Following a rare joint appearance at the Venice Film Festival, we step away from the red carpet to discover the places Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem choose when they want to escape the spotlight.
Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem are accustomed to commanding a red carpet, but seeing them do it together remains something of a rarity. This week, the couple arrived at the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of Bunker, Florian Zeller’s new psychological drama, in which they appear together on screen as a married couple.
The appearance inevitably offered a glimpse of one of cinema’s most famous yet private partnerships. Married since 2010 and parents to two children, Cruz and Bardem have spent years maintaining a clear boundary between their public careers and private lives.
Their travels reveal a similar pattern. When work permits, the couple repeatedly seem drawn to sunshine, sea, and places where privacy comes easily. From a Maldivian escape to family holidays in Portugal, these destinations offer a glimpse into how Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem travel.
The Algarve, Portugal
When they want to escape their Spanish home without travelling too far, Cruz and Bardem have repeatedly looked west to Portugal.
The couple spent family holidays in the Algarve in both 2018 and 2020, with reports placing them at the five-star Vila Vita Parc in Porches. The resort sits amid expansive gardens above the Atlantic coastline, with private villas and secluded access to the sea creating a discreet environment that understandably appeals to high-profile guests.
Their 2020 visit coincided with their tenth wedding anniversary, making the Algarve more than a one-off escape. To travel in a similar style, choose a resort tucked into the cliffs, spend afternoons beside the Atlantic and resist the temptation to over-plan.
The Maldives
The Maldives holds a special place in the Cruz-Bardem story. In 2007, while working on Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the pair travelled together to a private Maldivian island. Photographs from that trip became the first widely seen evidence that their relationship had become romantic.
It is easy to see why they chose it. One of the world’s most private destinations, the Maldives offers turquoise waters and tropical greenery in its own sanctuary. A trip inspired by theirs should mean staying somewhere intimate, making the ocean the focus of the day and avoiding filling every hour with activities.
Sardinia, Italy
Italy has featured several times in the couple’s travels, including a summer escape to Sardinia in 2021. Cruz and Bardem were photographed enjoying time on the Italian coast during a trip that coincided with their wedding anniversary. Bardem was also working in Italy at the time, making it another example of how the couple often build family time around demanding international schedules.
Sardinia suits their low-key approach. Beyond its glamorous reputation, the island is defined by clear water, secluded coves and long stretches of rugged coastline. Base yourself near the sea and hire a boat to explore quieter beaches.
Positano, Italy
Another Italian chapter came shortly after the arrival of their first child. In the summer of 2011, Cruz and Bardem spent time in Positano with their six-month-old son during a break on the Italian coast. The Amalfi Coast may now be one of Europe’s most photographed summer destinations, but the couple’s visit appeared decidedly relaxed, centred on family time by the water rather than the area’s more glamorous social scene. Its pastel buildings and dramatic cliffs provide a cinematic setting, but the best days here are often the simplest.
The Bahamas
For perhaps the most important trip in their relationship, Cruz and Bardem chose somewhere suitably removed from the public gaze. The couple married in the Bahamas in July 2010 at a friend’s home, with only family attending the intimate ceremony. Details were kept so closely guarded that confirmation came only after the wedding.
It feels consistent with how they have approached both their marriage and their travels since. While the Bahamas offers plenty of high-profile resorts, its hundreds of islands also make it possible to create an escape that feels genuinely private.
Choose a secluded villa or smaller island, trade a packed restaurant schedule for dinners close to the water and spend the days swimming, boating and doing very little else. For Cruz and Bardem, that sense of retreat seems to be part of the appeal wherever they go.
