Where was Virgin River filmed? Season 5 filming locations of Netflix romantic drama - including Vancouver

Netflix romantic drama series Virgin River is centred on a nurse who trades in her busy life in Los Angeles for something quieter in the idyllic town of the show’s title.

Mel Monroe, played by Alexandra Breckenridge, is recently widowed and hopes that by leaving L.A. behind she will also be able to escape her past.

Mel soon learns that a fresh start is not always so easy to acheive, and while the town of Virgin River is beautiful, she fears she may never truly belong in a place where everyone knows everybody’s business.

Season five will land on Netflix this month and stars Alexandra Breckenridge in the lead role as Mel. Tim Matheson, Annette O’Toole, and Lexa Doig also star in the new season

Is Virgin River a real place?

Unfortunately for fans of the show who may have been planning a romantic getaway to the scenic town where the show is set, Virgin River is not a real location.

The show is set in the fictional Virgin River, a small town supposedly located in northern California.

There is no such place in California, although there does happen to be a body of water called Virgin River in the US - it is a tributary of the Colorado River which crosses states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona - although this is in no way related to the show.

When asked what her inspiration for the town was, Robyn Carr, who wrote the novels that Virgin River is based on, said: “It only exists in our hearts and minds.

“But to further that thought, we can have that sense of community in our own neighbourhood or school or church group or community centre or library association. All we have to do is try to create it."

Where is Virgin River filmed?

Filming for season five of the show took place in Summer 2022, and like previous seasons, it was shot entirely in Canada.

Most scenes were shot in Vancouver and elsewhere in British Columbia. Filming locations include Burnaby, Squamish, and Port Coquitlam.

Most of the external establishing shots of the town were filmed in Snug Cove, a gorgeous coastal community on the east of Bowen Island, British Columbia.

Snug Cove has a population of fewer than 4,000 people and acts as the stand-in for Virgin River in the series - the local library and main streets feature several times in the show.

Scenes set at Jack’s Bar, a popular hang out and meeting spot for many characters in the show, are filmed at Watershed Grill in Brackendale.

The caretaker’s cabin at Murdo Frazer Park stands in for Mel’s cabin in the show.

You may recognise the cabin from several shows, as it also featured in Supernatural, The Flash, Once Upon a Time, Psych, The Magicians, and Stargate SG-1.

Doctor Mulligan’s practice is filmed at 122 First Street in New Westminster, British Columbia. The Victorian property is currently on sale for $2.3 million.

Paige’s Bakeaway truck, where Lizzie works after Paige flees the town, is shot in Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park, near Vancouver.

Vancouver is a popular spot for filming, with many well known TV shows and movies shot wholly or in part in the city.

Other productions filmed in Vancouver include Supernatural, The Flash, Criminal Minds, House, Lucifer, The Vampire Diaries, The X Files, Yellowjackets, and Peacemaker.

Recent films with scenes shot in the city include Thor: Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

When is the Virgin River season 5 release date?

Season five of Virgin River will be released on Netflix on September 7. Seasons 1-4 of Virgin River are available to watch on Netflix now.