Filming began in Charleston, South Carolina, for the Outer Banks television series.
Principal photography for the first season began on May 1, 2019, in and around Charleston. The city became one of the show’s most important real-world production bases, even though the story is set primarily in the fictional Kildare County area of North Carolina.
Production used several Charleston-area locations, including James Island, Johns Island, Kiawah Island, Morris Island Lighthouse, and Hunting Island Lighthouse. These locations helped create the coastal setting associated with the Pogues’ adventures.
Charleston is sometimes confused with Wilmington, North Carolina. The series later filmed in the greater Wilmington area for the first time during Season 4, but Charleston was the city where the original production began. Season 5 also used international locations, including Dubrovnik, Croatia, while retaining the production’s connection to the Carolina coast.