4.7.9 In The Footsteps of 007
This is a half day out for dry and not too windy days.
Back in 1968, the then owners of the Bond franchise faced two problems: their lead actor, Sean Connery, had decided not to participate in the next instalment in that franchise, and once the decision had been made to use Ian Fleming’s novel On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the basis of that next film, location scouts were having difficulty finding suitable spots for shooting.
But the most dramatic view of New Bond happened at Praia do Guincho, west of Cascais. 007 drives his Aston Martin DBS down to the beach, then runs into the sea to rescue a mystery woman who was walking into the freezing cold Atlantic waters to, apparently, end it all. A reminder of that opening scene HERE.
You can get to Praia do Guincho by taxi or TVDE, or, as many younger visitors do, hire a bicycle. Or use the regular local bus services: these depart from outside the rail station.
Fastest is the M43, but although this departs at the same minutes past the hour throughout the day, it does not run every hour. The stop is by the roundabout. Otherwise get an M05 or M15, which do run every hour (on weekdays), from a stop between that roundabout and the T-junction with the main road. An M05 or M15 may arrive as an M04; check the destination and route number before boarding. These buses are run by MobiCascais, and a day ticket costs around €2 per person. Timekeeping on the M05 and M15 can be variable, because of the choking traffic in Cascais.
M05 timetable HERE
M15 timetable HERE
M43 timetable HERE.
The stop is Praia do Guincho, where there is a facility for leaving bicycles. There is a boardwalk covering half the distance to the beach; much of the rest, if the weather has been dry, is soft sand into which your feet will sink, making progress tricky.
Arriving at the beach, you are reminded that much of the dunes is out of bounds, due to conservation work. That includes the part where the Aston was driven down back in April 1969, when the scene was filmed. The area used for filming is over to your left as you look towards the sea.
Other easily accessible locations used for filming are Hotel Palacio Estoril (location HERE), a short walk from the station, Jardim do Palacio Marquesas da Fronteira (reviewed in Green Spaces - HERE), and the Jeweller where Bond buys the ring (Joalharia Ferreira Marques) is still there, on the south side of the Rossio (HERE), but you can’t park outside nowadays.
The Bridge, then called Ponte Salazar, featured in two scenes. It has since been not just renamed, but rebuilt, today having three lanes for traffic each way instead of the original two.
Locations on the south side of the river are not easy to access, for a variety of reasons. The website ReelStreets has more information.
And remember - This Never Happened To The Other Fella.
Back in 1968, the then owners of the Bond franchise faced two problems: their lead actor, Sean Connery, had decided not to participate in the next instalment in that franchise, and once the decision had been made to use Ian Fleming’s novel On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the basis of that next film, location scouts were having difficulty finding suitable spots for shooting.
The beach ...
As we now know, Connery was replaced - for one film only - by former male model George Lazenby, and the Channel coast of France was replaced by the Lisbon Coast. So cinema-goers’ first view of the new 007 happened around Cascais, Estoril, The Bridge now called Ponte 25 de Abril, and other Lisbon area locations.
But the most dramatic view of New Bond happened at Praia do Guincho, west of Cascais. 007 drives his Aston Martin DBS down to the beach, then runs into the sea to rescue a mystery woman who was walking into the freezing cold Atlantic waters to, apparently, end it all. A reminder of that opening scene HERE.
You can get to Praia do Guincho by taxi or TVDE, or, as many younger visitors do, hire a bicycle. Or use the regular local bus services: these depart from outside the rail station.
Fastest is the M43, but although this departs at the same minutes past the hour throughout the day, it does not run every hour. The stop is by the roundabout. Otherwise get an M05 or M15, which do run every hour (on weekdays), from a stop between that roundabout and the T-junction with the main road. An M05 or M15 may arrive as an M04; check the destination and route number before boarding. These buses are run by MobiCascais, and a day ticket costs around €2 per person. Timekeeping on the M05 and M15 can be variable, because of the choking traffic in Cascais.
M05 timetable HERE
M15 timetable HERE
M43 timetable HERE.
The stop is Praia do Guincho, where there is a facility for leaving bicycles. There is a boardwalk covering half the distance to the beach; much of the rest, if the weather has been dry, is soft sand into which your feet will sink, making progress tricky.
... and the boardwalk
Other easily accessible locations used for filming are Hotel Palacio Estoril (location HERE), a short walk from the station, Jardim do Palacio Marquesas da Fronteira (reviewed in Green Spaces - HERE), and the Jeweller where Bond buys the ring (Joalharia Ferreira Marques) is still there, on the south side of the Rossio (HERE), but you can’t park outside nowadays.
The Bridge, then called Ponte Salazar, featured in two scenes. It has since been not just renamed, but rebuilt, today having three lanes for traffic each way instead of the original two.
Locations on the south side of the river are not easy to access, for a variety of reasons. The website ReelStreets has more information.
And remember - This Never Happened To The Other Fella.
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