With the release of Spectre (2015), now’s as good a time as any to spill the beans on some of 007’s favourite Caribbean haunts. Let’s find out which Islands, beaches and resorts have a licence to thrill…

The connection between Bond and the Caribbean goes back a long way. Even the name of Ian Fleming’s hero is related to the region: he took it from the writer of a book on bird-watching: The Birds of Jamaica written by James Bond.

Starting every winter from 1952, Fleming would escape England for three months and stay at his home – called Goldeneye – on the northern shore of tropical Jamaica. There he would dream up the best-selling stories on which the super-successful film franchise has been based.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the Bond books and subsequent films have put a number of exotic destinations and now-famous resorts on the global tourist map.

The first Bond outing, Dr No (1962), was filmed on Fleming’s beloved Island. With Sean Connery in the lead role, the landmark movie made full use of the Island’s jaw-dropping locations, tropical atmosphere and colourful characters.

Bond’s right-hand man is a character called Quarrel from the Cayman Islands, and the former Sans Souci hotel, now part of the Couples San Souci resort, appeared in the film as well, as did the Morgan Harbour Hotel in Port Royal.

The film features Ursula Andress’ iconic scene where she emerges slowly from the water singing Underneath the Mango Tree in a white bikini with diving knife. It was filmed at Laughing Waters Beach in Ocho Rios and at Dunn’s River Falls, with other well-known scenes taking place in the Blue Mountains and Montego Bay.

Three years later in Thunderball (1965), we find Connery once again as Bond flying to the Bahamas following the trail of two stolen atom bombs. Easily recognisable locations and scenes include the British Colonial Hotel – which also featured in the unofficial remake Never Say Never Again – and a Mardi Gras-style junkanoo parade on Nassau’s Bay Street.

Many of Thunderball’s action sequences take place underwater. Remember the scuba-diving skirmish between Bond and a legion of evil (aren’t they always?) henchmen armed with spear guns? The encounter was filmed near Staniel Cay. Sean Connery was so taken by the Bahamas that he bought a home on Lyford Cay.

Next was Live and Let Die (1973), Roger Moore’s first foray into the franchise. The storyline involved 007 tracking down Dr Kananga, aka industrial-scale drug smuggler Mr Big, masquerading as the dictator of fictional San Monique.

With Jamaica doubling for San Monique, the Green Grotto caves in Runaway Bay were used as the setting for Mr Big’s lair, whilst a bungalow at the Half Moon Bay Club also appears in the film as Bond’s hotel room.

The famous crocodile scene was shot at Jamaica Safari Village (now known as Swaby’s Swamp Safari) in Falmouth.

Goldeneye (1995) was the 17th film in the series and finds Pierce Brosnan taking over the role. Bond undertakes a mission which winds up at a secret satellite facility in Cuba. The huge Arecibo Obervatory in Puerto Rico was actually used to film the scenes. It’s the location where rogue agent 006 memorably meets his fate.

Daniel Craig picks up the Walther PPK and licence to kill in the blockbusting franchise reboot Casino Royale (2006). New Providence Island, where Nassau is located, and Paradise Island both feature prominently.

In the film, Albany House doubles as the beach villa owned by one of the villains and the Buena Vista Hotel & Restaurant stands in for the Madagascar Embassy.

Key scenes were also based in the enormous Atlantis resort and the nearby One & Only Ocean Club, both on Paradise Island. Other scenes were located at Coral Harbor and Nassau International Airport.

Given the intrinsic glamour of the Bond films and the exotic appeal of what the region has to offer, it’s a safe bet that ‘James Bond will return’ once again on assignment to the Caribbean.

If I knew where and when, I’d tell you…

But then I’d have to kill you.

PS: If you’re interested in this subject, I strongly recommend Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born – Ian Fleming’s Jamaica by Matthew Parker

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