
Outside the rain’s lashing down, the wind’s blowing a gale and the temperature is well below freezing. So you turn on the TV to be greeted with sunny skies, sandy beaches, palm trees and colourful streets (plus a dead body or two, but we’ll skate over that bit). On air during the worst of the British winter, it’s no wonder the BBC TV series Death in Paradise has become so popular, with its tenth series hitting screens in January 2021.
Yes this series about a slightly bumbling British detective solving murders on a Caribbean island might be a bit formulaic and you do have to wonder how many people can possibly be knocked off on this one tiny island. But when it’s cold and grey outside, Death in Paradise is like a dose of virtual sunshine being beamed into your living room.
Read more: Things to do in Guadeloupe: Where France meets the Caribbean
Death in Paradise filming locations

Where is Death in Paradise filmed?
The series is set on the Caribbean island of Saint-Marie, which supposedly lies just off the coast of Guadeloupe. But you’ll have trouble tracking it down on any map. Saint-Marie island is just a figment of the writers’ imagination, but those gorgeous locations you see on screen do exist, and in reality most of them are found on Guadeloupe’s Basse-Terre island.
Death in Paradise is what first introduced me to Guadeloupe, so I couldn’t resist tracking down some of its filming locations when I visited the island. But would everything be as picture-perfect as it looks on screen or is there any TV trickery?

Where are the Death in Paradise locations?
On the north-west coast of Basse-Terre, Deshaies is the epicentre of all things Death in Paradise in Guadeloupe. In the show it’s Honoré, the capital of Saint-Marie, and is also where the cast and crew are based when they film in Guadeloupe for six months each year.
Deshaies is the pretty town you see in the aerial shots, with a red-roofed church and colourful buildings set around a semicircular bay and surrounded by jungle-covered hills. In real life, it’s a fairly sleepy fishing port with waterfront bars and restaurants that are a favourite stop for yachties sailing the Caribbean – and definitely not a hotbed of crime.
One thing I discovered when I started looking for Death in Paradise locations is just how many of them are in and around Deshaies. As well as the main filming sites, it also crops up as the harbour where people arrive or leave the island, it’s in a lot of background street scenes, and practically every swanky rental villa in the area has had one murder in it.
The location team have done a clever job in making a small stretch of coast look like a whole island of different locations. Which is good news if you want to explore it yourself – their concentration around Deshaies makes it easy to do a DIY Death in Paradise location tour. Or if you’re short on time or don’t have a car, there’s also a guided tour* available.
Filming locations around Deshaies

Honoré police station
The first stop had to be the show’s most important location – Honoré police station. It’s next to Deshaies church in the centre of town, so it’s really easy to find. In real life the police incident room is Deshaies’ priest’s office, and the church hall next door is used for the cells.
It was closed and deserted when we visited so no chance of having a peek inside, but other than the Honoré police sign being missing, it looked just like it does on screen – right down to the chickens pecking around outside. Out front there’s a car park which is where they park the police jeeps, which has been used for a street market in a few episodes.
One thing you don’t see on screen though is a cemetery – and they’d clearly need one with that murder rate (though with so many British victims, maybe they’re all sent home?). There’s actually a big cemetery on a hill on the edge of Deshaies but it’s usually excluded from the filming, though you can sometimes spot it slightly out of focus in the background.

Catherine’s bar(s)
Another regular location is Catherine’s bar (owned by Catherine Bordey – mayor of Saint-Marie island and mother of original detective Camille Borday). It’s pretty much compulsory for each episode feature at least one drinking session in the bar, either mid-case when there’s a tricky problem to solve or to celebrate solving the murder (no one gets away with it!).
We found the beachside terrace used in the show (shown in the photo at the top of the post) at the northern end of the bay, just outside a restaurant called Le Madras. Le Madras was closed for the day so we didn’t get to have our beachside beer or look inside, but I did find a very tasty pina colada at another Deshaies bar with a Death in Paradise connection.
In the first series, a different, bigger bar was used as Catherine’s bar. This one is called La Kaz and is just south along the waterfront from Le Madras. Apparently filming used to block the street and hold up traffic so they had to move, but there are few photos hanging on the walls which show scenes from the show back when they used to film in there.

The beach hut
If there was one location in Death in Paradise that sold me on visiting Guadeloupe, it has to be the beach where the detective lives in a perfectly rustic beach hut right on the sand. This picture-perfect spot is found at Anse de la Perle beach, three miles north of Deshaies.
In reality there are a few bars at one end of the beach and a little road behind the sand so it’s not quite as remote as it looks on TV, but it’s still every bit as gorgeous. The actual beach hut gets dismantled between filming because a lot of the sand on the beach gets washed away in winter storms. But off season you can see the foundations at one end of the beach.
One thing I spotted too after watching the show again is how many times this beach is used for other scenes. There are a couple of islands off-shore – a fairly big one (called Kahouanne, which was used as a private island in an episode from the third series) and a tiny one. Once you know they’re there, you can spot them in the background in lots of beach scenes which supposedly take place in different locations around the island!

The Botanic Gardens
About a mile south of town, Deshaies Botanic Gardens are a colourful riot of tropical flowers, flamingos and parrots – and as you probably guessed there’s been a murder there too. And not just any old murder either – this is where the show’s first detective Richard Poole (played by Ben Miller) came to a sticky end with an ice pick in the first episode of series three.
Filming was done in a private villa inside the gardens, with its own swimming pool and amazing coastal views from the terrace. You can see the villa from the gardens but if you want to get any closer you’ll have to hire it out – it sleeps 10 and costs €2000 a week.

The zoo
Saint Marie Zoo was new location for series eight, where a zookeeper was murdered with a tranquiliser gun. In real life it’s the Zoo de Guadeloupe au Parc des Mamelles, which is 30 minutes down the coast from Deshaies. The zoo is home to 85 different species from the Caribbean and Guyana, from big cats to tiny reptiles, spread across four acres of jungle.
One of the best parts of the zoo is its treetop walkway, which also featured in the show. A network of wobbly narrow wood and rope bridges runs 50 feet above the ground. You’re high up among the thick green tree canopy with great views down to the animal enclosures.

The hotel
From the far end of Anse de la Perle beach, there’s a big white building in the next bay that looks a bit like a pile of sugar cubes. This is the Langley Fort Royal* hotel, where most of the cast and crew stay during filming, either in the main hotel or the cute pointed-roofed bungalows. But you don’t need to stay there to have a drink in the bar and a nose around.
In another bit of inspired recycling, the hotel, bar and beach in front have appeared in many different episodes – including one where a bride was shot with a speargun and fell from a hotel balcony in series one and as where TV presented drowned in series eight.

With Death in Paradise being so popular – especially in the UK, but it’s also shown in the US, Canada and Australia – I was surprised how little was made of it in Guadeloupe. We spotted a couple of other people taking photos of the police station in Deshaies, but most visitors to Guadeloupe are French and many of them have never heard of the show.
So there’s no real tourism around Death in Paradise and its filming locations in Guadeloupe – no big groups, no tour buses, no signs or tacky souvenirs – which makes it feel even more like you’re discovering the real-life Saint-Marie island, and living to tell the tale.
Death in Paradise location map

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142 Comments
Jaillan Yehia
February 14, 2018 at 2:34 pmThe only reason I know of the existence of the TV show is watching people watch it on Gogglebox! But yes the locations are so dreamy that I suppose you could put any old plot in there and people would watch 😉
Lucy
February 14, 2018 at 3:41 pmThose TV execs definitely know what they’re doing by screening it in the middle of the British winter!
Linda DeRooy
September 27, 2020 at 12:07 amI love Death in Paradise! Thank you for the tour. I live in Nevada. You really don’t need a dreary winter to enjoy the show. Really liked your blog! Thanks again Lucy.
Lucy Dodsworth
September 28, 2020 at 4:27 pmYou’re very welcome – it’s such a great feel-good show!
Noelle
February 14, 2018 at 4:44 pmI haven’t watched the show but your photos of Guadeloupe are stunning!
Lucy
February 14, 2018 at 6:34 pmThank you! If you want something easy to watch with lots of beautiful sunny locations then it’s worth checking out.
Isobel Seymour
September 2, 2020 at 4:22 amOh, do watch, Noelle. It’s like a nice hug on a winter’s evening and the murders are usually done and dusted within the first 5 minutes. Then it’s a warm toure round this beautiful location and a lot of head scratching from great actors. Just wonderful! My granddaughter and I got hooked in the 1st series. We still snuggle up to watch and she’s 17 now.
Lucy Dodsworth
September 28, 2020 at 4:37 pmThere is something so cosy about it isn’t there!
Jackie
February 14, 2018 at 7:21 pmI cannot tell you how sad I am to learn that Saint-Marie isn’t real lol Great pics and great show!
Lucy
February 15, 2018 at 2:38 pmHaha, yes it’s a shame isn’t it! The real-life version is pretty lovely though.
Else
August 12, 2019 at 8:39 amIt is real.. i want it 2 be..so it is.. 😉
Isobel Seymour
September 2, 2020 at 4:24 amI’m with you, Else!
Rachael
February 15, 2018 at 2:00 amI haven’t watched it but my Mum who’s back in the UK does and loves it for the same reasons! Great photos of Guadeloupe though!
Lucy
February 15, 2018 at 2:39 pmIt’s such great winter escapism!
Eddy Tavernier
January 24, 2021 at 2:50 pmI’m looking forward for the end of covid to go back to Guadeloupe
Janet Walker
February 3, 2021 at 9:27 pmThis is great Lucy thanks! How did you get there? Where’s good go stay? I’ve been wanting to go for years too – and do they speak English as I don’t speak French?
Lucy Dodsworth
February 4, 2021 at 10:05 amHi Janet, I have a post with lots more info on visiting Guadeloupe which should give you all the details you need: https://www.ontheluce.com/things-to-do-guadeloupe-caribbean/ But we flew with Air France from Paris, and bought a cheap flight from the UK to Paris, and stayed in a couple of AirBnB apartments on the island. It does help to be able to speak French but you should be able to get by with English in the main tourist areas like Deshaies.
Sara @ Travel Continuum
February 15, 2018 at 11:15 amI’m fascinated by TV ‘trickery’ so this was fun to read – they should feature a town sign outside Honoré, saying ‘twinned with Midsomer’. :-D! I don’t watch Death in Paradise, but I’m a Doc Martin fan and plan to check out Port Isaac in Cornwall, which masquerades as Portwenn in the show.
Lucy
February 15, 2018 at 2:40 pmFunnily enough I’ve never seen Doc Martin but went to Port Isaac a few years ago and there were lots of people taking pics of the locations! Must actually check it out sometime now I’ve been there.
JeffNourse
February 15, 2018 at 1:49 pmGuadeloupe is definitely going on my bucket list. Thank you for sharing this. The pictures that you have included are simply mind-blowing. Especially the one of Deshaies harbor.
Lucy
February 15, 2018 at 2:41 pmThanks so much – it’s such a stunning place!
Anne
February 15, 2018 at 5:34 pmI sooo want to go and see these locations. Then the following winter I can sit back, watch the show and get excited when I recognise places!
Lucy
February 16, 2018 at 9:54 amThat’s just what I was doing last night! We keep spotting places we walked down or wondering where they filmed certain bits!
New You Spa
February 23, 2018 at 1:19 pmGuadeloupe is on the top on my wishlist, I really want to visit this wonderful city with my family and of course want to spend some time on the island.
Lucy
February 25, 2018 at 6:24 pmHope you get to make the trip someday soon!
Heather Cowper
February 25, 2018 at 5:33 pmIt’s great fun to follow the film locations of your favourite series, especially one that brings a bit of much needed winter sunshine to lift the spirits!
Lucy
February 25, 2018 at 6:31 pmWe all need a bit of sunshine at this time of year!
Trip Monkey
February 28, 2018 at 1:43 amI didn’t know anything about this, but I couldn’t stop reading and looking at those stunning photos ^_^
Lucy
February 28, 2018 at 8:22 pmThank you! It’s such a beautiful island.
Nigel Speaight
March 4, 2018 at 8:15 amExcellent write up, my wife and I are addicts of the show !
Pure escapism in a miserable British winter !
Off for two weeks in Antigua on Tuesday:)
Lucy
March 5, 2018 at 11:29 amThank you – it is isn’t it! And enjoy Antigua, looks like a beautiful place (and good to escape the snow).
alun
August 13, 2020 at 4:59 pmThank you for this lucy
Me and my partner are planning a trip there for 2022 to celebrate her 30th birthday. We both love the show so this is just perfect. Thanks again
Alun
Lucy Dodsworth
August 14, 2020 at 6:10 pmThanks Alun, great to hear it was useful and have a brilliant trip when you go – loved it out there!
Stretch Merringtion
March 30, 2018 at 11:17 amLove the show and have re-watched it many times. I really envy you being there, but we plan to visit it next year.
Like you, I also want to sign up as an extra in the show – what a tough job, but shame, I suppose someone has to do it.
thank you for the tour with you.
Lucy
April 2, 2018 at 7:39 pmThank you! We didn’t time it right to make it as an extra but it would be brilliant – hope you have better luck and have an amazing trip!
Liz Nutbeen
April 1, 2018 at 4:06 pmIt is always interesting to see where TV shows are filmed, especially those filmed in exotic locations. Having worked through the Caribbean in my youth, this show brought back some wonderful memories, so naturally, Big Fan! (Anyone who wishes to catch up, or re-watch Netflix are currently running the first five series). Guadalupe was not one of the islands I visited, but the island doesn’t look as over-run with typical tourist gumph that many of the other islands entertain. Thank you for this little insight, it brings a little bit of realism to the show.
Lucy
April 2, 2018 at 7:53 pmThank you, the Caribbean is such a beautiful and diverse part of the world (what a place to work!). I watched a few of the old episodes before we went out to remind me of some more locations so having them on Netflix has been very handy!
Mark and Cindy - sv Cream Puff
April 5, 2018 at 8:46 pmWe are on Guadeloupe right now and just toured Deshaies. They have the signs up on the Honore police station as they are getting ready to film again. When we went to the Grande-Anse Beach the crews were erecting the detective’s beach house. It was so fun to see it in person. Watching the show will never be the same. We will be yelling at the TV, “Been there” and “Walked by that”.
We wanted to thank you for putting up this post as it helped us find our way to the various sites. This was really a great post. Thanks!
We thought it would be fun to go back to the boat (yes, we live on and travel by boat) and watch a couple of episodes on NetFlix. But believe it or not, it is unavailable here. Yep. You can’t watch Death in Paradise while in paradise.
Lucy
April 8, 2018 at 4:13 pmHow brilliant! I wish we could’ve been there when the filming was going on but it was still great to actually see the locations in real life. Enjoy your travels, must be amazing exploring the Caribbean by boat!
Mike
May 18, 2018 at 1:01 amFound your blog while looking for info on the locations of Honore, St Marie. It’s very nice, thank you for the wonderful coverage. Your telling of the story is such a pleasure to read and view.
Lucy
May 18, 2018 at 8:41 pmThanks so much, so glad it was useful – I really enjoyed my mini Death in Paradise adventure!
Kisha
June 24, 2018 at 5:11 pmI’m obsessed with British murder mystery shows. Death in Paradise is my favorite with Midsomer Murders being a close second. Planning a vacation on Guadeloupe with my hubby and then a vaca with my mom in one of the Midsomer towns. This post just got me excited about planning our vacations. Question- do you happen to know where they filmed the episode with the death at the plastic surgery clinic/resort? I believe the episode is from season 2 or 3. Thank you for these beautiful pictures :).
Lucy
June 25, 2018 at 11:06 amHope you have an amazing time! That episode is called Death in the Clinic (s2 ep3) – I don’t know the location I’m afraid but I’d guess it was one of the luxury resorts on Basse-Terre. I’ll see if I can track it down and let you know.
pmcd
May 14, 2019 at 11:27 pmThat episode is filmed at the Langley Fort Royal resort just outside Deshaies. We recently returned from 10 days in Guadeloupe and spent two days at the resort. The resort has two parts, one a traditional building with hotel rooms and the other is made up of individual “huts” near the beach. The main part of the hotel is where the clinic was. The “huts” are a bit closer to the pool which is quite large, with a constant water depth of 5′ or so. That resort is pretty well the only large resort in Basse Terre. It used to be a Club Med, which is now in the other half of Guadeloupe. That is where most of the resorts are. We personally prefer Basse Terre, which is far less developed and has wonderful Bed and Breakfast places, and small hotels.
Ian
August 18, 2018 at 4:43 pmHi Lucy
We shall be on a cruise in December which spends a day in Guadeloupe but I am guessing that’s the wrong season for the filming. One of the posts above, from April, seems to suggest that’s when filming takes place.
Lucy
August 23, 2018 at 9:50 amHi Ian, yes from what we could gather filming is for six months from March/April so they wouldn’t be filming in December. We were there in January so missed filming too but you can still see a lot of the locations so it’s worth making the trip over to Deshaies if you have the chance.
Dennis McKeever
November 30, 2018 at 6:25 amSo, if I went there in May I should be able to see the beach shack up? Can you get close enough to see them shooting different scenes?
Lucy
December 5, 2018 at 11:38 amThe filming dates do vary but last year they were definitely filming at the end of April/start of May so May should be ok – you can’t get too close on the beach during filming but can get a bit nearer in the street scenes in Deshaies.
Mr Richard
September 8, 2018 at 12:17 amI’ve found the series on Netflix and have really enjoyed every episode. My dream is to bask in the sun and have a barbeque by the beach. I’ve enjoy the series a lot, and hope season 7 will be available on netfix sometime soon, or I find another way to watch it.
Lucy
September 10, 2018 at 5:24 pmIt’s pure escapism isn’t it? I would’ve loved to stay in the beach hut but sadly they take it down in the winter but the beach was still beautiful.
Grandpa Jim
September 24, 2018 at 7:54 pmWe sailed our boat to the Caribbean last winter and one of our goals was to check out where D in P was filmed as we had been watching it for several seasons on Netflix. I thought just knowing it was filmed in Guadeloupe would get us there, had no idea how big Guadeloupe really is. As luck would have it, our first port of call after leaving Antigua was Deshaies so we really lucked out.
Later that season my son & family came to visit and they had purchased season 1 on DVD, so we were anchored in the harbor in Deshaies watching Death In Paradise. Really cool, even my 14 yr old grandson got into it.
Thanks for the blog, especially the locations of DI’s shack. I figured it was around there from the island offshore, so it’s nice to know more detail.
Lucy
September 25, 2018 at 10:36 pmIt really is bigger than it looks! We watched a few episodes while we were out there too – really interesting to see all the tricks they use to make one area look like so many different locations.
Barbara Klunder
September 29, 2018 at 6:18 pmI absolutely LOVE the show “Death in Paradise”. I accidentally discovered it on Netflix, and was immediately hooked. I’ve been marathon-watching it, season by season. The location has me so enthralled that I want to visit . Is it difficult for someone to travel there and not be a part of any “tour”? I’m from Holland, Michigan, USA (and I don’t speak French). Your blog makes it all the more enticing. Thank you!
Lucy
October 1, 2018 at 9:45 pmHi Barbara, no it’s not hard to visit Guadeloupe independently – we hired a car and rented an AirBnB apartment and just drove to some of the locations ourselves. They’re very close together and the islands are easy to get around. It does help to speak some basic French but people in most tourist businesses do speak English too so you shouldn’t have too much trouble. Hope you get to make it out to Saint-Marie yourself someday!
Mrs Sam
September 29, 2018 at 8:26 pmLike all the previous comments we also love the show and your photos and insight into the location. Do you know if there is reasonably priced accommodation in the area or is it all very ‘high end’? We are looking to book a week away in February and would love to stay there.
Lucy
October 1, 2018 at 9:49 pmHi, there are lots of rentals and guesthouses so it’s a lot easier than many other Caribbean islands to find somewhere affordable to stay – I did a post breaking down what we spent on the trip (https://www.ontheluce.com/guadeloupe-caribbean-budget-costs/) with all the details, but our AirBnBs cost around £136/$177 a night for a two-bed place sleeping four.
Mrs Sam
October 2, 2018 at 7:34 pmThank you Lucy that’s very helpful. I shall continue with my research!
Walid Jomaa
October 8, 2018 at 8:48 pmGreat article, we love the show, do you know if there will be more episodes/seasons? we will plan a trip in January or February and I also plan to kiteboard somewhere there, being an island, i am sure enough beaches and wind. Besides we plan to check out the filming locatios of DIP, very nice and relaxing show. thanks for posting this.
Any idea on weather during January or February?
Lucy
October 10, 2018 at 10:00 pmYes season eight is on the way! We were there last January and the weather was great – pretty dry (except for some showers up in the hills on Basse Terre) and around 25C and perfect for swimming in the sea. It’s always fairly humid but not the worse time for it. Have a great trip!
Kari
November 30, 2018 at 4:02 amThis is my favorite show & am I so in love with your post! Thanks for sharing such a detailed account. I can’t wait to visit!
Kari
Lucy
December 5, 2018 at 11:35 amThanks so much, glad it was useful – it’s so amazing to see it in real life!
Roslyn Chatham
December 5, 2018 at 8:13 amI have been waiting for a new series for ages. We have watched reruns & reruns on different channels.They just brought in an Irish detective & stopped. I then saw a series with him on walks around Irland,new he couldn’t be in 2 places at once. Are we ever going to get more ,it is so popular ,when will we get to go back to Paradise to solve a crime.
Lucy
December 5, 2018 at 11:46 amThey filmed series 8 this spring so it is on the way! It sounds like you haven’t has series 7 yet though as that was the second one with Ardal O’Hanlan, hopefully you’ll get it soon – and he is back on the island for that series so lots of gorgeous scenery again.
Mark Williams
December 13, 2018 at 2:51 amHad the good fortune to sail from the Canary Islands to Guadeloupe in 1986. Have fond memories of my time there.
Lucy
December 17, 2018 at 11:25 amIt’s a lovely place – and that sounds like an amazing journey!
Trevor Wilson
January 17, 2019 at 9:30 pmThank you for a great article and fabulous pics! I am visiting the island in a few weeks and will definitely check out the locations!
Lucy
January 17, 2019 at 9:44 pmHope you have a great trip – it’s a fantastic island (I so want to go back now watching the new series!).
Louise Dean
January 22, 2019 at 1:36 pmHi Lucy we are hoping to on a cruise and going to Poinre-A Pitney can you do your own trip from the docks? thanks Louise Dean
Lucy
January 25, 2019 at 1:55 pmHi Louise, Point-a-Pitre is about an hour away from Deshaies where the show is filmed and a few of the locations are spread around the area so you do really need a car if you’re doing it yourself. You can hire a car near the cruise terminal though so it’s definitely possible.
Bill
February 4, 2019 at 7:44 pmthank you for this article … can you please tell me the name of the hotel on a nearby privatred island … that they had to take a boat too … in the episode where a brother redturned back home after 20 years … thank you
Lucy
February 5, 2019 at 8:48 amHi, I think that episode might’ve been Season 3, Episode 7 where they take a boat over to Kahouanne island – there don’t seem to be any hotels there so it may have been a private villa instead.
pmcd
February 4, 2019 at 9:03 pmSpent a week in and around Deshaies, April 2018. Really beautiful, very good restaurants and quite similar to Saint-Marie! Love the show Death in Paradise, which was the main reason for visiting Guadeloupe and in particular, Deshaies. That visit ended up being the best Caribbean vacation we’ve ever had. You do need a (manual) car and the hills in Basse Terre are quite the experience.
Lucy
February 5, 2019 at 8:49 amYes there are some winding roads out there! Loved visiting the island too, such a beautiful place – very happy Death in Paradise introduced me to it!
Adele
February 9, 2019 at 7:13 pmCan I ask how you got there flight wise? As a family we would love to visit, but flights are via Paris from the UK and very expensive?? Especially as there’s 5 of us!!!
Lucy
February 12, 2019 at 10:12 pmHi we found that getting a cheap flight to Paris and then booking a return from there was the cheapest way – XL Airways, Corsair and Air Caraibes are all budget airlines which fly to Guadeloupe (not too many frills but some good prices) or Norwegian via New York also has some good fares.
pmcd
February 11, 2019 at 8:01 pmWhoops, got my currencies wrong. It’s CDN dollars so it’s less. From London via Paris on April 3 for 2 weeks it’s only $1200 cdn so
around 700 £ with Air France. So perhaps that is the best way. Going via New York with Norwegian is the other option.
Gargee Banerjee
February 12, 2019 at 8:31 pmWe are going in 2-3 weeks time. We are flying with KLM from Amsterdam via Paris, tickets about 580 euros. Only hitch is we need to travel from CDG to Orly (70 mins) in Paris and not much time for the transfer. Hope we make our flight to Guadeloupe
Can’t wait to see the filming locations.
pmcd
February 12, 2019 at 9:00 pmTwo weeks is perfect. Lucky you… You should try the restaurant Kawan. A bit expensive but the food is wonderful. It’s up on a hill with a great view of the harbour. It appears in many of the episodes. Here’s a review
https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g666463-d12121114-Reviews-Kawan_Restaurant-Deshaies_Basse_Terre_Island_Guadeloupe.html
Another location is Le Rayon Vert. It is a pretty good restaurant which is part of a small hotel. Wonderful pool which guests can use. So have lunch and a swim. It appears often in the show. There are many other excellent restaurants near Deshaies.
Lucy
February 12, 2019 at 10:13 pmHope you have a great trip!
Lucy
February 12, 2019 at 10:16 pmWe flew with Air France from Paris for £358 (plus £128 to connect from the UK to Paris) in February so it’s definitely possible for around £500 from the UK – XL Airways, Corsair and Air Caraibes all have cheaper fares from Paris too but they’re a bit no frills so you may have to pay extra for bags etc.
Diann
February 20, 2019 at 2:05 pmWe visited Guadaloupe in February 2019. The police station is now a tourist stop. There is an admission fee (I think 10 euro). Inside you can see photos of each cast, costumes, and other props. You can also enter one of the jail cells. I have a couple of photos if you can tell me the best way to send them or post them.
Lucy
February 25, 2019 at 2:07 pmThat sounds great – such a good idea to open it up. I’ve love to see some pics, you can email me at lucydodsworth@yahoo.com – thanks!
Anya Smith
February 25, 2019 at 9:39 pmThank you for the post! I used to live in Guadeloupe and had a year pass to the Deshaies gardens. It is so much fun to relive the heat, the inevitable sun and the British Caribbean accents we never heard when on Guadeloupe. Watching the series one episode right after the other is a bit much, but spaced out, there’s a satisfyingly complex conclusion each time. The acting is great! And there really is a lot of crime on the island. I worked a wee bit for the justice system: rape had to be diminished on the crime scale in order to free up slots for all the murders: prostitution, drugs, inter-island crime. But don’t be afraid. It was always reassuring to cross paths with the judge on the beach in a bathing suit.
Lucy
February 28, 2019 at 6:21 pmGlad to bring back some good memories! Interesting to hear there’s a lot of real-life crime there too (though probably not so many British victims!).
Mary Moy
February 26, 2019 at 2:29 amLoved the show from the start. Only thing is I wish they didn’t ‘sigh’ so much.
Lucy
February 28, 2019 at 6:18 pmHaha that is true!
pmcd
March 1, 2019 at 10:12 amAbsolutely amazing show that manages to survive a substantial change in cast members. It would be nice to have a few more details about the locations, especially some of those villas with pools that are somewhere up in the hills. I did stay at the Villa Rayon Vert which shares a hill with the hotel Rayon Vert, which often makes an appearance in the show. Both have great pools!
Now that BBC has renewed the show for two more seasons it might be time to fly off to Guadeloupe in late April!
Lucy
March 5, 2019 at 9:39 pmI would love to explore some of the villas too – maybe next time!
Terry
March 18, 2019 at 8:16 pmHi,the reason why French tourist don`t know about ” Murder in Paradise ” is because – It ain`t showed on mainland TV stations.Is show on France O if you decide to check,you may get lucky.
Lucy
March 22, 2019 at 10:15 amYes I knew it wasn’t shown there – but if they’re starting to then those locations might start to get busy (though I wonder how well it translates of if it’s just too British in humour!).
John Jarbo
March 21, 2019 at 8:38 pmWe just got back from a Caribbean Cruise, which included a visit to Guadeloupe. We rented a car from Hertz, a short walk from the cruise terminal and had a very enjoyable drive up to Deshaies. We spent time on the Anse de Perle Beach and then drove into Deshaies for a look around and some lunch. We ate at L’Amer, which is right on the waterfront, and the view from our table is the view that we have admired during every episode. It may not be where the scenes were filmed, but the view of the bay is great and the food (and drink) was good.
Lucy
March 22, 2019 at 10:17 amSounds like a great day – it’s such a gorgeous place!
Adele
March 22, 2019 at 11:44 amSo getting to Guaedeloupe from the Uk for 5 of us is proving to be incredibly expensive, £9000 the cheapest!!! So looking at Antigua now, does anyone know if you can get a boat across to Deshaies?
pmcd
March 22, 2019 at 5:33 pmDuring the winter season fares from Montreal are pretty reasonable. As mentioned above Air Transat has flights to Guadeloupe from November to April from Montreal. Air Canada flies all year and quite frequently ( 3 times a week at least). We were booked with them from Toronto for the first week of April, though that’s in flux as the airline deals with the Boeing Max issue. It is less pensive than Air Transat as you can book from a Toronto via Montreal. You can’t do that with Air Transat. The plane was/is to spend 2 days in Deshaies, 5 in Les Saintes, at Le Petit Saint, and the final 2 back in Deshaies. Unfortunately the very excellent restaurant Kawan, which appears in several episodes, has closed. Moreover, because of Norwegian stopping its flights, prices seem to be increasing.
Why not just go to Paris and fly that way? You can go other routes but it’s a bit tricky and probably not much cheaper, if at all. You can get to Pointe à Pitre from Antigua ( via Liat), from Martinique, St. Lucia ( ferry to Martinique and from Martinique to Pointe à Pitre), Barbados to Martinique and then To Pointe à Pitre, Dominica to Guadeloupe by ferry. There’s a whole bunch. Liat and Air Caraïbes are smaller airlines going within islands.
Deshaies has become very popular and for good reason. Well worth a visit. Surely London—>Paris—> Guadeloupe is the best way to get there?
Lucy
March 30, 2019 at 6:57 pmThe route via Paris is much cheaper than direct from the UK – we took a cheap flight to Paris and then bought a return with Air France but there are also XL Airways, Air Caraibes and Corsair who have returns from around €370.
John Jarbo
March 22, 2019 at 2:28 pmI don’t know about getting to Antigua from Deshaies, but a suggestion for a cheaper flight might be to fly to Montreal and then to Guadeloupe. Depending on day of the week and time of year, prices can vary a great deal. Air Transat flies directly from Montreal, but only a couple of times a week. If you are planning on going in the winter, then there will be more flights. You may already know about Air Transat out of Montreal, but I was surprised at the number of people I talked to who flew with Norwegian and did not know about Transat.
Jimmy
May 14, 2019 at 7:05 pmLoved the information!
Lucy
May 26, 2019 at 9:32 pmThank you!
Eric Dawson
August 25, 2019 at 6:00 amMy wife and I love the show (just finished watching S1-8 again and experiencing withdrawal symptoms) and are contemplating visiting Guadeloupe because of it. I searched the Net for some time looking for location info before finding your blog, which is by far the best write up I have found! I love that you included both sites used for Catherine’s bar! Thank you for your labor of love!
Lucy
September 2, 2019 at 2:18 amThanks so much! I rewatched a lot of the shows before I went out as research to see how many locations we could find – does mean I might have to go back again when there’s a new series but any excuse!
christina labbate
September 14, 2019 at 8:16 pmlove the show sorry its no longer on, some day hope to go to Deshaies loved your article also thanks
pmcd
September 15, 2019 at 6:59 pmIt is still on. The next season starts in January.
Lucy
September 23, 2019 at 1:34 pmIt is! Looking forward to it.
Ulrike Reinhold
December 25, 2019 at 10:14 amWell researched, thank you for sharing! We live in Bali (quite nice too) without a TV and my 11 year old and I love to watch the series which we discovered about 6 months ago. Luckily they are all on our hard drive.
Cindy
January 14, 2020 at 11:24 pmWhat months do they film the series?
Thank you
Lucy
January 16, 2020 at 3:05 pmGenerally filming starts in March/April and lasts up to six months.
John Kruithof
March 8, 2020 at 9:46 pmI live in Ottawa Canada and have recently become acquainted with Death in Paradise. Love the show and really appreciate your blog describing the venue. To encourage my friends and relatives tuning in, I linked your blog on my Facebook page under this heading: “Normally you’d take a cruise to the idyllic Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, but with current travel advisories and all, perhaps it’s best to just sit back and turn to BBC TV Canada for the delightful murder series ‘Death in Paradise’. I’ve enjoyed every episode I watched. Murder, mayhem and merriment at a leisurely pace in keeping with Caribbean tranquility. The cast is well-tuned to the relaxed way of life and the scenery is simply to die for. If it is your lot to be bumped off, let it be there.”
Lucy
March 9, 2020 at 12:01 pmThanks for sharing the post – and really great to hear it was useful! It’s such a gorgeous place and watching it on the show is almost as good as being there!
pmcd
March 9, 2020 at 8:23 pmFrom Ottawa you can take a pretty inexpensive flight from Montreal to Guadeloupe, or even a package including Langley. They have many other packages which include resorts on the other, flat, part of the island. Basse Terre, the hilly side where Deshaies is, appeals more to us but there are fewer resort hotels there. The cruise route doesn’t allow you enough time to truly appreciate Guadeloupe. It’s quite big, and varied. Nevertheless, it’s nice if you are interested in the other stops the ship might make.
The scenery in real life is actually quite similar to that in the show. It’s really a very special place. Air Canada, and Air Transat, fly to Pointe à Pitres (as well as to Martinique). You can also go via Miami.
The show really has 9 lives. It’s rare for a show to survive so main character changes, especially ones as important as the two main detectives’ roles. The latest season just ended which is unfortunate. But you can view all past seasons, if you are an Amazon Prime (Canada) member.
Ingrid
April 14, 2020 at 7:47 amGreat article. We watch the tv series in the Netherlands. Saint-Marie looks great on film. Colourful buildings and green nature.
But in reality, I was very disappointed when we visited Guadeloupe (long before Death in Paradise even exists, and together with French island of Martinique and British Dominica). We thought to see nice Caribbean islands. But especially Martinique and Guadeloupe looked more as suburbs of, let’s say, Nice or any other big city in France, than to a colourful Caribbean island. Dominca was the nicest of the three. But Martinique and Guadeloupe looked less colourful as we thought. Some of the things of my visit, I remember, e.g. the black & white graveyard. And others brings back memories. Still noce to see, and maybe the island has changed now. My visit was more than 12 years ago. And we still enjoy to watch Death in Paradise (although the original crew was better than the recent 3rd generation of main actors).
Lucy
April 26, 2020 at 4:44 pmGlad to bring back some memories! The Grand-Terre side of the island does still have some built up areas on the south coast but Basse-Terre is a lot less developed – especially up in the hills, which were definitely my favourite spot.
Edward
July 1, 2020 at 2:35 amI’ve read a lot about the show, the casts and the location. It’s very beautiful but NO WAY would I ever visit. The heat and bugs! Probably why the English actors keep jumping ship.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 2, 2020 at 2:19 pmNovember to March is not too humid and we had some lovely sunny weather but not too hot at night in January – and not too many bugs either!
pmcd
July 1, 2020 at 6:46 pmWe have been there many times. Never once had a bug problem. The heat depends on where you are ( breezes, etc…), but it is hot during the day. So I understand the heat issue. You might like Bermuda, which is a very nice, but expensive, place with a temperate climate. Personally far prefer Deshaies and surroundings. Hopefully the small B&B’s have not all disappeared.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 2, 2020 at 2:20 pmAgree we didn’t see many bugs either – and in January it wasn’t too hot at night or too humid which I always find wipes me out a lot more. Deshaies is a lovely place, hope to make it back there again someday soon.
Nils
July 19, 2020 at 12:52 pmThanks for these great impressions! Here in Germany the show runs every friday at prime time. And every week I’m looking forward to watch it, even I’ve seen most of the series multiple times. Hopefully I can visit this paradise once in my life… <3
Lucy Dodsworth
July 23, 2020 at 1:04 pmYou’re welcome – and great to see the show is spreading across the world, it really does bring a dose of sunshine!
Nils
July 23, 2020 at 1:25 pmYes, it does! 🙂
ed
September 22, 2020 at 11:16 pmUsed to love the show but sadly DS Cassell and inspecor mooney have been replaced with less inspiring characters
The Ruby character is annoying and looks/behaves like she was supposed to be in Police Academy 10. I am sure she is supposed to be funny but she isnt.
Inspector Neville Parker is irritant and annoying, predictable and pathetic. Not because that is his role, he just is annoying to watch.
The Madeleine Dumas character has no presence. I guess her role is to just drive Neviile around and rol her eyes when he starts nagging again
David Creighton
October 17, 2020 at 4:41 pmThank you for the information, my wife and I are hoping to visit Guadeloupe in November 2021 as part of a cruise as our June one has been cancelled, I just hope I get the chance to pop over to the “danger zone” as we port on the other side of the island for one day from 8 am untill 6pm, any hints or advice on traveling.
Lucy Dodsworth
November 2, 2020 at 6:05 pmLoved Guadeloupe! I would suggest doing a tour or getting a private driver for the day if you are limited on time, it’s around an hour to Deshaies from the cruise port but roads can be slow. Give yourself time to have a wander around Deshaies and visit the beach, and would recommend the Botanic Gardens too.
David Creighton
November 7, 2020 at 9:01 amThanks Lucy, hopefully a local entrepreneur has set up a day trip for fans, if not I might have to relocate!
Matthew
November 25, 2020 at 5:54 pmAny chance of augmenting / updating the article with longitude and latitude for each location?
Lucy Dodsworth
January 21, 2021 at 1:01 pmHi Matthew, good idea – though for now if you click on the points on the custom Google Map linked above it should take you through to Google Maps where you can see the longitude and latitude for each point.
BillW
December 11, 2020 at 4:08 pmEverything going well we’ll be there in a couple of weeks ! Big fans of the show too 😉
Thanks for the tips, we were wondering where the zoo was, also in the first season the had some kind of remote weather station, will have to look that one up.
And then when we get back we can watch Season 10 !
pmcd
December 11, 2020 at 7:12 pmBILLW—> is Guadeloupe open for travelers now?
There are interesting changes coming up for the forthcoming season.
BillW
December 13, 2020 at 1:49 pmYes, actually there is no lockdown there currently unlike in mainland France, hotels and restaurants are open as normal…officially anyway. I sent an email to the Langley hotel to inquire about bike rentals as I’d seen that mentioned in a forum but got an automatic reply saying that they were running with minimal service and that beach activities were closed.
I found an article on Season 10 and there indeed appear to be quite a few “surprises” !
I’d made a note of your recommendation for the Kawan restaurant but then saw your update about it being closed now, which is too bad.
Tony Glazier
December 24, 2020 at 3:58 pmI am a devotee of the Death in Paradise series. Partly because of the beautiful scenery and because I like complicated plots!
But I also have a personal special reason too. During the 1970s/1980s I spent a lot of holidays in the very similar Seychelles and follow their creole language very well. I was even at the Independence ceremony when the Minister of Finance had to borrow a £1 for the Prime Minister to buy the island from the British.
More recently I have been on a lot of cruise ships where many of the staff are from the French speaking West Indian islands and I amuse them by speaking to them in their own creole language.
But watching the TV series I always wonder about two things, firstly why the two policemen talk with an English West Indian accent and not in Creole and secondly why there are so few black people around.
Walking around the small Seychellois island of La Digue I could often hear myself being referred to as “grand blanc” !
Because I learnt my creole about 50 years ago I now find that some of the old words I know are hardly ever used any more!
I am beginning to think that I should visit Guadeloupe before I die! Pity they do not seem very keen on dancing which I love. At a reception for 350 people at the Commonwealth Institute in London to celebrate their Independence I was sitting with a couple I had never met before. We ate our Seychellois food and then the local band started to play their Sega music.
Now the lady there was quite pretty and mostly white and I was sure she would dance really well so I asked her to dance and I was so surprised that she agreed so we did a demonstration sega dance in front of the 350 people there. They gave us really good applause. But then we both did dance it very well !
Tony Glazier
David Creighton
December 26, 2020 at 6:51 pmDear Tony, in reference to the accents, only a very few people would have your knowledge of them and Creole can be hard to uderstand, as this is a British show it makes sense to have it in the “language” we would understand and follow so we can concentrate on the plot and not have to rewind and replay sections, one very important issue is the series is only filmed in Guadalupe, the story’s are based on a fictional Island so how do you know what they should sound like, I take when you say “so few black people” you must be referring to the main character as all the other regulars are black!
Tony Glazier
December 27, 2020 at 6:19 pmDavid, you are quite right that the main plot has to be spoken in English as it is produced for an English speaking audience! But firstly the two policemen are meant to be locals and would speak with a French accent and chatter to each other in Creole. The girl speaks with a French accent so she is fine. But the few locals we meet never include any French speaking or accented people. Nor are there casual extras on the street or in the bars who speak as the locals do.
You say we do not know where the Island is. But it is well documented that it is a “small island off the coast of Guadeloupe” so it is obviously going to be French Creole speaking. Also as in all the West Indies the majority of the local population are going to be black or mixed just like any other island there. All the local creole names we see also place it in that location. I also know them from the Seychelles and L’Isle Maurice. Also in St Lucia. At the airport there I met two Chinese girls who recognised me from the airport on L’Isle Maurice from six weeks before, total coincidence of course!
Just my view David. The paradise setting is so lovely as is the local culture and it is such a pity that this production chooses to tone down all the local aspects which would enhance my enjoyment.
At least the BBC did not exclude local culture from their ill fated Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency set in Namibia. So well done but they messed up the day/time and channel for transmission and it had very low viewing figures and they never went ahead with the planed second series. BBC2 on Sunday night at 9pm is when people take an early night before work the next day! The firm which sold DVDs only did it in standard definition and not in HD.
I do not only like the culture and language from the creole speaking islands but I do like it and on a cruise last year for fun spoke to my friend in creole and a couple of ladies nearby from Haiti asked if I came from there! Last NYE I went to a Sri Lankan dinner dance with an SL band who played a lot of their local baila music. There were 240 attending and we won the best dancer prize there!
Tony Glazier
BillW
December 27, 2020 at 6:54 pmOn location right now as I type this ! A most beautiful area as mentioned in this blog post. On our first day here we checked out Deshaies and the “Honoré Police Station” of course, Catherine’s old bar and the new one, walked across the footbridge next to the port that’s often featured as well. I will say that the town is not as “glitzy” as they make it out to be on film…not surprising of course but there are lot of rundown buildings everywhere, not something you get a sense of at all when watching the series. Talking of which the “Fort Royal” hotel where the bride fell (or rather was “harpooned”) to her death during the first season is actually closed for business, at least the “hotel” part, the bungalows remain open but activities are minimal , no sailing, no diving club, etc…hopefully it’s only temporary due to covid.
We were on the “Anse de la Perle” beach this morning where the “Beach Hut” is set up during filming. It’s not easy to locate the spot exactly. Looking at pictures on Tripadvisor and painstakingly matching the tree patterns I’ll go with the following GPS coordinates : N 16.33973 W 061.78028 (Google Maps link : https://goo.gl/maps/s2SYPVBh2FCFa8o8A) for the 2016 season (these were the best pictures available on Tripadvisor) but it may have moved since. There is no obvious access road for instance, but of course they could be filming that elsewhere.
The best part is that once we’re home we’ll only have to wait a few days until the 7th of January for Season 10 to kick off !
Lucy Dodsworth
December 31, 2020 at 1:54 pmHow fantastic! Wish I was out there too but eagerly waiting for the start of season 10 here in the UK. I seems the Langley Resort Fort Royal is part closed due to Covid but will be back open again fully when they can.
MG
January 3, 2021 at 8:13 amI have watched Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders and Father Brown Mysteries on my local PBS station for years. When the covid pandemic hit and the stay-at-home/lockdown began, I subscribed to BritBox through Amazon Prime and have watched every episode of every one of these shows again and again over the past nine months or so. I especially love Death in Paradise. The scenery is just the lift I need during this time and I so enjoy the mysteries. I have been saddened as characters left but came to like and enjoy the replacements, too. I’ve watched so much British TV over these months that friends swear I’m developing a British accent. I’m so pleased that I happened upon this site and really enjoy the photos and comments. I’m in upstate New York only 15 miles from the Canadian border so pictures of the Caribbean are especially welcome in January. Thank you, Lucy, for your posts.
Lucy Dodsworth
January 21, 2021 at 12:59 pmYou are very welcome! I’ve been catching up on series on Britbox this lockdown too and do love a good murder mystery – though not many have such a great location as Death in Paradise!
Tony Glazier
January 9, 2021 at 11:05 pmInteresting for me that tonight they are playing the first episode of the first series!
Right from the beginning there was a welcome and small difference, they actually had a little casual dialogue from extras in Creole! Probably as a result of the director then, Charles Palmer! If that is right then it is a pity he left the series.
While engaged in my research, I also made an interesting discovery that all the episodes are dubbed into French for broadcasting in France. Knowing that, it makes it even more surprising to me that there is ( now ) virtually no Creole ever heard in the episodes. I even get slightly curious how they deal with English Police and their fear of hot weather, mosquitoes and lizards, I doubt they will pretend they are French!
Various web comments say this is the most popular BBC drama series! And at least two more series have been approved. So that should keep me going until I can go travelling again after the world lockdown ends.
pmcd
January 24, 2021 at 7:37 pmIt seems small B&B’s with pools are open, but fully booked. Odd. Saw part of Season 10 episode 1. Looks to be good, except they have changed the theme song arrangement to a more “sophisticated “ arrangement with horns. Not my cup of tea, but a minor issue. Flights seem to be going to Guadeloupe from Montreal, so there is hope… Does anyone know the location of the crime scene in season 10 episode 1?
Gen
January 25, 2021 at 10:47 pmBeing from Guadeloupe myself and living in London since 2001, I didn’t even know about this show until people told me how much they love my island! I must say the TV show makes it absolutely gorgeous, as it is. Perfect when I can’t go back myself. *dreamy*
I feel very proud that the show is showing off my island to people from all over the world who don’t know it exists. Just remember please to be considerate and respectful of the island, it’s really beautiful (I speak for locals as well as tourists!).
Lucy Dodsworth
February 4, 2021 at 10:15 amWhat a fantastic place to be from! So many people have fallen in love with Guadeloupe from watching the show, it is a really lovely place.
John Perry
February 7, 2021 at 1:33 pmLockdown paradise! Thanks to you for doing the leg-work and revealing the locations – after someone has got to do it! Spent half an hour on Zoom with friends Googling Earth our way round the DiP locations. Cheers, here’s to the next cocktail…
Lucy Dodsworth
March 8, 2021 at 5:25 pmYou’re very welcome! Always enjoy a virtual revisit of this lovely island whenever there’s a new series.
Lorenzo Valla 2nd
March 13, 2021 at 9:48 amThank you for the info’. My wife and I have never missed an episode! Always a tinge of sadness when a series comes to an end as it is the highlight of our Saturday evenings here in Australia. And always sad when each inspector departs. But happy again when a new series returns. Like we did with visiting Port Isaac(Doc Martin), we hope one day beyond Covid 19, we can visit this beautiful location.
Lucy Dodsworth
March 24, 2021 at 8:52 pmFingers crossed you can make it out there sometime soon – it really is as good as it looks!