di Santa Caterina fortress playing Penelope's home. Nestor's Cave in the Peloponnese hosted the Cyclops sequence, while Essaouira's beaches and the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou in Morocco doubled for Troy.
The omission stings locally. "We had reached out to the production team and asked that some scenes be filmed here on the island. Unfortunately, that wasn't feasible," Stanitsas told AFP. The island has responded with open-air screenings of the film — two since release — effectively cheering a movie about itself that was made somewhere else.
What is Ithaca expecting from the Odyssey movie?
Not an instant spike, but a delayed one. "There still isn't a large increase in visitors to the island because of the film," Stanitsas told AFP. "We think people will start planning from next year, as the film will gradually be released around the world." Archaeologist Spyros Kouvaras expects "a significant increase in visitor numbers" from 2027, one that "will also affect the months that are usually dead" — the shoulder-season prize every small Greek island chases.
The upside case is well documented: UN Tourism estimates destinations featured in blockbuster films can see visitor numbers rise 25–40%, a figure cited in the AFP coverage. Businesses on the ground report early signals rather than crowds. Vathy restaurant owner Xhimi Xoxha told AFP the film is already "generating publicity for the island," while souvenir-shop owner Ioanna Griva notes that visitors "come because they know the legend of Odysseus and of Homer."
The constraint is capacity. Ithaca has no airport, a modest hotel stock and narrow roads, and AFP reported the island was fully booked for the season before the film even opened. Any 2027 surge will collide with fixed supply — the same arithmetic pushing destinations across the continent toward new tourist rules, fees and caps.
How big is the set-jetting effect?
Big enough to bank on. The clearest precedent is Sicily itself: after The White Lotus season two aired, Expedia recorded a 300% spike in searches for Taormina, and the San Domenico Palace hotel that served as the set saw bookings jump roughly 70%, according to Forbes' analysis of the set-jetting economy. Favignana, Nolan's stand-in Ithaca, is reportedly experiencing its own boom this summer. Screen-driven travel now sits alongside coolcations and expedition-beach trips among the trends actively redistributing demand — and the real Ithaca hopes to capture the myth-driven tail of it.
How do you get to Ithaca, Greece?
Ithaca has no airport. The nearest is Kefalonia International (EFL), followed by a transfer to Sami and a short ferry crossing to Pisaetos, Ithaca's main port. Mainland ferries run from Patras (seasonal) and Astakos (year-round), per Ferryhopper and Greek ferry operators.
| Route | Approx. duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kefalonia (Sami) → Pisaetos | 30–45 min | Main link; pairs with flights into Kefalonia (EFL) |
| Astakos (mainland) → Ithaca | 2.5–3.5 hrs | Year-round; some sailings call at Sami en route |
| Patras → Ithaca | ~4 hrs | Mainly summer service |
Travellers routing through mainland Greece this season should also check the latest Greece wildfire travel advice and refund rules before finalising plans.
What is there to do on Ithaca?
The island's pitch is myth plus quiet. Vathy, the harbour capital set deep in one of Greece's most sheltered bays, and Kioni, a small amphitheatre of a fishing village in the north, anchor most stays. Near Stavros, the archaeological site known as the School of Homer is promoted locally as a candidate for Odysseus's palace, and a permanent exhibition in Stavros, "Light on Homeric Ithaca," displays finds from the island's digs. Dexia beach, just outside Vathy, is celebrated in local lore as the spot where the sleeping Odysseus was set ashore. Statues of Odysseus and Homer dot the village squares — the island has been marketing the myth far longer than Hollywood has.
Frequently asked questions
Was Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey filmed on Ithaca?
No. Despite depicting Odysseus's homeland, the production never shot on Ithaca. Favignana, off western Sicily, stood in for the island, with the Castello di Santa Caterina as Penelope's home. Other locations included the Peloponnese, Morocco, Iceland, Scotland and Malta. Ithaca's mayor says the island asked to host filming, but the production told him it was not feasible.
Is Ithaca seeing more tourists because of the movie?
Not yet in large numbers. Mayor Dionysis Stanitsas told AFP there is no big visitor increase so far and expects travellers to start planning trips from 2027 as the film rolls out worldwide. The island was already fully booked for the 2026 season, so any film-driven surge will meet very limited accommodation capacity.
How do you get to Ithaca, Greece?
Ithaca has no airport. Most visitors fly to Kefalonia (EFL), transfer to Sami and take a 30–45-minute ferry to Pisaetos. Alternatives are ferries from Astakos on the mainland (about 2.5–3.5 hours, year-round) or from Patras (around four hours, mainly in summer). Seasonal connections also link northern Ithaca with Lefkada.
What should visitors see on Ithaca?
The harbour capital Vathy and the fishing village of Kioni are the island's two signature stops. Myth-minded visitors head to the School of Homer archaeological site near Stavros, the "Light on Homeric Ithaca" exhibition, and Dexia beach, where legend says Odysseus was put ashore. The island's appeal is small-scale: clear water, olive-covered hills and few crowds.
Sources
- France 24 (AFP) — Ithaca bets on hometown hero Odysseus for tourism boom
- Euronews — Ithaca expects tourism surge after the release of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
- Philstar (AFP) — Greek island Ithaca bets on tourism surge after hit Nolan 'Odyssey' flick
- Variety — 'The Odyssey' surpasses $1 billion, Christopher Nolan's first since 'Dark Knight Rises'
- Movie-Locations.com — The Odyssey filming locations
- Forbes — The set-jetting economy behind The White Lotus and Emily in Paris
Post a comment