The 2023 live‑action version of The Little Mermaid was mainly filmed between studio tanks in England and real coastal locations in northern Sardinia, Italy.

Main filming locations

1. Pinewood Studios, England

Most underwater and interior castle scenes were shot on soundstages and water tanks at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, just outside London.

  • Large water stages were used for storm sequences and ocean action.
  • Sets for the interiors of Prince Eric’s castle were also built here.

2. Sardinia, Italy (standing in for the Caribbean)

To create the sun‑drenched coastal kingdom, the production used several towns and beaches in northern Sardinia.

Key spots include:

  • Santa Teresa di Gallura – coastal town used for various land and harbor exteriors.
  • Castelsardo – hilltop village whose fortress area was used for views of Eric’s castle and surrounding coastline.
  • Golfo Aranci & Cala Moresca – formed the fishermen’s village and pier surroundings seen in the movie.
  • Spiaggia di Rena Majore (Aglientu) – Ariel’s beach, including the scene where she brings Eric to shore after the storm.
  • Rena di Metteu / Rena di Matteu – rugged coastline used for the carriage ride scenes with Ariel and Eric.

Quick HTML table of key spots

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Location</th>
      <th>Country</th>
      <th>What it was used for</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Pinewood Studios (Iver Heath)</td>
      <td>England</td>
      <td>Underwater sequences, storm scenes, interiors of Eric’s castle.[web:1][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Santa Teresa di Gallura</td>
      <td>Italy (Sardinia)</td>
      <td>Coastal town and harbor exteriors for the Caribbean‑style kingdom.[web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Castelsardo & fortress area</td>
      <td>Italy (Sardinia)</td>
      <td>Distant views and surroundings of Eric’s castle, dramatic cliffside shots.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Golfo Aranci & Cala Moresca</td>
      <td>Italy (Sardinia)</td>
      <td>Fishermen’s village and pier/harbor environment.[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Spiaggia di Rena Majore (Aglientu)</td>
      <td>Italy (Sardinia)</td>
      <td>Ariel’s beach, including the rescue of Eric and shoreline scenes.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:8][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Rena di Metteu / Matteu</td>
      <td>Italy (Sardinia)</td>
      <td>Coastal backdrop for the carriage ride with Ariel and Eric.[web:5][web:8][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Mini “storytelling” note

To sell the illusion of a lush Caribbean kingdom while keeping control over complex water work, the team split production between high‑tech tanks in England and Mediterranean cliffs and beaches in Sardinia , then layered in CGI castles, palm trees, and underwater environments on top.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.