From his collection of Aston Martins to his penchant for Rolex’s, James Bond’s endearing appeal goes beyond his title as 007. With the perfect balance of poise and callous, Bond possesses irresistible suave, making him a perennial spy-hero. The protagonist of 12 novels and a movie franchise, #JamesBond was created by Ian Fleming in 1953. While the novels were inspired by Fleming’s life as naval intelligence officer, the iconic James Bond only came to life when Fleming arrived in Jamaica.

In 1942, Fleming discovered Jamaica during a WWII mission called GoldenEye. Energised by the warm breeze and fascinated by the people, his desire to escape grim postwar Britain led him to return to the island in 1946. He purchased property and named it after the mission that first brought him there. Perched on a private beach and equipped with nothing but a typewriter, the GoldenEye estate became the birthplace of Bond. The Caribbean island would also serve as key filming locations for the movie such as Sean Connery's ‘Dr. No’.

(Photo from goldeneye.com) 

Inspired by his life experiences, he set out to write a spy novel that combined the action of his days in espionage and the leisure of his life in Jamaica. Writing close to 2000 words a day at GoldenEye, his surroundings wove the details that formed the world of James Bond. Fleming spent his days birdwatching, sunbathing, and drinking, so much so that the name James Bond was appropriated from a bird guide “The Birds of the West Indies” – authored by a man named James Bond. He also coined the names of the distinctive and controversial heroines or “Bond girls”, from his daily routine. The first ever Bond girl, Vesper Lynd, was named after a rum cocktail Fleming was served in Jamaica, a Vesper. In subsequent novels, two Bond girls Solitaire and Domino were named after rare Jamaican birds which Fleming studied.

Intended as an escapist diversion from postwar peril, Fleming’s novels captured enchanting glimpses of Jamaica that marketed the island’s beauty and GoldenEye. Still a historically rich site, the property has welcomed the likes of Princess Margaret, Kate Moss, and Jay Z.