Discover Where ‘The White Lotus’ Was Filmed: Best Times to Visit, Wildlife, and More!

You’ve done it before. Smiled when you wanted to cringe, laughed when you wanted to frown, and fooled the person in front of you. But when does the mask come off? In this show, there is a comedic element that runs through each scene. It highlights these very moments of deceit around one another. Discover where ‘The White Lotus’ was filmed, the best times to visit the locations, and more!

What Is ‘The White Lotus’ About?

The White Lotus is a show set in a Hawaiian resort that follows the lives of both guests and employees as they intertwine. It’s a satirical series that pushes the script with each episode. It further unveils the complexities behind the seemingly perfect smiling masks each of the characters wears. The first season is made up of only six episodes and the second season follows a similar unfolding, only at a different resort in Sicily.

In the first season, you watch as a host of wealthy American travelers make their way over to the Hawaiian resort. It’s a bit of white-collar-meets-blue-collar when they arrive at the lavish place and receive their welcome from the working staff. Ultimately, it’s not just the difference in class that feeds the dynamic. It’s also the difference in diversity between the two groups.

The resort manager instructs the staff to play nice and present the most pleasant personality. They must also quickly tuck themselves away to allow the arriving group the opportunity to think of them as mere fleeting expressions instead of the human beings they are. Ultimately, the series explores, in a tragicomic way, what happens when social niceties fall by the wayside and reveal truer natures.  

Where Was ‘The White Lotus’ Filmed?

Although the resorts in the series are a fictional part of the storyline, the locations are real. The White Lotus was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui at Wailea during the first season and later at a series of locations in Sicily, most prominently the San Domenico Palace, Taormina (another Four Seasons location).

During the first season, the crew had to work within active COVID-19 restrictions. Because of this, they isolated in Maui, using the Four Seasons Resort as their sole location. Not only did the cast and crew work within the resort during filming, but they also set up their temporary homes on-site, interacting only with one another during the period of filming and restrictions.

During the filming of the second season, the crew and cast had a bit more freedom and made their way over to Sicily to film at a couple of different locations. Although the San Domenico Palace was the primary setting for the season, they also traveled to Cefalù, Palermo, and Noto.

Where ‘The White Lotus’ is Filmed: Best Time to Visit

Maui, Hawaii

If you’re heading out to Maui, you can choose the summer and winter seasons but if you want more space to walk and deals easier on your wallet, head out during the shoulder months. This could be either April through May or you can wait a little later in the year and book your stay sometime in September, October, or November.

Sicily, Italy

If you want to visit Sicily when the weather is hot and sunny, you can’t go wrong booking a trip during June, July, August, or September. The winters are mild so if you don’t mind a dip in temperatures, you can still enjoy the location with some warm clothes to feel comfortable in (on average) 59 degrees Fahrenheit daytime temps.

Wildlife in ‘The White Lotus’ Filming Locations

Maui, Hawaii

In Maui, land animals include goats, coyotes, mongooses, axis deer, and wild boars. There’s more activity in the water, of course, with green sea turtles, dolphins, humpback whales, manta rays, sharks, and Hawaiian monk seals making appearances here and there. Look up to spot the Hawaiian honeycreeper, Hawaiian crow, ʻapapane, or Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi.

Sicily, Italy

In Sicily, there are Marsican brown bears, wild boars, alpine ibexes, wildcats, Italian wolves, and Sardinian deer. You can spot the common frog here as well as the Italian tree frog and Moorish gecko. Black-winged stilts are a fun bird to spot if you’ve never seen one before. They have long, pink, skinny legs and although common across the world, seem to enjoy the ambiance of Sicily a bit more than other places. Look for the hoopoe as well! This bird has a gorgeous, feathery crown and often has light orange accents.

Where is Maui, Hawaii Located on a Map?

Maui, located in the Central Pacific, is one of the most captivating islands in the Hawaiian archipelago. Haleakala National Park, sprawling across the island, showcases the majestic volcanic peak of Haleakala and the enchanting pools and waterfalls of Ohe’o Gulch, accessible through the scenic and winding Hana Highway. Along Maui’s 30-mile coastline, you’ll discover stunning beaches like the golden-crescent Kapalua, protected by lava-rock formations that ensure gentle currents.

Here is Maui, Hawaii on a map:

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Shane Myers Photography/Shutterstock.com