Over the years, Gran Canaria has become a setting for major international productions, but it all began with the filming of Moby Dick, considered one of the hundred greatest films in cinema history. Such an important milestone could not go unnoticed in the history of a city, but it is really the persistence and many years of work of Luis Roca Arencibia that have ensured that not only is this great event not forgotten, but that, thanks to the Tourism Department of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council, it has become one of the island’s major cultural attractions. For this purpose, a guide has been made with four routes in which the main filming locations are detailed, where the iconic cinematic image was created and first appeared, in which areas of the bay filming took place, and all the behind-the-scenes history, especially involving the major stars of the cast.

The places where they stayed are included, along with anecdotes from their walks through the streets of a city that was then much smaller than it is now, the impact of the filming and the participation of many islanders who were decisive in shaping this landmark work of cinema. In this guide, which can be accessed virtually via this link, or requested upon arrival on the island at any of the municipal tourist offices in paper format, four routes are detailed. The first of these routes runs along Las Canteras Beach and the El Confital area, the second covers Alcaravaneras and Ciudad Jardín and the third follows the whole of the present-day Avenida Marítima, in whose bay, as in the bay of El Confital, numerous recognisable scenes from the film were shot. The fourth is in the Triana and Vegueta area and it includes places such as the Hotel Parque, where much of the crew stayed, and Calle Clavel, where passers-by suddenly recognised Gregory Peck, one of the great leading men and one of the finest actors in Hollywood history. It also features the Hotel Madrid, whose bar was frequented by the film’s troupe and by the actor himself, who had just starred at the time in Roman Holiday alongside Audrey Hepburn. With this illustrated guide and all this information, those who visit Gran Canaria will be able to find a top-tier cultural attraction, which adds to the appeal of the landscape and the many alternatives that can be found on an island full of stories, of life and, of course, also of cinema.