Where Was Netflix’s ‘Outer Banks’ Filmed? The Show Wasn’t Shot in North Carolina

The Pogues and the Kooks have left the Outer Banks in favor of other locations (like the Caribbean islands), but Netflix's Outer Banks wasn't actually ever filmed in North Carolina. Keep reading for everything we know about the series' filming locations. 

Where Was Netflix's 'Outer Banks' Filmed?

While the show wasn't filmed in the real Outer Banks, it was shot not too far away in Charleston, South Carolina. Initially, one of the show’s creators initially envisioned the show being filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. However, because of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed in 2016, the streaming platform opted against it. 

“When we wrote it, it was 100 percent Wilmington in our heads,” creator and showrunner Jonas Pate told The Charlotte Observer. “We wanted to film it here. But Netflix made the right decision to insist on inclusivity, and we completely agree with them.”

Ultimately, the talented cast of actors were content with their set location. “We’re making a show in paradise,” Jonathan Daviss, who plays Pope, told the news outlet. “I haven’t worked a single day since I’ve been here.”

Where Were 'Outer Banks' Seasons 2 and 3 Filmed?

As for season 2? Well, Outer Banks went international! 

"We love the mashup of friends on this fantasy thrilling adventure, and we feel like we really just played the opening round of that story," Jonas explained to Entertainment Weekly in April 2020 about the show's second season renewal. "And now that the audience knows our characters and the baseline engine of the mystery is going, we just feel like we have a lot more good twists and turns left to explore, so we're excited for more."

At the end of the first season, John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) were seen headed for the Bahamas after surviving a hurricane.

“There would be a couple episodes that take place, at least partially, in the Bahamas,” Jonas told USA Today in April 2020. “It unfolds into a bigger mystery. We keep our old villains and we add some new ones. But it always comes back to the Outer Banks.”

Did 'Outer Banks' Film in Barbados?

The cast and crew actually ended up filming the second and third seasons in Barbados. When fans were seen snapping photos and videos of the cast on set, Chase pleaded with fans about keeping plot points a secret.

“This is an exhausting process, and we have a really exciting story to tell,” he shared via Instagram Stories in March 2022. “I know you’re all excited and anxious, but I promise, it will be worth the wait.”