Madonna - La Isla Bonita (1987) - Music Video Filming Locations
Watch the Quick Preview Video below, and scroll down for information about the filming locations.
Historical Production & Location Reference
| Music Video: | La Isla Bonita (1987) |
| Artist: | Madonna |
| Album Origin: | True Blue (Sire Records) |
| Director: | Mary Lambert |
- Maryland Street (Los Angeles): This specific urban corridor serves as the central visual stage for the video's street dancing, neighborhood gatherings, and vibrant exterior sequences.
- Historic Alleyways & Facades: With the exception of the garage across the street from Madonna's apartment building, all the other buildings seen in the music video remain standing.
Production & Preservation Note: Filmed on location in early 1987, this landmark visual narrative marked another milestone collaboration between Madonna and director Mary Lambert. While the video famously evokes a dreamlike, tropical island atmosphere through its interior set design, costuming, and narrative themes, the physical production was firmly anchored in the urban streetscapes of Los Angeles.
The Plot
Madonna plays a deeply religious woman (and presumably one that adheres to a life of temperance) who fantasizes about being a flashy flamenco dancer.
Update: April, 2026. This year has not been a good one for Madonna's music video co-stars. Less than a month after her Borderline co-star Louie Cordero passed away, her La Isla Bonita co-star Marcos Loya has died.
The Music Video Filming Location
Early in her career, Madonna would often film her music videos on the streets of Los Angeles. This video was filmed a short distance from the Downtown core on the 1300 block of West Maryland Street.
In this Quick Preview of our complete La Isla Bonita filming location video, even though it was made "only" about 40 years ago (as of this writing), there have been several changes to the existing buildings and one building prominently featured has been demolished.
More Music Videos Filming Location Videos Here!
Browse through all of the other Music Videos filming locations videos on the site here:
Music Videos Filming Locations Videos Listings
Member Exclusive - Full Then and Now Filming Locations Documentary Video and Photo Gallery
If you have made a small donation and are a current member, you can view the ENTIRE filming locations video by clicking here to Login and then clicking here:
Madonna - La Isla Bonita - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
And don't miss the complete photo gallery of filming locations then and now here:
Madonna - La Isla Bonita - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery