The producers behind the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise didn’t let the series’ name limit them when it came to locations for the latest film, sending Johnny Depp’s loveable Capt. Jack Sparrow around the world in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth, from London to Hawaii and, of course, to the Caribbean.
Metro has handily charted his course so that you can embark on your own quest.
FIRST STOP: LONDON
The film starts with a high-speed carriage chase through 18th century London, something difficult to recreate in 2011. But while in England’s capital, check out some of the film’s exterior locations, including the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich and Hampton Court Palace, once the home of Henry VIII, which stood in for St. James Court.
SECOND STOP: HAWAII
The On Stranger Tides action then heads to Hawaii. Most of the film’s sailing footage was shot in the pristine waters off the coast of Oahu, with the crew making landfall on Kauai. “There’s a section of this movie which is very Indiana Jones-like, where there’s a trek through the most amazing jungles you’ve ever seen,” says production designer John Myhre. “We found these unbelievable jungles on Kauai — jungles, waterfalls. Huge over-scaled growth, the most beautiful mountains you’ve ever seen.”
THIRD STOP: PUERTO RICO
Finally, the film winds up in the actual Caribbean, shooting on the gorgeous white sands of Palominito, an islet off the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico. The uninhabited gem is reachable by boat, and only Depp and co-star Penelope Cruz set foot on the beach, with the rest of the crew bobbing off-shore so as not to leave any footprints. The crew also filmed scenes on the main island, using Old San Juan’s spectacular Castillo de San Cristobal, a massive fort built by the Spanish in 1783.
