The popular series Camping Paradis (TFI) is back on your screens once again, bringing you to discover the locations where the series led by Laurent Ournac was filmed. The Camping Paradis series, with Laurent Ournac as the main actor, who lives with his family in the south, has been one of the most powerful brands of the TF1 television channel since 2006. The series was filmed in several locations, including one outside of France. Why was an episode of the famous series filmed outside of France? Let’s explore the filming locations and the reasons behind filming an episode outside of France.
**Camping Paradis, a cult series on TF1**
**History of the series**
The Camping Paradis series was created by Michel Alexandre and has been airing since November 21, 2006, on the French television channel TF1. It is also broadcast in Switzerland and Belgium on RTS Un and RTL-TV1. The main roles are played by Laurent Ournac as the owner and director of the campsite, Tom Delorme, for 15 years. Patrick Guérineau plays the bartender responsible for sports, Thierry Heckendorn as the manager, Patrick Paroux as the loyal camper, Candiie as the receptionist, and Juliette Chêne as the nurse.
**Development of the series**
Initially called Les Flots Bleus, Vincent Lagaf was considered for the main role, and then Jean-Marie Bigard was proposed before Laurent Ournac finally landed the role. The script of the series was rewritten to adapt to the actor. The series’ characters and typology are very similar to the German series Die Camper and are somewhat inspired by the American series The Love Boat in terms of the storyline.
**Audiences of the series**
Despite over 17 years of existence, the series still garners high ratings on our screens, averaging 4.5 million viewers. The first season, broadcast over five years, averaged 7.50 million viewers, making it the most-watched season of the series. A decrease of 530,000 viewers was recorded in the second season, followed by a decrease in the third season, attracting 6.05 million viewers. In the fourth season, there was an increase of 130,000 viewers, reaching 6.18 million. There have been fluctuations in viewership between the fifth and sixth seasons.
**Discover the filming locations of the series with Laurent Ournac**
**What are the filming locations?**
The Camping Paradis series is filmed in a real campsite in Martigues in the Bouches-du-Rhône region at Camping de l’Arquet, a 4-star establishment located by the sea on the Côte Bleue, which is very accessible. However, the very first episode of the series was filmed at Camping Les Coteaux de la Marine in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, with beach scenes shot at La Saulce beach.
**Why was one of the episodes filmed outside of France?**
According to Voici magazine, during the fifteenth season, one of the episodes was filmed outside of France in Morocco, at Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech in the souks. The filming, according to the actor, was challenging due to the busy nature of Jemaa el-Fna square with crowds and tourists 24/7. This episode in Morocco tells the story of Rayane, a young Franco-Moroccan teenager who visits his grandparents and explores the land of his ancestors. He hopes that viewers will enjoy this unique episode and discover the enchanting locations of Morocco.
**Can you book your holidays at the real campsite?**
The campsite used as a backdrop for the series is a real campsite where you can make reservations for a family or friends stay. For die-hard fans of the series who wish to meet the teams of Laurent Ournac, they should book during the low season when the entire series crew is on set. The lighting is more beautiful in winter when the sun is lower, but the temperature can drop to 3-4°C.