La Clinica Alvarez - part three

In Die Another Day, Bond infiltrates the Alvarez clinic on the Island of Los Organos in Cuba. Bond finds Zao inside the clinic but he escapes through Dr. Alvarez's office window just before Jinx's telephone bomb explodes and blocks the window for Bond to get after him.

La Clinica Alvarez was constructed at the old fort Castillo de San Sebastián which is located in Cádiz, in the most western part of Spain. "Alvarez's office" is located in the most north western corner of the fortress. This appeared to be an empty part of the fortress during the renovation in 2014.

The window is supposedly located in Dr. Alvarez' office although the interior naturally was shot in studio created by production designer Peter Lamont. In 2014 the fortress was undergoing some kind of large renovation with a few of the buildings closed or not in use. The big cannons located on the wall where jinx later dives into the water had been removed and the entire fortress is hopelessly changed and has been given a brush-up since 2002 and the filming of Die Another Day.

As Zao jumps out the window he lands on the courtyard and runs for the helicopter where, for some reason, his men are waiting. On the rooftops above Dr. Alvarez office, seen in the picture below, is the location where Jinx ultimately dives into the water in order to escape the Cuban guards.

The Castillo de San Sebastian is the least interesting location in the city of Cádiz, where all the Cuban scenes were filmed. Cádiz is however, a wonderful city and definitely a must visit for any Bond aficionado. 

The Gran Palacio beach bar - part 1

In Die Another Day Bond checks into El Grand Palacio Hotel on the fictitious island Los Organos. Bond, posing as an ornithologist, orders a Mojito as he observes Jink and La Clinica Alvarez. Through the bar you see a fort, Castillo de Santa Catalina, in the background. This is however not the same fort that served as La Clinica Alvarez, but both forts are located on either side of this beach and are visible from the bar. The bar was constructed for the film and is sadly, as non-existent as Bond's hotel (which is a maritime centre in reality).

Castillo de Santa Catalina

The bar was built in front of the maritime centre, Centro de Arqueología Subacuática de Andalucía covered earlier, that doubled for Bond's hotel in the film. La Castillo de Santa Catalina is a 16th century fort, situated on the right side of Playa La Caleta, the beach which is the location of Bond's hotel. This beach is located in the heart of Cádiz and packed with people during the weekends. If you want to visit this location in peace, it is a good idea to get there early (before 10 am) or late in the evening.

The dialogue between Bond and Jinx is extremely poor in this scene and sometimes even painful to watch. Halle Berry's acting is perhaps one of the bigger jokes, among quite a few, in this film. She clearly did not earn her Oscar for her portrayal of Jinx... With that said, the Cuban scenes, especially the scenes with Raoul, are among the highlights of the film, and Cádiz is spectacular as a Bond location.

Fast car to Cuba

In Die Another Day Bond drives across half of Cuba from Havana to the fictitious island Los Organos. Bond lends the car from his friend Raoul, a sleeper agent running a cigar factory. Because of the US embargo, fast cars are few in numbers in Cuba. Thus, Bond has to drive a 1957 Ford Fairlane through the Cuban countryside.

The road that Bond is driving on can be found along the coast outside the city of Cádiz in Spain. Naturally, none of the scenes in Cuba were actually shot on location. Instead the filmmakers turned to the south of Spain where the ancient city of Cádiz, together with the surroundings, provided the ideal setting for the film. This road can be found along the Camposoto beach which is located a ten minute drive outside the city of Cádiz.

When leaving the city by car, you drive on Avenida Vía Augusta Julia which connects with the main road, CA-33. After driving for approximately five minutes on CA-33 you will reach a gas station on the right side of the road. Take off here and take the first right in the next roundabout. After driving for less than two kilometers you arrive at the Brosnan road in the southern direction. However, Bond is driving north so drive all the way down and turn at the end of the road and you will drive in the same direction as Brosnan.

On both sides of the road people park their cars when going to the nearby beach. In order to get the clean and undisturbed view of the road, like it looked in the film, you should go there early in the morning and, preferably, off season. If you arrive at noon during the summer months, chances are you might not even be able to recognise the location.


                 "-I Could use a fast car.
                               -Ha, hmm..."

La Clinica Alvarez - part two

After fighting Zao inside the clinic, Bond blows a hole in the wall and tries to catch the helicopter before Zao escapes. Jinx takes few shots at the helicopter as Bond follows her up on the wall. The entire action sequence was filmed at Castillo de San Sebastián in Cádiz, Spain. The part where Jinx dives in can be found on the most western part on the fort, just above the courtyard.

"- A so called beauty parlor. We've heard 
of such a place but didn't think it really existed. 
           - It doesn't anymore..."       

Jinx follows the helicopter as it leaves the courtyard, runs up a slope and takes one last shot at Zao before the Cuban guards arrive. Bond stops just before Jinx dives into the lagoon. She halts in front of one of the big cannons that were located on the western wall.

Unfortunately during my visit, the big guns had been removed, probably due to renovation. However, it was still easy to determine the exact position since the old holes are still there. One can only hope that the guns will be brought back after renovation, but give the condition of the fort, I fear that they have outlived their contracts. It appears that the fort is being turned into some kind of modern museum.

La Clinica Alvarez - part one

The Alvarez Clinic, located in Los Organos in Cuba, plays a mayor part during Bond's visit to Cuba in Die Another Day. The clinic can be found in the north-western part of Cádiz, Spain. The mysterious clinic, specialising in gene therapy, is in reality an old fortification named Castillo de San Sebastián, dating from the early 1700's. 

You have the same view over the fort as Brosnan in the film, from the beach located along Avenida Duque de Nájera, called La Caleta. It was on this beach that Bond's fictional hotel, El Gran Palacio was located, so the real location was used in the film. However, the promenade that functions as a link between the fort and the city was edited out in the film (compare the two pictures above) to make it look as if the clinic was situated on an island. But you can, in reality, walk out to the fort.

Most of the action takes place in the courtyard, where Zao escapes with the helicopter and up on the wall from where Jinx dives into the lagoon. After finding Zao in the hospital, Bond loses him and Zao manages to escape through the office window of the late Dr. Alvarez, murdered by Jinx. When Jinx's mobile bomb explodes and a piece of the wall blocks the window, Bond has to find an alternative exit.

A fictitious helipad was constructed in the middle of the courtyard for the film. Jinx hides behind a piece of ruin left in the courtyard and takes a few shots at Zao as he gets into the helicopter. Unfortunately there is little left to identify this location since almost every facade have been renovated. The only thing that has survived is the Jinx's ruin.

When the helicopter escapes, Jinx runs up a slope towards the big guns located on the western wall.  There are also small steps next to the facade, where Bond later runs up after Jinx. Sadly both the slope and the steps are gone. It is possible that they were built specifically for the film. There is however another slant that leads up to the wall from the courtyard, visible to the very left in this left picture.

El Gran Palacio Hotel, Cuba - Cadiz

In Die Another Day, Bond checks in to El Gran Palacio Hotel, supposedly located in Cuba. The Hotel has a convenient view over Los Organos and the Alvarez Clinic, which has attracted Bond's attention. Through his friend Raoul, Bond has learned that Zao is hiding at the strange clinic and Bond drives there in a Ford Fairlane supplied by Raoul. Bond is arriving at what can only be presumed to be the best hotel in town, conveniently located right on the beach.

The building, however, is not located in Cuba, and it's not a hotel. This scene and the following scenes at the beach were filmed on the Spanish Atlantic coast, namely, in the old part of the city of Cádiz. The "hotel entrance" is actually only a small building that is connected via a short path, to the larger building that was used as Bond's hotel in the film, situated right on the beach.

                     "Mojito por favor."

Originally, the entire complex was build as a spa in the 1920's, named Spa of Nuestra Señora de la Palma y del Real. Today, the building houses a maritime centre, Centro de Arqueología Subacuática de Andalucía. Apparently, the sub-aquatic centre specialises in the investigation and protection of marine life. The main building is not open to the public.

Brosnan walking in with "The birds of the West Indies" in his hand.

'El Gran Palacio Hotel' is, naturally, a must see when in Cádiz. The entire location is very recognisable and the fact that the rest of the hotel scenes as well as Halle Berry's coming out of the water scene were filmed on this location makes it very enjoyable. From the beach in front of the marine centre, you have an actual view over 'La clinica Alvarez', so you can easily spend a few hours in the sun on this beach.

The fictious sign in the film has clearly been inspired by the real sign.

According to the map in Raoul's office, Los Organos would be located in the Guadiana Bay in the very western part of Cuba. Bond has probably driven across half of Cuba and then taken a boat to Isla Los Organos, which would explain how he can arrive by car.

In Cádiz, driving along Avenida Duque de Nájera in the southern direction you will arrive the same way as Bond did in the film. Do not expect to find a parking space as easily as Brosnan did though. The rest of Bond's hotel and the Alvarez clinic will be covered later.

Raoul's cigar factory

After walking down the sea promenade, Bond arrives at a cigar factory, supposedly located in old Havana. This is the cigar factory that belongs to Raoul, a sleeper agent stationed in Cuba. As I have written before, none of the Cuban scenes were filmed on location. Instead the filmmakers redid Cádiz in the southern part of Spain to look like Cuba.

This scene was filmed in the old part of Cádiz. The street was brilliantly converted, and since Cádiz is one of the oldest port cities in the world, not much had to be done about the surrounding buildings. Raoul's cigar factory is actually a central market place, housing a lot of small shops, butchers and restaurants, called Mercado Central.

Calle Garaicoechea intersects with Calle Libertad, right in front of Mercado Central. Bond walks down Calle Garaicoechea and arrives at the factory, where he asks for Delectados cigars, actually a code for waking up the sleeping agent.

Mercado Central was built in the 1830's and is apparently the oldest covered food market in Spain. The building is neoclassical and the other three sides look the same as where Bond enters. The opening hours are a bit irregular, but despite the sign stating the opening hours between 10.00 and 18.00, chances are it will be open in the evening. The interior scenes of the cigar factory was naturally shot in studio.

"I'm here to pick up some Delectados."

The arc on the facade seen from the inside of Mercado Central. In between the pillars you find small shops and delicatessens. Here you find local delights and, naturally, a visit is highly recommended.

Raoul's right hand man, played by Joaquín Martínez, escorts Bond through the factory and up on the roof where Raoul receives Bond. The roof scene was filmed next to the Cádiz cathedral which is actually located a few minutes walk from the "cigar factory".