Gibraltar

For our journey in Andalusian land in 2019, we planned two days dedicated to James Bond : the first to Cadiz, the second on the Rock of Gibraltar. It was a little short to capture all the plans of the pregeneric The Living Daylights. This was probably the last trip undertaken with insufficient preparation: the information I had was not all accurate and moving there was revealed... let's say, tiring. I had to take care of my wife so I wouldn't ruin the trip! So many things are missing from my report — poorly identified places or visits too fast — Other Bond Hunters have since been much better documented.

The first stage is still in Spain, The Línea de la Concepción. From the beach you can easily capture the superb opening plan of the film. Between us and the Rock: Airport and border leading to this small piece of United Kingdom.
To reach the top of the Rock, we chose the cable car : the ascent is especially steep... and expensive Hey! Once arrived, the panorama is splendid. In the direction of Spain, we see the military base that agents 00 try to infiltrate. Still active, of course, it is still banned from the public.

It is on this sommital zone that Bond puts his parachute away, on the former round concrete platform located just under the current cable car observation platform, now occupied by the Top Rock Café. Other plans, including those for the arrival of 004 and its fall, were also shot here. These sites have recently been identified by Thomas Gleitsman. The panoramic view from the terrace and a passage through the shop are essential.

A few hundred meters from the top, we reach a second location. On St Michael Road was filmed the short sequence where 002 landed in a tree before being shot down by a base soldier. The infiltration scene of the three agents 00 was shot in Gibraltar on 15 September 1986 ; for the jump, it is the veteran BJ Worth Which doubled Bond.
In 2019, the tree had disappeared and the barrier had just been replaced, but those who had visited the place before could still see that of the film. Despite this, the place remains one of the most immersive of all my visits. It is also on this path, but a little below, that several scenes were shot with the Land Rover.

A hundred meters further south is the place where the Land Rover loses its box of ammunition, which explodes. The plan is turned to the top of the Charles V Wall, fortification of the sixteenth century supported against the wall of the Rock.
Just above, a feeding station is intended to limit negative interactions between visitors and visitors. Macauques de Barbarie, only wild primates in Europe — charming but sometimes opportunistic! Better avoid having food in her pockets.

The Douglas Path is the emblematic promenade of Gibraltar, offering spectacular views of the bay, rock and strait. Today we find Skywalk Gibraltar, inaugurated in 2019 by Mark "Skywalker" Hamill : a glass floor suspended at 340 meters altitude. From this observatory, some angles recall the plans of opening the film or the fall of 004 on the wavy canvas. Watersheds Sandy Bay, visible at the time, have since been dismantled and the slope restored.
A little higher are the areas where Bond runs, as well as those where the false agent of the SMERSH removes a guard and cuts the rope from 004 — So many plans recently identified thanks to Thomas' work.

Below, we reach the place where Bond barely escapes beheading on the roof of the Range Rover. The scene was shot on the Charles V Wall Road, under one of the passages of the wall. Built in the 16th century, it strengthened the natural defences offered by the cliffs. Today, it offers a striking view of the Strait of Gibraltar. The slope is formidable: better to go down than climb!

To reach the nail of the visit, simply follow the Charles V Wall Road for several hundred meters. Several plans, including those where Bond is on the roof of the Land Rover, have been shot. Again, I lacked sufficient information to immortalize everything.
At the intersection with Signal Road, a very nice prosecution plan deserves to be attarded. After about 15 minutes walking, still on Signal Road, we reach The entrance to the military base.

This base combines air, naval and land installations provided by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. Thanks to its strategic position, it continues to be an essential part of the regularly modernized British maritime defence and intelligence.
On that day, artisans borrowed Rock Gun Road to carry out work. One of them had left the lock unlocked: I tried my luck and advanced about thirty meters, just time to capture one or two photos. Many other plans were shot higher inside the base, but I had no intention of risking it.
The iconic scenes where Bond jumps on the Land Rover were obviously filmed here. Since the area is not very frequented, we enjoyed this moment in peace — One of my best memories of Bond Rental.

Back down to Old Queens Road, near Prince Ferdinand, we find plans where the Land RoverFinish his race. The place has become a major tourist spot thanks to the macaques — the same ones we see in the film. This is not where the Land Rover was thrown into the sea, but it is here that the foreground of the jump, the one where the vehicle is heading towards a wall, was filmed.

I looked at the exact place of the « Theft » and, despite the work, I ended up finding a convincing spot. Street View confirmed when I returned that the scene had been shot over the pool of Buena Vista Barracks Road, today transformed into a luxury residence, totally unrecognizable. The place is also visible below from Keightley Way Road.

The real sea projection of the Land Rover was shot in England, close to Covers, from the limestone cliffs of Beachy Head.

It should also be noted that of Gibraltar, East of the Rock, was filmed one of the first shots of You Only Live Twice: the James Bond Sea Funeral ... before his resurrection.

At the end of this day, and after a ride all around the Rock (which does not take long), we returned to Marbella, the spirit still resonating from the partition of John Barry... After seven years, and given the many discoveries made since, I dream of going back. Maybe with a diptych. Gibraltar / Tangier ?

Sources

• The making Of The Living Daylights – Charles Helfenstein

• Googlemaps
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/onthetracksof007

This blog shares my travel experiences, from unavoidable destinations to the most original and exclusive places. Each article is the result of careful work and a real time investment. If you use this information elsewhere or for your own adventures, consider citing your sources and thanking – that's what I do myself, and it's always fun.
Julien Abauzit (JaBoz)