The islands are the setting for the stars of the James Bond series movies, whether they’re paradises or dark places, and the new installment “No Time to Die” is no exception
The most famous international spy has taken us in his films around the world, from city to city, from London to Istanbul, and from one natural setting to another, passing through the snows of the Alps, the Sahara desert or the Shinmoedake volcano in Japan . But without a doubt, the stars among James Bond film locations are the islands.
Of course, the 25th edition of James Bond, “No Time to Die,” which premiered on Oct. 1, has its fair share of islands. It will be the last film starring actor Daniel Craig, who has played the spy for the past five editions.
Agent 007’s first film was “Doctor No”, starring Sean Connery, released in 1962. The final climax takes place on Crab Key (Crab Key), an island where Doctor No’s lair is located. The island is fictional. But it’s been made from different real places in Jamaica, an essential part of the James Bond universe.
An elegant British agent with a “license to kill” strolling along a tropical beach may have looked incongruous when the film appeared. However, it must be remembered that Ian Fleming, the author of the 14 James Bond books, was a retired British intelligence agent and had a home in Jamaica. He often included the islands in his books, which inevitably turned into film adaptations as well.
Here are some of the James Bond Islands fans should visit one day:
Port Antonio, Jamaica
Pellew Island, Port Antonio, Jamaica
In the latest installment of the series, for the first time since “Live and Let Die” in 1973, James Bond returns to Jamaica, where he retired to leave his dangerous life behind, though the tranquility won’t last long. The setting for “Live and Let Die”, interpreted by Roger Moore, was San Monique, a veritable place where today a luxury hotel is located. Nearby, in the caves of the Green Grotto, Roger Moore’s Bond has eliminated the evil Doctor Kananga, and you can also visit the crocodile farm that are also the protagonists of this issue.
Khao Phing Kan (James Bond Island) Thailand
Khao Phing Kan (James Bond Island) Thailand
Prior to 1974, the island of Khao Phing Kan was a rarely visited indigenous area. The island is located near Phuket on the west coast of Thailand. However, that year it was chosen as one of the locations for the James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun” with Roger Moore, again as the hideout for the story’s villain, Francisco Scaramanga.
Towering across the island are the limestone karst towers that are part of Ao Phang Nga National Park. The most famous is called Ko Ta Pu, which rises 20 meters above the sea. After the movie premiered, and to this day, millions of tourists traveled on pilgrimage to visit this rocky tower. Since 1998, tourist boats have been prohibited from approaching Ko Ta Pu to prevent the erosion of limestone rocks in and around the islet, which could eventually cause the island’s collapse.
Corfu, Greece
Corfu Island, Greece
The Greek island of Corfu is not just the childhood home of biologist Gerald Durrell, author of “My Family and Other Animals.” He was also featured in the 1981 film “For Your Eyes Only”, again with Roger Moore. In the film, you can see everything from the port of Corfu to the luxurious Achilleion casino. Fans can head to the small town of Pagoi, where the Spyros Bond 007 café-bar is located, or to Issos beach, where the film’s buggy chase was filmed.
Key West and Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Jason de Caires Underwater Museum in Cancun. Photograph: Karli Drinkwater
In 1989’s “License to Kill” with Timothy Dalton, there are spectacular underwater diving scenes directed by famed Mexican diver and filmmaker Ramón Bravo, which were filmed on Isla Mujeres, eight miles off the coast of Cancun. Divers can take an excursion to Manchones National Park, visit the impressive underwater sculptures by Jason de Caires or, if they want to stay dry, head to Key West to visit the Basilica of Santa María Estrella del Mar, where the wedding takes place in the film.
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo Puerto Rico Observatory. Photograph: Jirka Matousek
Science buffs know Arecibo as the site of the world’s largest radio telescope, unfortunately now out of service due to a landslide. In the 1995 movie Goldeneye, this time with Pierce Brosnan, the Arecibo Observatory became a hidden underwater antenna in Cuba, although it is actually located in the Puerto Rican municipality of the same name. Nearby are the beaches of Los Morillos or Las Tunas, where you can enjoy the natural beauty of the island.
Nassau, Bahamas
The current Four Seasons Ocean Clun in Nassau
When Sean Connery filmed the scenes for “Thunderball” in the Bahamas, he liked the place so much that he bought a house on the island. In 2006, Daniel Craig took over as 007 with “Casino Royale,” and it was only fitting that the franchise return to the Caribbean and pay homage to Connery by filming the poker scenes at his favorite hotel on the island, One & Only Ocean Club .
Kalsoy Island, Faroe Islands
Kallur Lighthouse in Kolsoy, Faroe Islands
In the latest issue, “No Time to Die”, Bond finds his destiny in the Faroe Islands, the autonomous islands of Denmark. The island of Kalsoy, where the climactic scenes are filmed, is known by locals as “the Flute”, for its elongated shape and its numerous tunnels. Almost 150 people live on the island in four small towns. The Lighthouse of Kallur is one of the few recognizable man-made structures on Kalsoy, but for the film it was digitally replaced by a tower that is part of the villain Lyutsifer Safin’s hideout.
Interestingly, Daniel Craig has never been to Kalsoy Island. Although I really wanted to, there are no hotels on the island and there is only one ferry that connects it to the neighboring island of Borðoy. The film crew decided to capture digital images of their terrain and then digitally mix the actors on it.
The island of Kalsoy was already one of the most visited attractions in the Faroe Islands. Starting with this new edition, James Bond fans can add another island to their pilgrimage around the world.
Main photo: Hans Jul Hansen
Quo Science Travel Section sponsored by Hyundai