Where is Virgin Island filmed? Inside the real retreat behind Channel 4's most talked-about show
Tourists can book a stay on the island for less than £100 per night
Virgin Island is back on our screens tonight (April 27) and, if you’ve found yourself half-watching through your fingers while also Googling “where is this actually filmed?”, you’re not alone.
The Channel 4 series might be all about intimacy, but the sun-drenched setting has become a breakout star in its own right.
And here’s the twist: that dreamy, slightly mysterious retreat? It’s completely real.
Where is Virgin Island filmed? The exact filming location of Channel 4 show revealed
Despite the name, Virgin Island isn’t filmed in the Caribbean. The show is set on Obonjan Island, a private island off the coast of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea.
More specifically, production takes place at the Obonjan Island Resort, a secluded, four-star retreat in the Šibenik archipelago.
The island itself is uninhabited outside of the resort, which instantly explains the show’s atmosphere: no crowds, no outside distractions – just sea, sky and some very intense emotional work.
It’s also why the series feels so contained. Everyone – cast, experts and crew – is effectively living in the same bubble.
Is the Virgin Island retreat real? Yes – and you can actually stay there
For all its heightened TV moments, the retreat itself is very real. Obonjan Island Resort operates as a luxury “glamping-style” destination, open to the public during the summer months.
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Guests can book stays in Minimalist Island Homes, Stylish Glamping Lodges or Canvas O-Tents right by the sea.
Prices typically start from around £97 per night, making it more accessible than it might look on screen.
But don’t expect the full Virgin Island experience when you visit. While the resort does host wellness-style activities – think yoga, massages and fitness classes – it isn’t permanently running the same intimacy programme seen on TV.
In other words: same setting, very different agenda.
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What makes Obonjan Island so perfect for the show?
Once you know the location, it makes perfect sense why producers chose it.
Obonjan is designed as a retreat space. It’s isolated, calm and deliberately unplugged from everyday life – exactly what the show needs. According to reports, the island’s private setting creates a “safe space” where participants can explore emotional topics without outside pressure.
Visually, it ticks every box too: Crystal-clear Adriatic waters, rocky beaches with sun decks and swim spots, pine forests and walking trails and open-air communal spaces
There are even cinematic touches built into the resort itself, such as outdoor cinemas and stargazing areas – elements that give the show its almost dreamlike feel.
Inside the Virgin Island retreat experience
On screen, the retreat is presented as a structured, two-week programme where participants work through intimacy challenges with therapists and surrogate partners.
While the exact setup is tailored for TV, it’s rooted in real-world wellness and relationship retreats. Obonjan itself is known for hosting workshops and group experiences, which likely made it an ideal base for filming.
During filming, the island effectively becomes a closed set. Participants live on-site, take part in group sessions and have one-on-one work with experts – all within the same contained environment.
That sense of immersion is key. There’s nowhere to escape to, which is exactly the point.
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When was Virgin Island filmed?
The first season was filmed in late 2024, outside of the resort’s main tourist season.
This timing is important. Obonjan is only open to the public during the summer (roughly July to early September), so filming outside those months allows production to take over the island more completely.
It also explains the slightly quieter, more introspective vibe compared to a typical holiday resort.
Season 2: Same location, bigger scale
For season two, the show returns to Croatia, with reports confirming the same island setting. The difference this time? A bigger expert team and a more ambitious approach to the retreat experience.
But visually, expect more of what made the first season so striking: endless blue sea, sun-bleached decks and that slightly surreal feeling of watching deeply personal moments unfold in paradise.
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So could you recreate the Virgin Island experience?
Technically, yes. You can book a stay at Obonjan and sleep in the same lodges, swim in the same water and watch the same sunsets.
But the experience itself? That’s something else entirely.
Because while the island is real, the journey Virgin Island captures is carefully structured, guided and, at times, deeply challenging.
The setting might look like a holiday. But what happens there during the filming of the Channel 4 show is anything but.
Read more: Meet the new virgins signed up to appear on Virgin Island season 2
