There is no real Saint Marie island in the Caribbean, but the TV show Death in Paradise uses Guadeloupe as a stand-in for the fictional island of Saint Marie ¹ ² ³ ⁴. The show is set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, which is supposedly a British Overseas Territory, but it is actually filmed in Guadeloupe ¹ ² ³ ⁴. The commune of Deshaies, located on the northwest coast of Guadeloupe, is used as the town of Honoré, and many other locations on the island are used to film scenes for the show ¹ ² ³ ⁴.
Here are some specific locations in Guadeloupe that are used in the show:
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Anse Tillet Beach: This beach is used as the establishing shot for the island of Saint Marie at the beginning of most episodes.
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Honoré Police Station: This is actually a beautiful cabin hall located next to the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church in Deshaies.
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Plage de la Perle: This is the beach where the Metropolitan Police detectives stay in Saint Marie. It is a set built on this beach.
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Catherine’s Bar: This is actually a local restaurant located on Deshaies’s beach called Le Madras, which specializes in Creole cuisine.
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Base Nautique: This is the Saint Marie Royal Yacht Club in the first episode of series 13.
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Centre Hospitalier Louis Daniel: This is the modern hospital near Mahaut, on the island’s west coast.
Guadeloupe is a beautiful island with stunning beaches, lush rainforests, and vibrant Creole culture, making it an ideal location for the show ¹ ² ³ ⁴. The show’s location team has done a great job of making a small stretch of coast in the northwest corner of Guadeloupe look like a whole island worth of different locations, which makes it easy to explore the main locations on foot or by guided tour ².
