Where is Netflix's One Hundred Years of Solitude filmed? All shooting locations explored

One Hundred Years of Solitude, also called Cien Años de Soledad in Spanish, is a Netflix show adapted straight from Gabriel García Márquez's novel of the same name. The award-winning book is a notable work of the magical realism genre that incorporates magical elements in reality. In this genre, characters treat supernatural and dream-like elements as everyday occurrences.

Márquez, in the 1967 novel, follows the lives of multiple generations of the Buendía family in the fictional town of Macondo. The seven generations of this family are often tormented by madness, impossible loves, war, colonial rule, and a curse that condemns them to solitude for one hundred years.

One Hundred Years of Solitude is filmed exclusively in Colombia across various locations, with the fictional town of Macondo being built in Alvarado, a town in the Colombian Andes. Other filming locations include La Guajira, Magdalena, Cesar, Cundinamarca, and Tolima.

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Where is One Hundred Years of Solitude filmed?

Below is the list of the key locations where the show is shot:

1) Alvarado, Colombia

Creating the fictional town of Macondo to the exact description in the book is no easy feat. The production team has reportedly built three different versions of the town of Alvarado in Colombia for the Netflix show.

At first, the team made a town filled with mud huts and bamboo where the cousins José and Úrsula grew up. They marry each other before embarking on a treacherous journey across mountain ranges and swampland to establish their own town.

The first version is akin to how Macondo looked at the time of its establishment: with homes adorning simple thatched roofs and dirt roads. Over time, the town evolves, with the thatched roofs replaced by solid, multi-story homes and vibrant streets.

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2) La Guajira, Magdalena, Cesar, Cundinamarca, and Tolima

One Hundred Years of Solitude is only filmed in Colombia, employing Colombian actors, artisans, and even tribal communities of the region to authentically portray the rich history of the country. The production team uses various other locations, such as La Guajira, Magdalena, Cesar, Cundinamarca, and Tolima, to ensure that they capture the country's richness.

The series takes viewers to mountain ranges, swamplands, rivers, and valleys while the pair of cousins search for a new place to call home.

Not only does the series showcase Colombia in all its glory, but it also portrays its colonial and captivating past. One Hundred Years of Solitude seeps into Colombia's glorious heritage and history, even showcasing war and colonialism that threatens peace in Macondo.

The series is filmed entirely in Spanish with the blessings of the Márquez family. The family has reportedly sold the rights to the book under the request that the entire show's production take place in Colombia, as per CNN, casting only Colombian actors and employing Colombian artisans alone to authentically represent the country's culture.

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About One Hundred Years of Solitude

The Netflix series kicks off just as the book does—with Colonel Aureliano Buendía facing a firing squad. As he closes his eyes, he is reminded of that time when his father showed him ice in his childhood.

Back in the past, One Hundred Years of Solitude shows José and Úrsula's journey to find the sea and set up a new settlement near it. Their journey takes them to the banks of a river with prehistoric stones that they baptize as Macondo.

Season 1 of One Hundred Years of Solitude consists of eight episodes, while season 2 also features eight episodes. The 16-episode series breaks down the book into two halves—capturing the first half of the novel in season 1 and the second half in season 2.

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One Hundred Years of Solitude season 1 airs on Netflix on December 11, 2024.