THE BAHAMAS – New Providence, Love Beach // Thunderball (1965)

When James Bond came to the Bahamas, he naturally spent half the movie at the beach. A love scene was filmed both at suitable named “Love Beach” and “Southern Ocean Beach”. While the first is easy to enter, for the second you need to break some rules.

Why Bond was here
Well, first it’s the Bahamas. Second it’s a beach. And third there’s a Bond girl!

Bond and Domino have a lil’ privacy

How you gonna get there
Okay, to be fair, 007 (Sean Connery) has also work to do. He investigates the hijacking of a bomber, equipped with nuclear warheads. On Bahamian island New Providence he gets to know Domino (Claudine Auger), the sister of French NATO pilot Derval – who was assassinated right before the bomber went missing. Bond meets Domino twice for a beach date – and two different shores stand in for the rendezvous.
First, they come ashore Love Beach, a well-known public shore in the northwest of New Providence, after a little snorkel trip. Later in the movie, both have an underwater amour fou at the islands South Ocean Beach. Back at land, Bond tells Domino about her dead brother – and pin-harpoons an unwanted listener to a palm tree.
Love Beach is easy to reach. Just take the jitney number 10 running from downtown Nassau along Bay Street. Get off, after you pass the colorful huts from Compass Point Beach Resort – note that another Bond (Daniel Craig) will drive past them in later movie Casino Royale.
The real challenge – but also the real place to bring your Bond girl – now is Southern Ocean Beach. The mangrove-lined shore in the southwest of New Providence is not for public. When you are up to do some James Bond dives, then you might want to do them at Stuart Cove’s Dive Center. So their free transport service is a good option to come to this area. Otherwise, you need to invest in a taxi ride or rent a scooter.

Good to know
Right at Stuart Cove’s you won’t be able to enter Southern Ocean Beach. However, the real thing is just 200 meters east of the diving center. There are the ruins of a former beach club, now sealed and closed and forbidden. If you dare to enter, you will pass by weather-beaten club houses and an algal overgrown pool. Then, some steps down a broken terrace, the beach – for your eyes only – awaits you.

Relaxing at the white beach with the crystal water was exactly the right thing after two thrilling shark dives in the morning. But be careful not to enter the beach of the nearby Albany House – another James Bond spot from Casino Royale – which is not open to public. You might take a sneak-peak, but their adjoining beach is well secured.

© 2015 Huntingbond (1,3), © 1965 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. (2)