The 6 Most Famous Hollywood Sets you Can Visit in Latin America

Whenever Hollywood tends to set scenes in tropical environments, it uses two formulas. Depending on the budget, the most common is that if a scene is set in Buenos Aires, it is filmed there. However, they often choose alternative locations. For example, the "Jurassic Park" saga is set in Costa Rica, but the filming took place in Hawaii. It has also been the other way around: in "Civil War," the story is supposed to take place in Nigeria, but the location used was Puerto Rico.

Some traditional sets in Latin America already end up in Hollywood blockbusters. As expected, Mexico and Argentina lead the list of sets, although the most iconic is in Brazil. Here is a list of Latin America's most famous film sets, also available for holiday tourism.

Iguazu Waterfalls

The set of waterfalls shared by Argentina with Misiones, Brazil with Paraná, and Paraguay with Alto de Paraná has been represented on different occasions in the cinema. "The Mission" or "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" are some films that have featured scenes in what is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This is one of the most visited places in the region throughout the year.

Historic Center of Cartagena

Thanks to the legal framework that encourages filmmaking in Colombia, filmmakers have recently found the coffee-growing country an ideal destination. The historic center of Cartagena was the central location for "Gemini Man," an action film shot at 120 frames per second and starring Will Smith. One of the scenes shows one of the houses that inspired the interior of "Encanto." Also of note in the city is the filming of "Long Shot" with Charlize Theron.

Coasts of Baja California

Although the "Titanic" sank in the Atlantic Ocean, very close to Canada, much of the film was shot in the Pacific off the coast of Baja California in Mexico. Most of the extras for the famous film starring Leonardo DiCaprio were Mexican. James Cameron's team proposed to build the entire set, but nothing remains of it.

Ushuaia

To follow Leonardo DiCaprio's trail in Latin America, it is inevitable to think of this city in the province of Tierra del Fuego. This is where the iconic fight between Hugh Glass (Leo DiCaprio) and John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) was filmed in "The Revenant," which won the actor his first Oscar. Hiking enthusiasts will find it a favorite hiking spot.

Rio de Janeiro

Assets that have become famous in this Brazilian city abound. It is worth a thorough visit, given its wealth of tourist attractions. Highlights include the Selaron Stairs, where scenes from "The Incredible Hulk" and iconic music videos such as Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful" and U2's "Walk On" were filmed. On the other hand, there is the Santa Marta favela, where a "Fast Five" set was installed. It is also where one of the two music videos for Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us" was filmed.

Puerto Rico

When thinking of a versatile location for Hollywood with a tropical setting, the "Island of Enchantment" is the first choice for many reasons. The first is its proximity to the United States, and the second is the demographic diversity in case extras are needed to represent the Latin essence on a large scale. "Fast Five," "Pirates of the Caribbean," and "Bad Boys II" have been filmed with sets there.

What are you waiting for to visit these famous sets and relive your favorite films?