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| Netflix's Desire: Is Club Aqua Lomas a Real Place or Just Clever Movie Magic? (Photo: Netflix) |
The glamorous grounds of Club Aqua Lomas quickly become one of the biggest talking points in Netflix's Desire. From sparkling swimming pools to polished tennis courts and elegant club facilities, the location almost steals the spotlight from the characters themselves. It feels convincing enough that plenty of viewers have been left wondering whether the exclusive sports club actually exists or whether Netflix simply created a place everyone now wishes they could visit.
The Spanish-language drama, directed by Teresa Simone, follows married couple Lucero and Enrique Cortinas, whose successful lives mask a relationship that has lost its spark after two decades together. Everything changes when former Olympic swimmer Matias arrives as the new swimming instructor at Club Aqua Lomas, setting off a chain of events that reshapes both their marriage and their futures.
As the story unfolds, the club becomes far more than somewhere to exercise or relax. Every hallway, poolside conversation and sporting activity quietly reflects the emotional tension building between the characters.
Rather than simply providing an attractive backdrop, Club Aqua Lomas almost behaves like another member of the cast, calmly watching the chaos unfold while looking impossibly perfect.
Despite its convincing appearance, Club Aqua Lomas is not a real sports club. The venue was created exclusively for Desire by writers Giulia Cardamone and Vanessa Miklos as the fictional centrepiece of the story.
Although the production likely filmed inside genuine sporting venues to achieve its realistic atmosphere, the club itself exists only within the film's fictional world.
That hasn't stopped audiences from playing detective. Some viewers have searched across Mexico hoping to match the pools, architecture and outdoor facilities with real locations.
Others have suggested the fictional club may have drawn loose inspiration from well-known venues such as Reforma Athletic Club in Naucalpan de Juárez or Club France in Mexico City's Álvaro Obregón district. However, any similarities appear to end with their shared country-club atmosphere rather than specific design or history.
Creating a fictional club also gives the filmmakers much more freedom. Rather than working around the identity of an existing venue, the writers were able to shape Club Aqua Lomas into exactly what the story required.
Every corner of the club conveniently becomes the perfect stage for uncomfortable encounters, emotional confrontations and life-changing decisions. Real clubs might have strict rules. Fictional ones, apparently, have a remarkable talent for putting everyone exactly where the drama needs them.
Director Teresa Simone has explained that the film explores desire as a force that drives people towards change, challenging expectations surrounding relationships and personal fulfilment.
Within that context, placing the story inside an exclusive sports club makes perfect sense. Such environments are built around ambition, discipline and self-improvement, themes that closely mirror the emotional journeys experienced by the characters throughout the film.
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Fans have had mixed reactions to the setting. Many praised Club Aqua Lomas for feeling authentic enough that they immediately assumed it was a genuine members-only destination.
Others admitted they spent more time searching for the club online than following the plot itself, only to discover they'd been outsmarted by clever production design. A few even joked that Netflix deserves a membership fee for making a fictional club look more appealing than some real luxury resorts.
The believable setting has also earned praise for helping immerse viewers in the story. Rather than distracting from the emotional conflicts, the elegant surroundings enhance them, creating an atmosphere where every conversation seems loaded with possibility.
Even simple scenes by the swimming pool carry an added sense of tension because of the carefully crafted environment surrounding the characters.
Whether audiences were captivated by the relationships or simply left wondering where Club Aqua Lomas was hiding on a map, one thing is clear: the fictional venue has become one of Desire's biggest successes. Sometimes the most convincing places on screen turn out to exist only in the imagination. Did you think Club Aqua Lomas was real while watching the film, or did you suspect Netflix had invented it from the start?