When Netflix released the live-action adaptation of One Piece, fans around the world were curious about one thing beyond the story: where was the series actually filmed?
The world of One Piece is full of colorful pirate towns, floating restaurants, tropical islands, and dramatic ocean battles. Recreating that universe in live action required an enormous production effort combining custom-built sets, studio filming, and real outdoor locations.
Season 1 relied heavily on a central production hub in South Africa, while also using landscapes in other parts of the world to create the diverse environments seen throughout the series. Some places were confirmed filming sites, while others are locations frequently mentioned in reports or fan discussions.
Here’s a closer look at the real places behind One Piece Season 1, including confirmed filming locations and a few rumored ones.
Confirmed One Piece Season 1 Filming Locations
These locations have been mentioned by production sources, film databases, or reliable reports as part of the filming process for the first season.
Cape Town Film Studios, South Africa (Main Production Hub)
Cape Town Film Studios
Cape Town
The heart of the production for One Piece Season 1 was located in Cape Town, South Africa, where the series built many of its most iconic sets.
At Cape Town Film Studios, the production team constructed massive pirate ships and harbor environments designed specifically for the show. These sets included several vessels central to the story, such as the Going Merry and the floating restaurant Baratie.
Instead of relying entirely on CGI, the production built full-scale practical ship sets, allowing actors to move naturally within the environments. This helped give the series a more realistic look and made action sequences feel more immersive.
Another reason the studio was chosen is its large water tanks, which allow filmmakers to shoot complex ocean scenes in a controlled environment. Many of the maritime sequences in Season 1 were filmed in these tanks before being enhanced with visual effects in post-production.
Cape Town has become an increasingly popular filming destination for international productions thanks to its diverse landscapes, experienced film crews, and modern studio infrastructure. The city offers coastlines, mountains, and urban settings within a relatively short distance, making it ideal for large-scale projects like One Piece.
For fans interested in film tourism, Cape Town itself is worth visiting even though most of the studio sets are not open to the public. The surrounding region features dramatic coastlines and scenic drives that have appeared in numerous international productions.
The journey doesn’t stop here. Season 2 of One Piece introduces new settings and filming locations as the Straw Hat crew sails further into the Grand Line. You can explore the real places used for the next season in our guide to One Piece Season 2 filming locations.
If you’re planning to visit the city where much of One Piece was filmed, don’t miss our guide to the best things to do in Cape Town, from coastal drives and beaches to iconic viewpoints.
Read more article about Cape Town:
Canary Islands, Spain
Canary Islands
Beyond the studio sets in South Africa, One Piece Season 1 also used real outdoor landscapes to capture the sense of adventure that defines the series.
One region often associated with the show’s exterior scenes is the Canary Islands, an archipelago located off the northwest coast of Africa but part of Spain. These islands are well known for their dramatic natural scenery, which includes volcanic terrain, rugged coastlines, and wide sandy beaches.
Two islands that are frequently linked to filming are:
Both locations have become popular among international productions because of their unique geological landscapes. The volcanic mountains, coastal cliffs, and open ocean views can easily double as exotic locations in fantasy or adventure stories.
In a series like One Piece, which constantly moves between different islands in its narrative, landscapes like these help create the illusion of a vast world filled with unexplored territories.
The Canary Islands also provide practical advantages for filming. Spain offers competitive tax incentives for international productions, and the islands have well-developed film infrastructure thanks to decades of hosting movies and TV series.
For travelers, the Canary Islands are already a major tourism destination known for warm weather, beaches, hiking trails, and dramatic volcanic scenery. Even if the exact filming spots are not publicly identified, the landscapes themselves feel like they belong in an adventure story.
Xcaret Park, Mexico
Xcaret Park
Quintana Roo
Another location linked to the production of One Piece Season 1 is Xcaret Park, a well-known eco-archaeological park in Mexico’s Riviera Maya region.
Located along the Caribbean coast in Quintana Roo, Xcaret is famous for its tropical forests, turquoise waters, underground rivers, and limestone formations. These natural landscapes can easily resemble the lush island environments seen throughout the One Piece universe.
Reports suggest that parts of the series used outdoor areas in this region to capture tropical scenery that would have been difficult to recreate entirely in a studio.
Unlike many filming locations that remain closed to visitors, Xcaret Park is a major tourist attraction. Visitors can explore jungle trails, snorkel in natural lagoons, and watch cultural performances celebrating Mexican heritage.
For fans of the series, places like this offer a glimpse into the kind of natural environments that helped inspire the show’s fictional islands.
Unconfirmed or Rumored One Piece Filming Locations
While the locations above are widely recognized as part of the production process, other places are occasionally mentioned online without strong confirmation from official sources.
These locations may have been speculated by fans or listed in secondary reports, but they should be treated with caution.
San Luis Potosí, Mexico
San Luis Potosí
One place sometimes mentioned in discussions about One Piece filming locations is the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí.
The region is known for its spectacular natural landscapes, including waterfalls, jungles, and turquoise rivers in the Huasteca Potosina area. Because these environments resemble tropical adventure settings, it is easy to see why fans might associate them with the series.
However, there is limited production evidence confirming that filming actually took place here for Season 1. Most reliable reports only mention Mexico more generally or refer specifically to locations in Quintana Roo.
As a result, San Luis Potosí is best considered a rumored or speculative filming location rather than a confirmed one.
Italian Coastal Towns That Inspired the Visual Style
Several articles and fan discussions also mention Italian towns when talking about the look and atmosphere of certain places in the series.
Commonly referenced locations include:
- Sorrento
- Florence
- Positano
These destinations are famous for their colorful coastal buildings, historic architecture, and Mediterranean charm, which resemble the aesthetic of several fictional towns in the show.
However, these places were not used as filming locations for Season 1. Instead, they are sometimes mentioned as visual references or inspirations for the design of certain sets and environments.
Film and television productions often draw inspiration from real-world architecture when designing fictional cities. In the case of One Piece, the vibrant harbor towns and layered coastal buildings seen in the series echo the look of many Mediterranean destinations.
Why Cape Town Was the Ideal Base for One Piece
Choosing a single production hub was essential for a project as large as One Piece. Building pirate ships, docks, and entire harbor environments required significant studio space and technical resources.
Cape Town offered several advantages that made it an ideal location for the show’s production.
First, Cape Town Film Studios provides large soundstages and water tanks, allowing complex maritime scenes to be filmed safely and efficiently. This is particularly important for a story centered around ships and ocean travel.
Second, South Africa has become an increasingly attractive destination for international productions due to cost advantages and skilled local film crews. Many global studios choose the country because it offers high production quality at competitive budgets.
Finally, the surrounding landscapes of the Western Cape region provide diverse natural backdrops. Within a short distance, filmmakers can access beaches, mountains, forests, and coastal cliffs, making it easier to simulate a variety of fictional islands.
Together, these factors made Cape Town the perfect base for bringing the world of One Piece to life.
Can Fans Visit the One Piece Filming Locations?
Fans hoping to explore the real-world places connected to One Piece Season 1 will find that some locations are easier to visit than others.
The studio sets built at Cape Town Film Studios were constructed specifically for the production and are generally not open to the public. However, Cape Town itself is a spectacular travel destination with dramatic coastal scenery and famous landmarks like Table Mountain and the Cape Peninsula.
The Canary Islands are much more accessible for travelers. The region offers beautiful beaches, volcanic landscapes, and charming seaside towns that capture the adventurous spirit of the series.
Meanwhile, Xcaret Park in Mexico is already a popular tourist attraction where visitors can experience tropical landscapes similar to those seen in many island adventures.
Even if the exact filming spots are not always publicly identified, these destinations give fans a chance to experience environments that helped shape the visual world of the series.
Final Thoughts: The Real World Behind One Piece Season 1
Bringing the universe of One Piece to live action required a combination of ambitious studio construction and carefully chosen real-world landscapes.
From the massive ship sets built in Cape Town Film Studios to the dramatic coastlines of the Canary Islands and the tropical scenery of Xcaret Park, Season 1 drew on locations across multiple continents to create its adventurous world.
Some rumored locations and architectural inspirations also appear in discussions among fans, but the core of the production remained centered in Cape Town.
For viewers who enjoy discovering the real places behind their favorite shows, exploring these destinations offers a fascinating way to connect the fictional journey of the Straw Hat Pirates with the landscapes that helped bring their story to life.
FAQs About One Piece Season 1 Filming Locations
Where was One Piece Season 1 filmed?
Season 1 of the live-action One Piece was primarily filmed in Cape Town, with most of the production taking place at Cape Town Film Studios.
Additional exterior scenes were reportedly filmed in places like the Canary Islands and Xcaret Park to capture tropical and coastal landscapes.
Why was Cape Town chosen as the main filming location?
Cape Town offers large soundstages, advanced film infrastructure, and massive water tanks at Cape Town Film Studios, making it ideal for shooting maritime scenes. The city has also become a popular base for international productions thanks to skilled crews and diverse natural scenery.
Were the pirate ships in One Piece real sets?
Yes. Many of the ships seen in Season 1 were full-scale practical sets built specifically for the series at Cape Town Film Studios. These included important vessels like the Going Merry and the floating restaurant Baratie, which allowed actors to film action scenes directly on realistic environments.
Was One Piece filmed in Japan?
No. Despite the story originating from the Japanese manga created by Eiichiro Oda, the live-action adaptation was not filmed in Japan. Most scenes were shot in South Africa and other international locations.
Can you visit the One Piece filming locations?
Some locations connected to the production can be visited by travelers. For example, Canary Islands and Xcaret Park are well-known tourist destinations. However, the ship sets and many key scenes were filmed inside Cape Town Film Studios, which is generally not open to public tours.
Sources & References
The following sources were used to verify filming locations and production details for Season 1 of One Piece:
- The Cinemaholic – Where Was Netflix’s One Piece Filmed?
https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-netflixs-one-piece-filmed/ - Atlas of Wonders – Where Was One Piece Filmed?
https://www.atlasofwonders.com/2023/09/where-was-one-piece-filmed.html - IMDb – One Piece (2023) Filming Locations
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11737520/locations/ - Travel + Leisure Asia – Shooting Locations of One Piece Live-Action That Fans Can Visit
https://www.travelandleisureasia.com/global/travel-tips/one-piece-live-action-filming-locations/
