The horror drama movie Pedro Páramo has finally arrived on Netflix and fans are now eager to know if Comala, the location where the story is set, is a real place in Mexico. The film is based on Juan Rulfo’s 1955 novel of the same name, which is cited as an iconic piece of Latin American literature. The story follows the experiences of Juan Preciado in Comala, which is inhabited by spectral entities.
Here’s everything we’ve discovered about whether the Comala town from Pedro Páramo is a real location or not.
Is Pedro Páramo’s Comala town a real place in Mexico?
Yes, Comala is indeed a real location in Southwestern Mexico.
Comala is a historic small town and municipality situated in the state of Colima and is closer to the state capital. The town bears the nickname “White Village of America.” This is to all the building façades being painted white since the 1960s. The Mexican government declared Comala as a Pueblo Mágico (translation: magical village) in 2002. Moreover, its iconic center has now become a Historic Monument Zone.
Although Comala is the official setting of the movie Pedro Páramo, not all the scenes were shot there. According to a report by Netflix, the movie was filmed across various locations in the Central American country. The director, Rodrigo Prieto, shed light on the location choices for shooting.
“For the filming, which took more than 50 days in the states of Nayarit and San Luis Potosí, and Mexico City, many exteriors were required, streets with specific characteristics, plazas, fondas, and the Media Luna, which is a very important place in the book,” stated Prieto.
Pedro Páramo is a magical realism drama movie that arrived on Netflix on November 6, 2024. The story centers around a young man named Juan Preciado. He heads to Comala town in search of his father Pedro Páramo. Upon reaching there, Preciado discovers the dark secret hidden in his father’s legacy and the doomed ghost town left behind.