Sergio Leone’s operatic Western masterpiece finally brought him to the real American West – filming the majestic buttes of Monument Valley, before returning to the Spaghetti-Western heartland of Almería in southern Spain for its dusty frontier towns.
Where was Once Upon a Time in the West filmed?
Once Upon a Time in the West was filmed in Monument Valley (Arizona and Utah) and in Almería, Spain, with studio work at Cinecittà in Rome.
Every Once Upon a Time in the West location, explained
The vistas – Monument Valley
The film’s grand landscapes used the iconic buttes of Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border.
Sweetwater Ranch – Almería
The frontier ranch and towns used the deserts of Tabernas in Almería, southern Spain.
La Calahorra – the stations
Railway and town scenes used La Calahorra near Guadix in Spain.
The wider West
Additional scenes used the country around Utah and Arizona.
Planning a visit
Monument Valley – the majestic real American West – and the deserts of Tabernas in Spain are both spectacular, accessible pieces of Leone’s epic.
