The 2026 Treasure Island series makes its world feel much larger than a single pirate adventure. Its story moves from the British coast and the Hawkins family’s inn to the Hispaniola and the dangerous landscapes standing in for Captain Flint’s island. But the production did not need to sail a full crew across the Atlantic to create that journey: it used locations in the United Kingdom and Tenerife, Spain, alongside purpose-built sets and carefully controlled camera work.
Quick answer: The six-part Treasure Island series was filmed in Bristol and elsewhere in the UK, as well as Tenerife in Spain. According to Paramount+’s official series guide, the production filmed in Bristol and Tenerife. A detailed location report from Time Out, which spoke with production designer Marcus Wookey, identifies beaches near Bridgend in South Wales, Spoonbed Farmhouse near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, Westonbirt House, and Mount Teide in Tenerife among the locations used.
1. Tenerife, Spain: the production’s most versatile landscape
Tenerife provided the production with a striking range of terrain, from volcanic rock and dry riverbeds to rugged slopes and coastal scenery. In the series, those environments help sell the idea that Jim Hawkins and his companions have travelled far from Britain into a remote, unpredictable world. The island’s varied landscape can stand in for more than one story location, which is particularly useful for a period adventure that moves between shorelines, jungle-like terrain, and a treasure island.
Time Out reports that scenes aboard the Hispaniola were filmed using a purpose-built, stationary ship positioned near the coast of Tenerife. Production designer Marcus Wookey explained that camera movement helped create the sensation of the vessel travelling and rocking. Rather than moving a complete ship through open water, the crew used the sea as a real background and let the camera provide much of the motion. That approach gives the scenes a physical horizon while keeping the production practical and controllable.
2. Mount Teide: the real landscape behind Skeleton Island
Mount Teide, Tenerife’s dormant volcano, was used for dramatic scenes associated with Skeleton Island. Wookey told Time Out that the production filmed in the centre of Tenerife around Teide, where forests, rough volcanic rock, and stark changes in terrain could help create a believable sense of isolation. The crew also used locations in the south of the island, including rock formations and a dry riverbed near the airport, for scenes involving the buried treasure.
These are real landscapes, but they should not be mistaken for a literal Caribbean location. Tenerife stood in for the fictional island because its geology and vegetation could create the right atmosphere on camera. That distinction is important for viewers hoping to visit the places they see: the filming geography is European, even though the story’s voyage points toward the Caribbean.
3. South Wales: the coastline where the adventure begins
The opening coastal sequence was filmed on beaches near Bridgend in South Wales. In the story, Billy Bones and Long John Silver wash ashore after a shipwreck, setting the treasure-map plot in motion. The production had a narrow window to capture the scene: Wookey told Time Out that the team arrived as the tide was receding and worked until it began to return.
Tidal beaches can be challenging locations because the usable shoreline changes quickly. The receding water can expose broad stretches of sand and create the raw, weather-beaten look a shipwreck sequence needs, but the crew must plan movement, camera placement, and continuity around the tide. The location adds a natural scale that would be difficult to reproduce entirely on a soundstage.
4. Spoonbed Farmhouse, Gloucestershire: the exterior of the Admiral Benbow Inn
The Admiral Benbow Inn is one of the story’s defining places: it is where the Hawkins family’s fragile everyday life collides with the dangerous world of pirates and treasure. For the exterior, the production used Spoonbed Farmhouse near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Time Out reports that the crew built a road in front of the farmhouse to make it read as an eighteenth-century coaching inn.
This is a good example of how location filming works in period drama. A real building supplies authentic texture, scale, and weathering, while temporary construction and framing can change the way a viewer reads the space. The inn’s interiors, however, were built as a custom set inside a disused car warehouse in Tenerife. So the familiar establishment is a blend of a UK exterior and a purpose-built interior rather than one untouched historic building.
5. Westonbirt House: a historic setting for the journey toward Jamaica
Scenes in which Bess and Jim seek passage toward Jamaica were filmed at Westonbirt House, a nineteenth-century mansion in Gloucestershire. Its architecture offers a different visual register from the windswept coast and volcanic terrain: formal rooms and a grand historic exterior can suggest wealth, influence, and the social structures that the Hawkinses must navigate.
The building predates the fictional eighteenth-century setting by roughly a century. As with many period productions, furniture, dressing, camera angles, and set decoration help the location appear to belong to the story’s era. The location’s real history is therefore part of the filming story, but the finished scene should not be read as documentary evidence of an eighteenth-century event.
6. Bristol and the UK production footprint
Paramount+’s official series guide lists Bristol and Tenerife as filming locations. The UK setting makes sense for a story rooted in British coastal life and a period inn, while Tenerife offers the variety needed for the voyage and island sequences. Individual scenes can combine several production methods: a real exterior, a warehouse-built interior, a controlled ship set, and location landscapes that are edited together to suggest a continuous journey.
The production was made by Playground in association with FIFTH SEASON, with Paramount+ and MGM+ presenting the six-part drama in their respective territories. The series stars David Oyelowo as Long John Silver, Hayley Atwell as Bess Hawkins, Tom Sweet as Jim Hawkins, Jack Huston as Aaron Graham, and Tomer Capone as Billy Bones.
Why the locations matter to the story
The locations are not just scenery. The South Wales shoreline makes the opening feel exposed and unpredictable; the Admiral Benbow exterior grounds the story in a believable domestic world; Westonbirt House gives the journey a sense of social scale; and Tenerife’s volcanic terrain creates the visual threat of an isolated island. Moving between these environments helps the series make a familiar story feel expansive without requiring every scene to be filmed in the place named by the plot.
For fans planning a location-inspired trip, treat the real-world sites as filming context rather than a complete visitor itinerary. Some buildings may have restricted access or operate as private institutions, and filming on a beach or around a protected natural area does not mean every spot is open for unrestricted visits. Check the site’s current access rules before travelling.
Watch the official Treasure Island trailer
The trailer offers a quick look at the series’ cast, shipboard scenes, and rugged landscapes. It is an official promotional video, not a location-by-location behind-the-scenes tour.
Frequently asked questions
Where was Treasure Island (2026) filmed?
The series filmed in Bristol and elsewhere in the UK, as well as Tenerife in Spain. Reported locations include beaches near Bridgend in South Wales, Spoonbed Farmhouse near Tetbury, Westonbirt House, and Mount Teide.
Was Treasure Island filmed in the Caribbean?
The reported production locations include the United Kingdom and Tenerife, Spain. Tenerife’s landscapes were used to represent parts of the voyage and the fictional Skeleton Island.
Was the Hispaniola a real moving ship?
According to production designer Marcus Wookey’s comments to Time Out, the production used a purpose-built, stationary ship near Tenerife’s coast for deck scenes. Camera movement helped create the sensation of sailing and rocking.
Can fans visit the filming locations?
Some locations are public landscapes, while historic buildings may have restricted access or be used as schools, venues, or private property. Check official visitor information before planning a visit.
Who created the 2026 Treasure Island series?
The six-part series was created for television by Robert Murphy and produced by Playground in association with FIFTH SEASON. The cast includes David Oyelowo, Hayley Atwell, Jack Huston, Tomer Capone, and Tom Sweet.
Sources and image credits: Paramount+ UK & Ireland official series guide; Playground Entertainment official production page; Time Out filming-location report by Jon Hornbuckle; Mount Teide photograph by Sherwin John Carlquist, CC BY 4.0; Mount Teide photograph by Dan Kearney, CC BY-SA 3.0; Westonbirt House photograph by Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0.
By Shivam Das
