It's always a tropical paradise on the set of Fantasy Island!
PEOPLE sat down with the cast of the hit Fox series to discuss season 2, which premieres on Monday, Jan. 2, and got an exclusive set tour from Elena Roarke herself, played by Roselyn Sánchez.
Set on the stunning island of Puerto Rico, the modern drama follows Elena as she helps the wildest fantasy wishes of hotel guests come true — though their requests don't always unfold as expected.
The series premiered in August 2021 and is a reboot of the original Fantasy Island that ran from 1977 to 1984.
In the exclusive video above, camera crews and equipment fill the serene white-sand beaches as Sánchez, who grew up in Puerto Rico, shows PEOPLE around.
"You know how lucky we are? We get to come to work every single day, and to be able to work at the beach," she tells PEOPLE. "Ninety percent of this TV show is outdoors and it's paradise. It's beautiful weather. It's just absolutely stunning. It's like a dream come true."
She then heads over to the giant wooden door that greets guests who have just arrived on the island. "That's the magic door," she says. "So when guests come into the island, before they start their fantasy, they go through this tunnel and their life changes forever."
Sánchez leads PEOPLE into Elena's office, which features an indoor/outdoor living feel with wooden, bohemian accents. She adds that the office is not equipped with air conditioning, so she is often sweating during scenes, though viewers usually can't tell.
"So a typical scene inside Roarke's office usually is the meet and greet. The guest comes, and then I ask questions," she says. "Then Roarke starts working on how to make that happen, how to teach them a lesson and make them leave the island as better human beings."
On being able to film the show on the island, she tells PEOPLE, "I'm home. I'm in Puerto Rico. There's a lot of Puerto Ricans getting employed. It's helping the film industry in the country, and I get to be close to my family."
PEOPLE also got an inside look at the trailer that houses Javier (John Rodriquez), who Sánchez says causes her character a lot of "trouble in paradise" throughout season 2.
"Filming in there is tight quarters," Rodriquez says as the camera pans over the silver Airstream trailer. "It gets a little hot on the island, especially in there, but it's really, really cool. I love this place."
Fantasy Island returns to Fox on Monday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
