SPAIN – Castillo de San Sebastián, Balneario de las Palmas & La Caleta, Cadiz // Die Another Day (2002)
Cadiz is a gem, combining Spanish history and beach life. One part also offers Bond fame: La Caleta, where Jinx emerged from the waters!
Why Bond was here
James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) travels to Cuba to investigate Isla de Los Organos, a private island with shady visitors. On the island, the Alvarez Clinic offers fictitious DNA replacement therapies – apparently something, villains long for. Bond covers as an ornithologist and has his binoculars ready. From the beach he has a perfect view towards the island some hundred meters ahead. And towards CIA agent Jinx (Halle Berry) emerging from a dive.
How you gonna get there
The whole beach scene wasn’t filmed in Cuba, but at the city beach from Spanish coastal town Cadiz. La Caleta, as the beach is called, is at the western tip of Cadiz, facing the Atlantic. You can easily reach it from the city center by foot. Have the morning sun in your back or face towards the sunset – depending on the time, you want to head for the beach. Cadiz own boardwalk, Avenida Campo de Sur, also leads towards Playa de la Caleta. Lazy? Then take Buses No. 2 or No. 7 from the city center towards “Hospital Mora”.
Good to know
La Caleta is a perfect spot to inhale a whole Bond scene. The beach runs between the castles of Santa Catalina and San Sebastián, the latter serving as the Alvarez Clinic in “Die Another Day”. The castle is actually not on a real island, but linked to the coast via a jetty. Sadly, it is closed and has been for a long time. Thus you won’t be able to visit the interiors of the castle. Or clinic, as you please.
What can be visited besides the beach is the Balneario de las Palmas, though. In the movie it served as “El Grand Palacio Hotel”, Bonds stay for the night. In reality it was once a public bathhouse and now is part of the university. The Balneario is towering above the beach on stockades. You can rest in the shade unterneath during a hot beach day. Don’t expect to find a Mojito bar though – the terrace, Bond watches Jinx from, had just been built for filming.
When you go bird-watching at Playa la Caleta in Cadiz…
We were here during early April. The weather was just fine to lie down on the beach and enjoy the sun. Even the water was already warm enough to take a little swim. But if you want to be on the safe side, maybe come back in June. Back in 2002 the crew filmed here during April as well – during ice-cold weather conditions. Halle Berry was freezing during the diving scenes. She took hot water bottles to the sea to warm her up between the takes.
From all Andalucian towns we adored Cadiz the most. The sun bathes the old town houses in warm lights, a fresh sea wind brings the city to life. The beach is empty in the early morning hours, so come here for a quiet dawn moment. Then it gets crowded with locals till sunset. This one is definitly a city to visit more than once!
© 2023 Huntingbond (1,3,4,5), © 2002 Danjaq LLC. & Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2)