It’s hard to top the beauty of British Columbia, Canada, where Virgin River films — but the sunny skies and crystal blue waters of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the much-debated honeymoon destination for Virgin River newlyweds Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), give the Pacific Northwest mountain vistas a run for their money.

Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith tells Tudum that immediately after Season 7 production wrapped in Vancouver, a small group of cast and crew flew to Tulum to film the Sheridans on their honeymoon in Episode 8, “La Luna De Miel.” “We took a handful of our crew members and worked with a locally based crew, and shot there for a couple days,” he says. “It was just so exciting to see these two characters in a different form of nature. We really got to lean into the Yucatán Peninsula.”

When Tudum spoke with star Breckenridge at the season finale Founder’s Day celebration, production in Vancouver was days away from wrapping, and only a small group of the crew was staying on to travel to Mexico. “What I’m looking forward to the most is just having Mel and Jack be Mel and Jack without all of the other day-to-day problems that they have — which are, by the way, a cacophony of issues,” the actor joked. “I know we call this a comfort show, but my goodness!”

But between building a new house, getting a farm operational, running both a busy rural medical practice and a bar, and potentially adopting a child, Mel and Jack still found time to celebrate their love — as you can see in these exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot in Mexico. The trip was also a way for the close-knit crew to bond in a slightly sunnier location than the (occasionally rainy) Vancouver.

“We had a lot of learning curves in terms of the logistics of shooting in Mexico,” Smith says. That’s why one of the tourists at the resort where Mel and Jack stay might look familiar to eagle-eyed Virgin River fans: it’s executive producer Richard Keith, who wrote the episode with fellow EP and writing partner Erin Cardillo.

“It was a really special trip,” says Smith. “It sounds so cliché, but it’s sincerely like a little family. Taking everybody that we did to Mexico — department heads, the cast, producers — it was a huge bonding experience, even getting to know people that you’ve worked with for years. It was a treat behind the camera, as well as everything we were able to get in front of it.”

Virgin River Season 7 is now streaming. Stay tuned to Tudum for more information about Season 8, which has already been confirmed.