If you watched Jason Bourne in 2016 and thought you were looking at the streets of Athens, you might want to check the filming locations.
You were actually watching Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The fifth film in the Bourne franchise, starring Matt Damon and directed by Paul Greengrass, used Tenerife as a stand-in for the Greek capital. For several weeks, parts of Santa Cruz were transformed into a large international film set, complete with altered streets, decorated squares and plenty of action.
Hollywood had arrived. The traffic probably wasn’t as impressed.
Plaza de España Becomes Athens
One of the most recognisable filming locations was Plaza de España, which was converted into a fictional version of Athens’ Syntagma Square.
The production team changed the appearance of the area to create the atmosphere of a city experiencing social and political tension.
But the filming wasn’t limited to the obvious landmarks. Locations in Cabo Llanos, Valleseco and Avenida 3 de Mayo were also given temporary identities within the Bourne universe.
So, while Matt Damon was supposedly running around Athens, parts of Santa Cruz were doing a fairly convincing impression.
Why Tenerife Was Chosen
Tenerife offers something film producers tend to appreciate: a wide variety of landscapes in a relatively compact area.
The island can provide volcanic scenery, urban streets, coastal roads and Mediterranean-style settings, making it possible to recreate different locations without moving an entire production halfway around the world.
For Jason Bourne, that meant creating the look and feel of Athens without filming in Greece.
The production also brought work and activity to the island, involving local professionals, businesses and numerous extras.
As you would expect from a major action film, there were technical crews, filming equipment and traffic restrictions, with parts of Santa Cruz temporarily operating around the demands of an international production.
Tenerife on the Big Screen
The Bourne films are known for their fast-paced action sequences, and Santa Cruz provided the setting for several of the film’s urban chase scenes.
The city’s streets were transformed into a convincing version of Athens, with audiences around the world watching scenes filmed on Canary Islands soil.
Years later, the locations remain part of Tenerife’s audiovisual history. For residents, there’s something quite entertaining about recognising a familiar street or square while watching a Hollywood blockbuster.
For a short while, Santa Cruz wasn’t quite Santa Cruz.
It was Athens. Just with rather more Tenerife sunshine.