With James Bond Destinations, luxury lifestyle publisher Assouline takes a look at the various places, real and fictional, that spy 007 visited in the course of his thrilling cinematic adventures. For many, it’s an opportunity to conjure up youthful memories and a desire to go somewhere else, for which the secret agent in Her Majesty’s service has been more influential than he appears.
When one thinks of James Bond, a number of associations spontaneously spring to mind: Bollinger champagne, Aston Martin sedan, Walther PPK-9 pistol, not to mention a host of other beautiful girls and gadgets.
But the British secret agent is also arguably the world’s most well-stocked passport. In 50 years and 25 on-screen adventures, James Bond has visited no fewer than 111 locations in 50 countries around the globe!
Alongside the hero, the girl and the villain, there’s a fourth protagonist, less discreet than it might seem: the dream destination.
The spy who came from… Jamaica
The fictional character created by Ian Fleming was predestined for long-distance travel. In fact, he was named after an ornithologist whose work Fleming had in the library of his Jamaican home.
Ian Fleming discovered this little corner of paradise on an intelligence mission in the midst of the Second World War. Following in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway, who owned Finca de la Vigia in Cuba, Fleming acquired the residence in 1946.
The colonial-style building in Oracabessa gave its name to the franchise’s first rebirth in 1995, starring Pierce Brosnan after a six-year hiatus: GoldenEye.
The writer spent every winter until his death in 1964 on this former sugarcane plantation estate.
It was here, in the crystal-clear seas of the Caribbean, that the British spy was born under his pen. A literary saga that began in 1953 with the publication of Casino Royale.
Unsurprisingly, the first adventure to be brought to the screen in 1962, James Bond vs. Dr. No, took Agent 007 to the beaches of Jamaica, where he met Honey Rider, a shellfish hunter played by Ursula Andress.
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Featured Photo: © Assouline
