Fans will exclaim “Opa!” at these breathtaking locales where My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was filmed.
The third episode of the popular comedy series, written and directed by Nia Vardalos, debuts in theaters on Friday, Sept. 8. The Oscar nominee reprises her role as Toula alongside her on-screen spouse, Ian (John Corbett). In a hilarious and touching new chapter, fans will see the love story between them go to Greece this time.
The story centers on Toula’s quest to deliver a journal that referred to her beloved father Gus (Michael Constantine) to his boyhood pals. However, she is in for a wild ride when the entire Portokalos family decides to accompany her on the journey, including her independent daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris).
The family visits an ancient olive grove, celebrates at an opulent beach club, and learns about “Greek voodoo” from the superstitious theias, Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) & Aunt Freida (Maria Vacratsis), as the movie takes viewers on a fun-filled trip around Greece.
PEOPLE chatted with location manager Giannis Sotiropoulos regarding the actual filming locations used to make the Portokalos-inspired Greece travel itinerary.
The Corfu Governor’s Olive Mill
Toula is focused on locating her father’s old friends, but her brother Nick (Louis Mandylor) is fixated on discovering the oldest olive tree in their father’s village. As Nick tries to finish the job, the movie takes viewers on a lovely tour through historic olive orchards. Those orchards actually exist at The Governor’s Olive Mill on the well-known island of Corfu.
The family-run olive oil company conducts grove tours and provides delectable sampling as part of its oil production process explanations. It is the location of their 2,000+-year-old monument tree, Miterra, which serves as Gus’s tree in the film.
According to Sotiropoulos, “Corfu is an island that where there are many very old olive trees.” It was kind of a fantastic moment once we saw how the tree itself was put up since we were able to give Nia what she had requested in the screenplay.
Corfu’s Varipatades Village
The crew chose Danilia Village, a popular tourist destination, to portray Gus’s hometown in numerous sequences, but they also used Varipatades to capture the atmosphere of a genuine Greek village.
The villagers “were very welcoming,” according to Sotiropoulos, especially when a large crew arrived to film in their little town of only 20–30 permanent residents, making this location one of his favorites. He says, “I will never forget the people. It was an enjoyable time in the village.”
The little settlement, perched above Corfu’s hills, offers breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea below. The “neoclassical architecture” that Vardalos envisioned for the movie can be seen by visitors as they meander through the little lanes, Sotiropoulos claims.
Athens’ Bolivar Beach Bar
Bolivar Beach Bar was possibly among the places they visited that were the liveliest. The town mayor Victory (Melina Kotselou) persuades Paris and her ex Aristotle (Elias Kacavas) to go out with some pals, so they sneak off to the lively nightclub.
Sotiropoulos tells PEOPLE that Bolivar Beach Bar is one of the largest clubs on the Athens Riviera. Even though it’s meant to be on an island, we ended up here because we needed a beach bar with the size and impact of Bolivar.