Where Was Moonflower Murders Filmed?

The short answer

Moonflower Murders was filmed in Crete and around Dublin: Agios Nikolaos and Elounda provide the Greek scenery, while Howth Castle appears as Branlow Hall. The destinations form two distinct trips. Crete gives you Susan and Andreas’s coastal world; Howth offers the clearest named Irish connection with the hotel investigation. Neither requires knowing the murderer before you plan a visit.

The Greek film agency EKKOMED names Agios Nikolaos and Elounda as filming locations. Checked 19 October 2026. Our Crete guide and Dublin and Howth guide expand the practical details. Start with the destination that fits your holiday, rather than attempting to combine countries just to tick off the entire screen landscape.

Agios Nikolaos: begin beside the lake

Agios Nikolaos is the natural starting point for a town-based Crete visit. Lake Voulismeni, the channel and harbour create a compact waterside area to explore before deciding whether to tackle the streets above it. A lake-level walk lets you enjoy the coastal setting without turning a short outing into a steep climb. The town is a real working place with traffic, deliveries and busy public spaces.

Begin alongside the lake, then follow the public route towards the channel and harbour. Pause somewhere that leaves café tables and pedestrian space clear. Continue only as far as the weather and your group’s energy allow, returning through the central streets for a meal or a shaded rest. This is a suggested way to enjoy the confirmed filming town, not a list of exact camera positions.

If mobility is a concern, ask your accommodation about the real approach to the waterfront. A room described as having a sea view can still sit above a demanding slope. Check entrances and facilities at the places you intend to stop, and avoid promising yourself that every attractive viewpoint on a map will be easy to reach.

Elounda: a separate coastal outing

Elounda is the other Cretan town named by EKKOMED. Its harbour and waterfront make a pleasant second outing after Agios Nikolaos. Treat the transfer as part of the day’s planning: the two town walks are not one continuous short route. A bus, taxi or car connection should be chosen around your accommodation, the current services and the time you want to return.

Start near the harbour square and follow a comfortable public waterfront section. Leave room for a meal and watch the changing light over the bay rather than spending the visit chasing an unconfirmed hotel terrace. If you want to go beyond the town, the existing Crete guide points to other historical attractions in the region. Those have separate access arrangements and are not automatically additional Moonflower scenes.

A relaxed Elounda afternoon is also a sensible alternative if the Agios Nikolaos walk has already filled your morning. You do not have to add another boat trip or a distant sight to make the day worthwhile. Check seasonal restaurant service directly and agree any return taxi before settling down for a late meal.

Can you book Hotel Trifilli?

Hotel Trifilli is the fictional hotel in Susan and Andreas’s story. The existing location pages do not identify a real property that visitors can book as its filming address. Choose a hotel for the location, facilities and access that suit you. A resemblance to a frame from the programme is not enough to establish that a property was used by the production.

The same care applies to hotel photographs and terraces. Guest areas are private unless the operator says otherwise, and a booking does not give unrestricted access to every room or terrace. For a filming-inspired stay, a convenient base in either confirmed town is more useful than an unsupported promise about where a particular scene happened. You can enjoy the setting without making the accommodation itself the attraction.

Howth Castle: the real Branlow Hall connection

Howth Castle is the named Irish property used for Branlow Hall in the site’s existing location coverage. The programme presents a hotel created through location work and production design. A visitor comes to a historic estate with its own programme, rather than checking into the fictional establishment from the mystery.

Arrange any interior visit through the castle’s authorised visitor programme. The existing guide describes selected tour dates, with gardens accessed through guided visits. Confirm your date and the parts included before planning the rest of the day. A television setting may look different without its temporary dressing, and rooms can be presented for the property’s history rather than their screen role.

A castle visit works well with a harbour outing. Put the booked tour first in the plan, then leave a flexible meal and waterside walk afterwards. That gives you something worthwhile to do even if you choose not to book an interior visit. Ask the venue directly about steps, surfaces and your own accessibility requirements; a historic estate can involve more than the distance suggested by its map pin.

Howth harbour and the Dublin base

Howth’s harbour provides the public seaside part of the day. Explore permitted promenade and pier sections, keeping clear of mooring work and restricted quays. You can choose a short out-and-back walk rather than committing to a longer cliff route. A cliff walk is a separate undertaking requiring suitable footwear, weather and daylight, and is unnecessary for this filming visit.

Dublin is the broader production area and a practical base for combining the castle connection with other city attractions. The current guide also names production supplier BANK among its sources for the Irish filming. It does not turn every Dublin street into Branlow Hall. Keep your sightseeing focused on places with a clear reason to visit and access you can confirm.

For a rail outing, check a DART service for Howth rather than assuming that every northbound train reaches the village. Use Transport for Ireland’s planner to compare the final journey from your accommodation. Save the return information, especially if you are finishing after dinner. A coastal stay and a city-centre stay offer different trade-offs, so decide which evenings you prefer before booking.

A two-day Crete plan

Day one: Agios Nikolaos. Give the lake and harbour a gentle morning walk, followed by a meal and a quieter afternoon. Add a museum or more town exploring only if you want it. In hot weather, the shorter waterside route and a shaded pause may be enough. The point is to enjoy the place, not reproduce an entire filming schedule.

Day two: Elounda. Travel after checking the outward and return connections, then make the harbour and waterfront the main event. Keep the afternoon flexible for lunch, a longer rest or an early return. If you prefer a single day, combine shorter versions of both walks with a planned road transfer. No driving or bus duration is promised here because the service and conditions need checking for your date.

Crete has no passenger railway. For this eastern-island itinerary, the existing guide uses Heraklion as the major airport gateway, followed by onward travel. Consult KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi for current bus information. A hire car may help with a wider holiday, but it is not a reason to park in hotel entrances or working waterfront areas.

Where to stay and what to read

Compare Agios Nikolaos stays for a town and harbour base. For the Irish trip, search accommodation in Howth, checking connections if you also want several days in central Dublin. These are area searches, not promises of rooms used for filming.

Return to the Moonflower series guide before a rewatch, or take the original novel on your journey. The book lets you revisit the two mysteries at your own pace; leave the closed comparison sections unopened if you have not reached the ending.