Netflix’s ‘Eva Lasting’ Uses Bogotá’s Real Locations in Season 3

With “Eva Lasting” (“La Primera Vez”) having completed its third season and renewed for a fourth, Netflix and Caracol’s coming-of-age hit has cemented its place as one of the U.S. streamer’s flagship Colombian series, underscoring Colombia’s emergence as a global production hub.

Returning to the helm, showrunner Dago García faced a fresh creative challenge: finding locations that felt organic to the characters’ evolution while reflecting the tumultuous social and political reality of late 1970s Latin America.

“Basically, what we needed was for the location to have an organic relationship with the characters and for them to influence each other,” García told Variety. That philosophy shaped many of the season’s production decisions, including the choice of the 364 House — a historic property in Bogotá’s traditional La Candelaria neighborhood.

“This house was fundamental,” García said. “It’s the place where all the characters go and live together.” The 364 House is more than a backdrop: García himself once called it home, and that personal resonance shows up onscreen. “Many of the anecdotes from this season are the result of experiences I had in that place,” he said.

Beyond La Candelaria, Season 3 widens its lens across Bogotá and its surroundings, introducing new locations such as the meticulously recreated newspaper offices where Camilo, played by Emmanuel Restrepo, works, and an army battalion where Pabón (Julián Cerati) serves his military duty.

“The chaotic political and social times that happened in Latin America during the end of the ‘70s served as a sort of frame of reference for the development of this season,” García explained. “That’s why the newspaper, the streets and the army battalion were fundamental in this season.”

If previous seasons focused on teenage rebellion and romance, Season 3 carries a more mature undertone, blending personal coming-of-age stories with broader social upheaval. That evolution mirrors the production itself.

“Since this was the third season, the team was already very well integrated,” García said. “The production process became more efficient.”

Behind the camera, “Eva Lasting” also reflects how Colombia’s incentives are increasingly powering international series. The show’s Colombian production partner, top broadcast network Caracol, secured Colombia’s CINA incentive — a tax rebate designed to attract foreign shoots.

The arrangement fits into Netflix’s broader Latin America production strategy. Rather than directly executing every show, the streamer typically contracts third-party studios and partners like Caracol to handle production on the ground, including leveraging any local incentives.

“Absolutely, in fact, it’s already happening — there’s a lot of foreign production taking place in Colombia,” García said. “The incentives for foreign productions, the presence of an efficient behind-the-scenes crew, and reasonable production costs make Colombia a very attractive production hub.”

For Netflix, the series is a proof point for the power of Colombian storytelling to reach international audiences.

“As our first Colombian series to reach a third season, this production marks an important milestone,” said Juliana Moreno, director of content for Colombia, Argentina and Chile at Netflix. “It’s helped establish a new kind of local storytelling far removed from stereotypes, filled with emotional depth and an authentic and unique identity.”

The business logic is clear. In the second half of 2024 alone, according to estimates made by research firm Omdia, Spanish-language programming on Netflix amassed 2.59 billion hours viewed, with Spain accounting for 38.7% of those, and Colombia leading Latin America at 24.6%.

“This series is a reflection of youth in constant evolution, sharing emotions and experiences that transcend eras and borders,” Moreno added.

That authenticity is evident in the warm visual textures evoking analog photography and the careful recreation of period fashion, literature, and music.

“The depiction of Bogotá in the 1970s not only provides context, but also becomes part of the story’s identity,” Moreno noted. “Oftentimes, the location becomes a character in itself, and filming locally is key in telling authentic stories that resonate with local viewers.” 

Moreno points out that Netflix has filmed in more than 15 locations across Colombia, from Bogotá and Medellín to Leticia, Cartagena and beyond — a testament to the country’s remarkable diversity.

“From skyscrapers to rainforest, from mountains to oceans, Colombia offers an unusual versatility as a shooting destination,” she noted. “We’re always open to exploring new locations that set the right backdrop for the story.”

The series proves what Colombian television can look like on the world stage and shows that stories rooted in specific times and places can still travel far, because of that very rooting.

And if Netflix’s long-term commitment is any indication, Colombia’s role in global series is set fair.