The bay of Deshaies with fishing boats and the village along the shore – Honoré in Death in Paradise.

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Series · 2011–

Where wasDeath in Paradisefilmed?

Saint Marie is fiction; Guadeloupe is not. Honoré is the fishing village of Deshaies, the police station is the presbytery next to the church, and Catherine's Bar is a restaurant terrace where you can order lunch. The detective's shack is a set that comes and goes with the filming season – which is the first thing to check before you book.

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Photo: Tournasol7, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

COLD OPEN

Saint Marie does not exist. Since 2011 the BBC has filmed Death in Paradise on Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Lesser Antilles, and almost everything you recognise as Honoré is the fishing village of Deshaies on the north-west coast of Basse-Terre. The police station is the old presbytery next to the church, Catherine's Bar is the restaurant Le Madras, and the detective's beach shack is built on Anse de la Perle each spring and taken down again in autumn. Most of it can be walked in an hour; the station opens as a museum between filming blocks.

SC 00 · MAP OF THE FILMING LOCATIONS

Where Death in Paradise was filmed: 11 locations you can visit

Guadeloupe (France)1Deshaies harbour and village 2Honoré Police Station 3Catherine's Bar (Le Madras)4Church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul 5Anse de la Perle – the detective's shack 6Plage de Grande-Anse 7Jardin botanique de Deshaies 8Pointe-Noire town hall 9Base nautique, Sainte-Rose 10La Soufrière and the volcano observatory 11Fort Napoléon, Les Saintes

ACT IGuadeloupe (France)11 locations

Tournasol7 · CC BY 4.0

EXT. DESHAIES HARBOUR AND VILLAGE – DESHAIES

Deshaies harbour and village

as Honoré, capital of Saint Marie

The bay in the title sequence, the jetty where suspects arrive by boat, the small footbridge, the town hall and the streets of Creole houses. The village school stands in for Saint Marie's airport.

VISITING

A working fishing village of about 3,700 people, free to walk at any time. Parking is on the seafront and along the main road. Filming runs roughly April to October; streets are then closed for hours at a time, and you may be asked to wait.

NOTECome before 9 am or after 4 pm. In between, the cruise-ship minibuses own the village.

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The wooden former presbytery beside the church in Deshaies – the Honoré police station in Death in Paradise.

Tournasol7 · CC BY 4.0

EXT. HONORÉ POLICE STATION – DESHAIES

Honoré Police Station

as The police station

The former presbytery of the parish, a wooden Creole house on the rise beside the church, with its view over the bay. Every scene at the station, the cells, the whiteboard and the veranda.

VISITING

Between filming blocks – broadly November or December to April – the set is left standing and opened as a museum with the desks, files, uniforms and the two cells; admission is charged, €15 to €20 per person, with a small shop. Days and hours change every season and are not published in one place; ask at the tourist office on the seafront. During filming the building is closed and fenced.

NOTEThe guided tours that include the interior book their slot in advance; on your own you may find it shut on the day.

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The waterfront terrace of the restaurant Le Madras in Deshaies – Catherine's Bar in Death in Paradise.

MAbW · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. CATHERINE'S BAR (LE MADRAS) – DESHAIES

Catherine's Bar (Le Madras)

as Catherine's Bar

The end-of-case drinks since series 3. The bar is the waterfront terrace of the restaurant Le Madras at the north end of the bay. In series 1 and 2 Catherine's was a few doors south at the former La Kaz du Douanier.

VISITING

A restaurant serving fish and Creole dishes; sit on the deck and you are in the show. Lunch service is 12 to 3 pm, dinner 6.30 to 9 pm, and it has been closed on Wednesdays, so check its Facebook page and book ahead. During filming days the terrace is taken over by the crew.

NOTEOrder lunch rather than a single drink; the terrace is small and the staff are patient with fans up to a point.

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The red-roofed church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul in Deshaies – Honoré's church in Death in Paradise.

Tournasol7 · CC BY 4.0

EXT. CHURCH OF SAINT-PIERRE-ET-SAINT-PAUL – DESHAIES

Church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul

as Honoré's church

The red-roofed church appears in establishing shots of nearly every episode and hosts the weddings, funerals and Christmas scenes.

VISITING

A working Catholic parish church, open during the day outside services. Free. The police station is directly to its right when you face the door.

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The beach of Anse de la Perle north of Deshaies – the site of the detective's shack in Death in Paradise.

Tournasol7 · CC BY 4.0

EXT. ANSE DE LA PERLE – THE DETECTIVE'S SHACK – DESHAIES

Anse de la Perle – the detective's shack

as The beach house of Richard, Humphrey, Jack, Neville and Mervin

The wooden shack with the veranda, the hammock and Harry the lizard stands on this beach about 5 km north of the village. It is a set: put up before each filming block and dismantled afterwards, so from about November to March there is only the beach and the tree.

VISITING

A public beach off the N2 towards Sainte-Rose, with a small car park and a beach restaurant. Free. During filming the beach is closed for days at a time. Swimming is unsupervised and the swell can be strong.

NOTEAsk in the village whether the shack is up before you drive out. Out of season, photograph the tree – it is the same one.

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Plage de Grande-Anse with its palms and golden sand – the beach in countless scenes of Death in Paradise.

Tournasol7 · CC BY 4.0

EXT. PLAGE DE GRANDE-ANSE – DESHAIES

Plage de Grande-Anse

as Beach scenes, bodies in the sand, several hotel and bar sets

The 2 km beach of golden sand and coconut palms just north of the village. Used in wide shots throughout and for beach-bar and hotel storylines, including the restaurant that played 'Chez Samy' in series 4.

VISITING

Public, free, with a free car park at the main entrance and a row of restaurants. No lifeguards; the tourist board recommends it for experienced swimmers, and families should stay close to shore in swell season.

NOTELate afternoon, when the day-trippers have left and the light comes in from the sea.

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Pond and tropical planting in the Jardin botanique de Deshaies – the garden where Richard Poole died in Death in Paradise.

Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. JARDIN BOTANIQUE DE DESHAIES – DESHAIES

Jardin botanique de Deshaies

as Gardens, villas and the grounds where Richard Poole died

The botanical garden on the hill 1 km south of the village, laid out on the former estate of the comedian Coluche. The garden and its villa with pool appear across several series, most famously in the series 3 opener in which the first detective is killed.

VISITING

Open daily 9 am to 4.30 pm (last entry), park closes 5.30 pm. Adults €18, children 5 to 12 €12. Allow about two hours for the 5 hectares; there is a restaurant and a snack bar.

NOTEGo in the morning before the heat; the parrots and the water-lily pond are near the entrance, the views are at the top.

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The town hall of Pointe-Noire on Place de la Liberté – Government House in Death in Paradise.

MAbW · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. POINTE-NOIRE TOWN HALL – POINTE-NOIRE

Pointe-Noire town hall

as Government House, the Commissioner's office

The mairie on Place de la Liberté, about 20 minutes' drive south of Deshaies, plays Government House whenever Commissioner Patterson summons the team. Rainforest scenes were shot in the hills behind the town.

VISITING

A working town hall; exterior from the square at any time, interior only on official business. Pointe-Noire also has the Maison du Cacao and the Habitation Samana Beauséjour coffee estate, both used in episodes.

The waterfront of Sainte-Rose on the north coast of Basse-Terre – the Royal Yacht Club of episode 100 of Death in Paradise.

KoS · CC BY-SA 3.0

EXT. BASE NAUTIQUE, SAINTE-ROSE – SAINTE-ROSE

Base nautique, Sainte-Rose

as The Saint Marie Royal Yacht Club (episode 100)

The waterfront sailing base of Sainte-Rose, on the north coast east of Deshaies, is the yacht club where the Commissioner is shot on the jetty in the first episode of series 13. Earlier series used the Habitation de Comté hotel in the same commune.

VISITING

A municipal watersports base with public access to the quay. Sainte-Rose is 25 minutes from Deshaies along the N2; the road passes the beaches of Clugny and Tillet.

The cloud-capped summit of La Soufrière in Guadeloupe – Mount Esmée in the series 6 opener of Death in Paradise.

Yves G · CC BY-SA 2.0

EXT. LA SOUFRIÈRE AND THE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY – SAINT-CLAUDE / GOURBEYRE

La Soufrière and the volcano observatory

as Mount Esmée and the Saint Marie Volcano Observatory (series 6)

The series 6 opener was shot at Guadeloupe's real volcano observatory at Le Houëlmont above Basse-Terre town, with La Soufrière, at 1,467 m the highest peak in the Lesser Antilles, in the opening shot. The eruption itself was added digitally.

VISITING

The observatory is a research station and not open to visitors. The volcano is in the national park, free to enter; the free 15-space car park is at Bains Jaunes, 5 km above Saint-Claude on a narrow road. Since rockfalls after Storm Fiona in September 2022 the summit trails (Chemin des Dames, Trace des Géologues, tour of the crater) have been closed until further notice; the Pas du Roy and the trails to the Chute du Galion remain open. It is cool and wet up there: boots and a rain jacket.

NOTECheck the national park's site the day before; the closure list changes.

Fort Napoléon above the bay of Terre-de-Haut, Les Saintes – the island shown as Saint Barnabas in Death in Paradise.

Filo gèn' · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. FORT NAPOLÉON, LES SAINTES – TERRE-DE-HAUT

Fort Napoléon, Les Saintes

as The bay of Les Saintes as Saint Barnabas Island (series 13)

The aerial shots that introduce the neighbouring island of Saint Barnabas, with the Pain de Sucre, are of the bay of Terre-de-Haut in the Îles des Saintes; the wedding church in the same story is actually Notre-Dame de la Visitation in Port-Louis on Grande-Terre.

VISITING

Terre-de-Haut is a day trip by ferry from Trois-Rivières or Pointe-à-Pitre. The fort above the bay, built 1844 to 1867, houses the island museum and a cactus garden with iguanas: open daily 9 am to 12.30 pm, last entry noon, adults €7, children 6 to 10 €3, 11 to 18 €4; closed 1 January, 1 May, 27 May, 15 and 16 August and 25 December. A 20-minute uphill walk from the pier.

NOTETake the first ferry; the fort shuts at lunchtime and does not reopen.

SC 12 · BOOK THE SCENE

Death in Paradise tours in Guadeloupe, with ratings

Two small-group tours run by local guides cover Deshaies: a four-hour walk to the police station, the church, Catherine's Bar and the beaches, and a longer version with lunch on the bar terrace and a ticket for the botanical garden. Both pick up at the cruise terminal in Pointe-à-Pitre and sell out on ship days.

Free cancellation on most toursReal review counts from the booking partnerSame price as booking direct

Death in Paradise tours in Guadeloupe 3 tours compared →

Two small-group tours have the reviews. The four-hour 'On the Way to Saint Marie' walks Deshaies with a local guide – police station, church, Catherine's Bar, Anse de la Perle and Grande-Anse – with pick-up in the village or, for 90 minutes extra, at the cruise terminal in Pointe-à-Pitre. The six-and-a-half-hour 'Catherine's Bar Cuisine and Botanical Garden' adds lunch on the terrace and a ticket for the garden; the police-station interior costs extra on site. Both are led by locals who have worked as extras, and both sell out on cruise days.

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Way to Saint Marie: 'Death in Paradise' Show Locations

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Boiling snorkeling boat rental in deshaies Guadeloupe

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From Deshaies: Private Death in Paradise Hotspots Tour

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Booked through GetYourGuide, Viator or Tiqets (affiliate links, advertising). Most tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead. Prices in US dollars as of 23 September 2026; the checkout shows your currency.

LOCATION MANAGER'S NOTES

Tips before you go

Guadeloupe is France: euro, EU roaming, French plugs, no visa for EU citizens. Direct flights from Paris-Orly take 8.5 to 9 hours; from the UK and the US you connect via Paris, Miami or Montreal.
Deshaies is 40 minutes by car from the airport at Pointe-à-Pitre. Hire a car; the bus runs but not to your timetable.
Filming runs roughly April to October and closes streets, the beach at La Perle and the terrace at Le Madras for days at a time. November to March you get the museum in the police station and the dry season – but no shack on the beach.
Everything in the village – harbour, church, station, bar – is within ten minutes on foot. Only the shack, the garden and the beaches need the car.
The beaches of the north-west coast, Grande-Anse, La Perle and Clugny, are unsupervised and have real currents. Clugny in particular has drownings every year.
Le Madras is the only location you can sit down in. Book lunch, order the fish, and do not ask to move tables to the one from the show.

CONTINUITY ERRORS

What the internet gets wrong

~~Saint Marie is a real island~~Actually

It is fictional, as is Honoré. The scenery is Guadeloupe, and the town is Deshaies; the map on the police station wall was drawn for the series.

~~The show is filmed on a British island~~Actually

Guadeloupe is French and part of the EU. Saint Marie's backstory as a former British colony with French neighbours explains the accents, not the passports.

~~You can visit the detective's beach house~~Actually

Only from about April to October, when the set is up on Anse de la Perle; the rest of the year it is stored away. The interior was mostly filmed inside the shack, which is why it is rebuilt each year.

~~Catherine's Bar has always been Le Madras~~Actually

In the first two series it was a few doors along, at what was then La Kaz du Douanier; the move to Le Madras came with series 3.

PRODUCTION LOG

Production notes

2011: The first series shoots in Deshaies from April to August with 66 local technicians and 367 extras; it premieres on BBC One on 25 October with Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole.
2014: Poole is killed off in the botanical garden and Kris Marshall arrives as Humphrey Goodman; from series 3 Catherine's Bar moves to Le Madras.
2017: Ardal O'Hanlon takes over as Jack Mooney mid-series 6; series 6 peaks at 9.1 million viewers, the show's record.
2020: Ralf Little begins as Neville Parker in series 9.
2023: The spin-off Beyond Paradise launches in February with Kris Marshall; Return to Paradise follows in Australia in September 2024.
2024: The 100th episode opens series 13 with the Commissioner shot at the 'Royal Yacht Club', filmed at the Base nautique in Sainte-Rose.
2025: Don Gilet takes over as Mervin Wilson in series 14; the BBC commissions two more series, and series 16 films in Guadeloupe from April 2026.

Q&A

Frequent questions

Where is Death in Paradise filmed?

On Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Caribbean. Honoré is the village of Deshaies on the north-west coast of Basse-Terre; the police station is the old presbytery by the church, Catherine's Bar is the restaurant Le Madras, and the detective's shack stands on Anse de la Perle.

Is Saint Marie a real island?

No. Saint Marie and Honoré are invented; Guadeloupe plays them. Neighbouring islands in the stories, such as Saint Barnabas, are equally fictional, with aerial shots borrowed from Les Saintes.

Can you go inside the Honoré police station?

Yes, between filming blocks, broadly from November or December to April, when the set is opened as a museum with an admission fee of €15 to €20. The interior is also part of some guided tours. During filming it is closed.

Can you have a drink at Catherine's Bar?

Yes. It is the terrace of Le Madras in Deshaies, a working restaurant. Lunch is the reliable service; book, and check the day it closes.

Is the beach shack still there?

Only during the filming season. The shack is a set built on Anse de la Perle each spring and taken down after the last block, usually by November. Out of season you will find the beach and the tree.

When is Death in Paradise filmed?

Roughly April to October each year; series 16 began shooting in April 2026. Visiting then means seeing sets and possibly filming, but also closed streets and beaches.

How do you get to Deshaies?

Fly to Pointe-à-Pitre (direct from Paris-Orly, or via Paris, Miami or Montreal), then 40 minutes by hire car across to the north-west coast of Basse-Terre. Cruise passengers take the guided tours from the terminal.

Is there a Death in Paradise tour?

Yes, several, run by local guides: a four-hour walk of Deshaies with the main locations, and a longer version with lunch at Catherine's Bar and the botanical garden. Both pick up at the cruise terminal in Pointe-à-Pitre.

END CREDITS

Locations11

Countries1

Checked23 September 2026

Production companies, dates, cast changes, viewing figuresen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_in_Paradise…

Presbytery as police station, beaches used, filming April–August, tourism figuresfr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deshaies

Tourist board: locations in Deshaieslesilesdeguadeloupe.com/en/death-in-paradise/

Grande-Anse: parking, no lifeguards, swimming advicelesilesdeguadeloupe.com/en/explore/the-…

Botanical garden: hours, pricesjardin-botanique.com/

Fort Napoléon: hours, prices, closureslefortnapoleon.com/

National park: summit trails closed since 2022, open alternatives, Bains Jaunes car parkguadeloupe-parcnational.fr/fr/actualite…

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