Bond on holiday - Cascais and Estoril

In the pre-title sequence of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969, Bond is on holiday and, much to M's displeasure, is nowhere to be found. In the first scene M asks Moneypenny if she has checked with communications to which she says that the replies from their Cairo, Madrid and Amsterdam inquiries are all negative. No one has been able to locate 007. Bond, apparently working on a case known as "Operation Bedlam", has been trying to track down Blofeld for over a year and M is less than impressed.

In the following scene, Bond is seen driving his Aston Martin down the roads of a coastal town, supposedly located somewhere on the French Riviera with palm trees and beach visible in the background. However, this scene was filmed in the fashionable town of Cascais in Portugal.

 The road Parada da Artilharia Anti Aerea intersects with Avenida Dom Carlos I

This location can be found in the central part of Cascais along the beach road Avenida Dom Carlos I. Bond is first seen driving out from the small road Parada da Artilharia Anti Aerea, next to which is a parking lot. Bond then continues down Avenida Dom Carlos I along the sea. In the next scene Bond is found on the coastal roads outside of Cascais and Estoril, where he encounters Tracy for the first time.

This curve where Bond is driving down is still very recognizable with the parking lot to the right, and the distinct palm trees. However, the yellow house seen in the film has been replaced with a newer building.

This is the only scene that was filmed in Cascais. The rest of the action around the coast was set on the roads close to the Guincho beach further northwest of the town and in the other famous coastal town called Estoril, where Bond checks in to the famous Hotel Palacio later in the film.

Cascais is a coastal town and a municipality approximately 30 kilometres west of Lisbon. It is one of the richest municipalities in Portugal which gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal family in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The former fishing village is still a popular vacation spot, especially for golfers, although the former glory of the Portuguese Riviera has faded slightly since the middle of the 20th century and the time for Bond's visit.

"What we want is a location fix on 007. Number 10 is making ugly noises about operation Bedlam".
                                                      - M to Q -