I’ve always had a soft spot for Death in Paradise. Yes, the plots are comfortingly formulaic, and you can almost predict the twist—but that’s part of its charm. So one evening, over a glass of wine and mid-episode, we found ourselves wondering: where is this idyllic murder mystery actually filmed? A quick search and a spontaneous travel plan was born.

Our destination: Guadeloupe, a small French island in the Caribbean that doubles as the fictional Saint Marie. Getting there is a bit of an adventure in itself—you fly to Paris first, then hop on a connecting flight across the Atlantic. But the journey is more than worth it.

Our first stop was the Langley Fort Royal Hotel—the place where the cast and crew stay during filming, and, as fans will know, where more than a few fictional “murders” have taken place. It looked like a pile of sugar cubes from the far end of Anse de la Perle beach. It was surreal to walk through a location that had been the backdrop to so many episodes.

Next, we made our way to the charming village of Deshaies, which serves as the heart of the show. There, we found the Honore Police Station—or at least its on-screen equivalent. To our delight, it had been set up as a small museum dedicated to the series. Curiously, it was completely empty. We later discovered that while the show is hugely popular in the UK, it’s not particularly well known on the island itself.

With no one around, we had free rein to explore. We sat in the detective’s chair, peeked into the holding cells, and generally indulged in our inner TV sleuths. It felt like stepping behind the scenes of a world we’d only ever watched from our sofas. Everything was laid out in exactly the same way. Even the music was there as a backdrop,

We also visited the local church, another familiar filming location, where JP got married and where a murdered concert pianist’s funeral took place. We then headed to one of the most iconic spots of all—Catherine’s Bar. In real life, it’s called Le Madras, and it’s every bit as picturesque as it appears on screen. Set right on the beach, it overlooks the most incredible stretch of turquoise Caribbean sea. We enjoyed a delicious seafood meal there, soaking in the view and the atmosphere. Aside from a few photos of the show on the walls inside, you’d hardly know it had ever been a filming location.

Our exploration didn’t stop there. We tracked down La Perle beach—the setting for the detective’s famous rustic beach hut (complete with its shutters and the ever-present Harry the lizard). The hut itself wasn’t there—it’s dismantled between filming seasons which is May to October, to protect it from storms and hurricanes—but the beach was breath-taking. In fact, it was so beautiful that we returned every single day for the rest of our trip.

Finally, we located the Government House in Pointe-Noire, another key filming site. By this point, we felt like we’d pieced together our own little behind-the-scenes tour of the show.

What struck us most was how unassuming everything felt. These weren’t overrun tourist attractions or heavily branded locations—just real places, quietly existing, with a touch of TV magic layered on top. It made the experience all the more special.

In the end, our trip to Guadeloupe was more than just a fan pilgrimage. It was a chance to explore a stunning island, immerse ourselves in a different culture, and see a familiar world from a completely new perspective. And yes, we still love Death in Paradise—perhaps even more now that we’ve walked in its footsteps.

Top Tips

Fly Air France, with stopover in Paris to Pointe-a-Pitre

Visit botanical gardens –https://en.valombreuse.com/

ACCUEIL

Position yourself well. The topography of Guadeloupe is shaped a bit like two lungs. We were on the right lung called Grande Terre the other one is Basse Terre and has less going on. Accommodation is expensive even staying in an air b and b.

Guadeloupe suffers from water shortages and often the water would be disconnected at night and not be switched on until the next day.