Popeye Village at Sunset

I'd seen photos of Popeye Village before, but nothing prepared me for how surreal it felt standing above it at Anchor Bay on August 30th, 2024, at sunset. The old film set, built in 1980 for Robert Altman's 'Popeye' movie starring Robin Williams, still holds so much charm 44 years later. What started as a temporary film set has become one of Malta's most unique attractions—the wooden houses painted in bright colors, the little boats bobbing in Anchor Bay, and the warm tones from the setting sun made the whole place feel like a real-life painting.

The production crew built 19 wooden structures in seven months back in 1979-1980, using 2,000 gallons of paint and 20,000 feet of timber imported from Holland. After filming wrapped, the Maltese government kept it as a tourist attraction, and it's been operating as Popeye Village/Sweethaven Village ever since. The setting in Anchor Bay—a natural inlet on Malta's northwest coast near Mellieħa—is spectacular, surrounded by towering limestone cliffs that glow golden in the evening light.

I used my camera with the focal length at its widest 15mm, shooting variable exposures to capture the full dynamic range from the bright sunset sky to the shadowed cliffs. The 'Variable' shutter speed indicates I blended multiple exposures at different shutter speeds for this composition. The cliffs around Anchor Bay felt like they were glowing too—soft golds, deep oranges, all reflected in the still Mediterranean water below.

It was one of those scenes that feels a bit like time travel—part 1980s film set, part colorful village, completely magical when the golden hour light hits just right. The contrast between the bright primary colors of the wooden buildings and the natural honey tones of Malta's limestone cliffs creates this almost fantasy-like atmosphere. You can see why Robert Altman chose this location—it's otherworldly.

When you look at this photograph, I want you to feel that whimsy—standing above Popeye Village watching the 1980 film set glow in Anchor Bay's golden light, where Robin Williams filmed 44 years ago and where 19 wooden structures still stand colorfully against Malta's towering limestone cliffs on the Mediterranean at sunset.