The Villa Donna in Mamma Mia
The Villa Donna is the name of the hotel run by Meryl Streep's character, Donna, in the movie version of Mamma Mia. In the story, she and Sam Callahan sketched it out on a napkin during their love affair twenty years before. But does Villa Donna exist in Greece?The answer is no - and yes. Unfortunately, the Villa Donna on Skopelos was a movie set and that exact hotel does not exist. While some exterior sets were built on site on Skopelos, these were removed after filming was completed.
In the movie, Villa Donna was located on the cliffs above Glysteri Beach. But don't trust everything you see. When the dancers go through olive groves, they are actually prancing about at Douchari in the Mouresi area of Greece, along the Pelion Coast outside of Volos.
But, happily, the Villa Donna is typical in many respects. While you won't find the exact Villa Donna in Greece, you'll find many others that share a similar look and energy throughout Greece.
One rentable home, the Pyrgos Villa offered by Thalpos Holidays, is located higher up on the same cliff where Villa Donna sat - so dedicated fans may enjoy a stay there. It's where Meryl Streep went to rest between scenes during shooting at the Villa Donna.
More on planning your own "Mamma Mia!" trip to Greece
Some "Villa Donnas" in Greece
The Pink PalaceThis wild hotel on Corfu prides itself on toga parties, cheap drinks, a young and energetic crowd. Think the "Voulez-Vous" party scene in Mamma Mia.
Hostels in Greece Generally small, upbeat, and most are open to anybody. Cheap shelter, easy social connections, often spontaneous parties - or at least they always know where they are.
Ikies Hotel
This is the luxury version - a cliff-clinging hotel on Santorini. To put it in perspective, this is where Christine Baranski would be staying. Think Villa Donna after all the upgrades are complete.
Small Hotels in Matala, Crete
Mamma Mia's Donna would fit right in here with Angela, Sofia, and Zafiria ... these many small hotels are mostly owned by or named for women, have traditional architecture, patios with bars and umbrellas, and they're on the main path to the world-famous Red Beach, a beautiful and primarily nude beach. Too timid? The municipal beach at Matala is gorgeous, mostly clothed, and lined with tavernas and dance clubs. You can get a glimpse of the environs in another gorgeous Greece-filmed movie, "Summer Lovers".
Reader Jeanne Blum suggests another "Villa Donna" - "The movie 'Mamma Mia' was fabulous and made me weep for my 2nd home, Greece! My friend's small hotel on Ikaria island is a perfect place to go...owned by Voula Manolarou - it is in Therma Town on the south shore of the island, where the famous radion thermal baths are...." Jeanne uses the local baths therapeutically - filling in for the "Fountain of Aphrodite" in the movie - but I suspect the main healing comes from the warm welcome she says she gets at this small hotel.
Frances McCallum sent in "My friend Zefi's hotel on Poros, which is called Saga, is a modern hotel but the welcome and the feeling of belonging you get when staying there is so very old style Greek - it's like staying with family.
"The island of Poros is beautiful (well all the Greek islands are, in their own way). It is a small island (only separated from the mainland of the Peloponnese by a three hundred yard strait), easy to get to from Athens, very green, very Greek and mostly unspoilt - it could so easily be the island used in the film. Zefi specialises in weddings, there have been some really memorable weddings here. The roof terrace looks absolutely beautiful when decked out for a wedding meal and the view is absolutely breathtaking." This hotel on Poros is also not far from Diaskalo, a tiny heart-shaped island said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite's son Eros, the God of Love.... which should fill in quite nicely for the fictional "Fountain of Aphrodite" in the Mamma Mia movie.
Know another "Villa Donna" in Greece? Drop me a line and I'll include it.
More on Mamma Mia:
Mamma Mia Movie Locations Picture Gallery- See the stars on location in Greece.Find out more details about Mamma Mia Filming Locations
Want Mamma Mia wallpaper from Skopelos? You can download Skopelos imagery here and read Yiannis Chatzitrakosas' Mamma Mia Production Blog
You can also purchase Mamma Mia Movie Ringtones
More details on the film version of Mamma Mia! can be found at the Internet Movie Data Base Mamma Mia Page. For updated trailers, you can check this page (though you'll sit through a brief advertisement): Mamma Mia trailers
This article has some entertaining details about the locations on Skopelos, including where Meryl Streep should have had an ouzo: Telegraph: Unfazed by the Fuss in Skopelos
Want more great movies shot in Greece? My suggestion is to rent or buy Summer Lovers and High Season or other movies shot in Greece
By the way, Kalokairi, the island's fictional name in the movie, means "Summer" in Greek.
Planning your trip to Greece? Find and compare hotel rates at many locations in Greece: Hotels in Greece
Compare airfares to Greece here: Find Greek Airfares
You can also pre-book tours in and around Athens: Athens Tours you can Book Direct
