Guadeloupe: Death in Paradise Tour, Show Locations & Filming Bars

4.87

(146 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the way the sea breeze carried this faint scent of salt and fried plantains as we pulled up to what everyone calls the Golden Sands Hotel—but fans know it’s where the cast and crew of Death in Paradise actually stay. Our guide, Jean-Luc, waved at someone behind the bar (he seemed to know half the town) and pointed out a faded bungalow. “That’s where Neville got framed,” he said, grinning. I snapped a photo, but honestly, it didn’t look nearly as dramatic as on TV—just some towels drying on a line and a sleepy cat underneath.

Driving along Saint Marie (well, Guadeloupe), you start to realize how small Deshaies really is. The Inspector’s beach shack isn’t far—it’s just off La Perle Beach. The sand there is rougher than I expected, almost squeaky underfoot. Jean-Luc told us about how they build and take down that little shack every season. The sun was already high by then; I could feel my shirt sticking to my back. We stopped at Point De Vue De Gadet for this view over Grande Anse Beach—longest beach on the island apparently—and I just stood there for a second, thinking about all those scenes with DI Poole looking lost.

Later we wandered through Honoré (which is just Deshaies, really), past the police station and that church next door—there was a wedding going on so we kept our voices low. Catherine’s Bar (Le Madras if you’re local) was open so we ducked in for a drink. It’s smaller than it looks on screen; Li laughed when I tried to order in French—probably butchered it. There were two old men playing dominoes who didn’t even look up from their game.

We finished at this beach restaurant where apparently some of the actors hang out off set—no celebrities today but plenty of locals eating accras and drinking something cold. I took a quick swim before heading back up into those green hills where sugar cane grows wild and you can spot villas tucked away behind hibiscus hedges. Honestly, seeing these places for real made me think about how much work goes into making Saint Marie feel like its own world on TV. Still can’t believe how normal everything looks when you’re not watching through a screen.