James Bond arrives in Sardinia in The Spy Who Loved Me, where he and Anya Amasova – agent XXX of the KGB – check into Hotel Cala di Volpe on the Costa Smeralda. After visiting the base of Stromberg they are chased by his henchmen, culminating in Bond driving his Lotus Esprit into the water, where it turns into a submarine.
The Costa Smeralda means “Emerald Coast” and is located in the north of the Italian island of Sardinia. With 55km of coastline, the Costa Smeralda is famed for its beaches of white sand and is a popular destination for the jet set.
Cala di Volpe was the first hotel to be built on the Costa Smeralda. Designed by Jacques Couelle in the 1960s, it boasts some of the best views on the island. Designed to resemble a Mediterranean village, the summer months will set you back some €750 per night.
Even if you can afford it you can’t to stay in James Bond’s room; the scenes were shot in the hotel’s piano bar. However, if you’re on a budget then you can enjoy a drink at the bar and watch the world go by.
Photos courtesy Hotel Cala Di Volpe
