Along with dazzling destinations, armed henchmen and the obligatory vodka martini (shaken, not stirred), spectacular homes are an essential ingredient of any Bond film. From futuristic spaceship lairs to magnificent Mediterranean villas, we've brought together a selection of show-stopping properties that have featured in the films or deserve a part in one. Click or scroll on for more...

Perched on the outskirts of London in the sleepy village of Denham in Buckinghamshire and now on the market for a shocking £75 million ($94m), this magnificent late 17th century stately home boasts a pedigree of ownership nearly as impressive as its imposing colonial brick façade. Having played host to the likes of J.P. Morgan, the Bonaparte Royal family, and the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire would certainly be sufficient to put the estate on the map, but the house has some silver screen clout as well…

In both the 1973 Live and Let Die and the 1974 Man with the Golden Gun, the home’s spectacular library featured as the office of MI6 Chief “M.” The conversion from stately home to Hollywood film set would have been easy enough to coordinate, as, at the time, the house was under the ownership of the film’s producer, Harry Saltzman. It’s not hard to imagine the imposing Secret Intelligence Service director holding court in this room, giving Bond a good telling-off!

The Grade I-listed manor house boasts a jaw-dropping 28,500 square feet of space, including 12 reception rooms, 12 bedroom suites, 14 bathrooms, family and catering kitchens, a private chapel, two staircases and an elevator. The home is being sold fully furnished, and while all the spaces are opulently appointed, a particular standout is the drawing room, which comes complete with a hand-painted ceiling fresco, custom crystal chandeliers, silk wall panels and curtains, and a handwoven carpet inspired by one in Buckingham Palace, according to the listing.

While the home was used as a business headquarters between 1980 and 2000 because of its location a convenient 30-minute drive from central London, it is clearly designed for extravagant living and entertaining. With amenities including a cocktail bar, theatre, ‘party room’, wine cellar, cigar room, and formal dining room with an Italian Calacatta marble fireplace, we can only imagine the glamourous parties this palace is destined to host.

In addition to the main home, the property also includes a spectacular 43 acres of parkland designed by renowned 18th-century landscape architect Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, which boasts a range of amenities including gardens, a meadow, an orchard and a lake. There is also a coach house which the current owner has acquired the planning permission to turn into a spectacular spa complete with gym, changing rooms, a sauna, a steam room, three treatment rooms and an outdoor pool.

What could be more iconic than the home of James Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming? The author’s Jamaican paradise, known as the GoldenEye estate, is the idyllic location in which Fleming penned every one of the 14 James Bond books and you can actually stay there…

Named after a naval operation Fleming was part of in 1942, the GoldenEye villa was imagined just four years later when he discovered the picturesque town of Oracabessa Bay in Jamaica. He is said to have sketched his ‘dream villa’ on a desk blotter and so the island paradise inspired three James Bond books—Dr. No, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun—all set in Jamaica.

Fleming's original villa boasts three bedrooms, each with a tropical garden bath area and a garden shower, a private pool, a private beach, and tropical gardens. Visitors will also be treated to a dedicated staff—which includes a butler, housekeeper, and a cook—for the ultimate carefree Bond experience.

Following Fleming’s death in 1964, Chris Blackwell—Island Records founder and location scout for Dr. No—bought GoldenEye and has subsequently added 25 acres to the original estate, including several stunning beach-front villas, private lagoon huts, and numerous lagoon cottages—all with king-size beds, en-suite bathrooms, and garden showers.

It’s easy to see why GoldenEye has attracted creatives of all types, including Noel Coward, Sting, and Bono, who wrote the theme song to the GoldenEye film while staying at the resort. Fleming himself is said to have suffered from writer’s block, but we can certainly see how he found inspiration for Bond’s steamy and exotic adventures while kicking back on his own secluded Caribbean beach.

Without doubt, the stand-out location in James Bond's most recent adventure No Time to Die is the historic Italian town of Matera. Among the high-octane car chases and exploding memorials, you’d be forgiven for becoming distracted by the breathtaking Basilicata town with its curious Sassi ‘cave houses’, which are thought to be the first human dwellings in Italy, dating back some 9,000 years.

Once home to the poorest residents, many of these amazing dwellings carved into the hillside have been transformed into atmospheric pockets of luxury. In fact, even before James Bond skid his Aston Martin through its dusty streets, by 2017 a quarter of houses in the town were available to rent on Airbnb, according to the University of Siena. However, if you fancy a truly upmarket underground stay, L’Hotel in Pietra is fit for any billionaire Bond villain in search of headquarters.

Despite its rustic construction, each of the boutique hotel's six stone-carved rooms offers a surprising softness. Perhaps credited to the simple modernity of the décor, with white linen-draped four-poster beds, in-room whirlpool tubs, and mood lighting that conjures an air of intimacy and romance.

The hotel even offers a ‘wellness’ suite, entirely carved into the rock on two levels. The top floor is home to a king-size bed, writing desk, and designer furniture, while the lower level is equipped with a hot tub and a sauna - ideal for pampering after a gruelling MI6 mission. 

The town itself is perfect for fans of the franchise to explore even more striking locations featured in Daniel Craig’s last-ever appearance as Fleming's Bond. Gravina in Puglia is home to the famous Roman bridge that James jumps off during the movie, while Sapri in the south-west of Italy offers a change of pace with the Spiaggia Aell’Arco Magnp beach, where filming of No Time to Die reportedly took place over two days.

The otherworldly Elrod House, designed by architect John Lautner for interior designer Arthur Elrod, appeared in Diamonds are Forever – a Sean Connery classic from 1971 that sees him thrown into the home's pool after a fight with Blofeld’s henchwomen.

Built in 1968, the luxurious concrete residence with its conical dome is perched on a hillside a mile outside of Palm Springs – the perfect viewpoint to spot approaching Bond villains. With five bedrooms and a separate guest house, there's ample space to host sophisticated soirees.

This ultra-modern mansion in Marrakech looks like the perfect Bond villain’s lair, which is precisely why it featured as Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s desert villa in Spectre. With Daniel Craig as 007 and Christopher Waltz as the head of a criminal organisation, the villa is the setting for the spy's arrival at his hidden base accompanied by Dr Madeleine Swann, played by Léa Seydoux.

Set in nearly five acres of parkland with views of the Atlas Mountains, the palatial property occupies a rather more hospitable location than the film portrays. For the film, the modernist house was superimposed into a huge crater called Gara Medouar – the perfect way to hide a mansion in a desert!

It may have been the home of a criminal mastermind in Spectre, but there's no reason why wannabe covert agents can't call this sleek space home too. We can just imagine Bond relaxing by the fabulous pool and taking a refreshing dip after a hard day undercover. Those stunning verdant gardens are about as far from an arid desert as we can imagine!

Crafted from glass, metal and concrete, the streamlined residence was designed by architect Imaad Rahmouni and was built in 2006. Encircled by an artificial river, from a distance, the property looks as though it's floating, adding an extra obstacle for any nefarious henchmen trying to break in.

At the beginning of the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, Sean Connery as 007 makes a daring pursuit of the SPECTRE operative Colonel Jacques Bouvar, using a jetpack and his trusty Aston Martin DB5. The chase takes place in and around a sumptuous French castle, which gives us a good insight into the wealth and influence of this global criminal organisation.

The exterior has beautiful rolling gardens designed by Jacques Mollet of the famous French gardening dynasty, along with intricate statues, including this one depicting Diane de Poitiers as Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting and nature. Thunderball isn’t the château’s only starring film role – it also featured in The Pink Panther Strikes Again in 1976.

The pool and gardens of the luxurious Villa Sylva appeared in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. Roger Moore as 007 is observing the enemy through binoculars before he's caught by armed henchmen and escorted to meet the boss, Cuban hitman Hector Gonzales. Of course, it's less than a minute before he's fought his way out using little more than his MI6 training and a parasol.

On the silver screen, the villa was located in Spain. In reality, however, the property is found on the tranquil east coast of Corfu. You can play at being a Bond villain yourself as the lavish residence is available to rent as a holiday home.

The movie home is in a spectacular location with uninterrupted views of the Ionian Sea and the island of Pontikonisi. If you want to make a quick getaway, Corfu Town with its airport and harbour is only 10 minutes away, plus you'll find a myriad of restaurants and cafes a stone's throw away from the property's front door.

Inside the main house, you'll find two master bedrooms and four twins – all with ensuite bathrooms – a large open-plan living and dining area, plus a reading room where you can plan your next move. The guest house offers a further double bedroom and twin, both with private bathrooms. No stranger to the big screen, the house also featured in The Executioner starring George Peppard and Joan Collins in 1970.

In this 2008 Bond film, Daniel Craig as 007 visits his old friend René Mathis, played by Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini, to persuade him to join an unsanctioned mission in Bolivia. Ever the suave operator, Bond approaches the house on a classic 1970s open-top speed boat.

Raised high above the sea, you can take a dip in the private pool while keeping a lookout for any suspicious boats approaching. The villa has all the facilities you could want for a comfortable stay, including WiFi, satellite TV and air conditioning for hot summer nights.

This luxury hideaway features as the residence of drug dealer Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill – Timothy Dalton’s last outing as 007. In the 1989 film, Bond has sweet-talked his way into being a guest of the villa and manages to get away with all sorts of covert sabotage before he escapes from the roof by helicopter. 

The true story behind Villa Arabesque is almost as exciting. Built between 1978 and 1982 for Baron di Portanova, a title more than worthy of a Bond character, this extraordinary house has been the setting for many amazing scenes. Overlooking Acapulco Bay, it's even hosted an off-duty James Bond actor...

The parties the baron and baroness hosted here in the 1980s were legendary, with celebrity guests including legendary Bond actor, Roger Moore and star of the silver screen, Sylvester Stallone. The vast 40,000-square-foot home has exquisite grounds too, with an amazing infinity pool enjoying jaw-dropping views.

Among the villa’s 28 rooms you'll find a discotheque – the Poseidon – with room for 200 guests to party amidst its lavish underwater-themed décor. The property also houses the Poseidon Grill, where 60 people can dine in style, along with the Camel Walk terrace on the roof, where James Bond flees via helicopter in Licence to Kill.

When it comes to grandeur, you don't get much more lavish than the master suite, which takes up almost a whole floor. While the fairytale décor has drawn comparisons to Aladdin, this villa makes the perfect fantasy lair – whether you're a hero or a villain. Elsewhere, there's a total of three swimming pools, a tennis court and a tranquil private beach.

Designed to evoke the magnificent French châteaux of the Loire Valley, this palatial Thames-side building, known as Whitehall court, was for decades the home base of the Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6. The building was also once home to the organization’s inaugural chief, Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, the inspiration for Fleming’s famous “M.”

While Smith-Cumming’s bomb-proof, two-storey penthouse went up for sale for £5.5 million ($6.9m) three years ago, another of the prestigious building’s flats is now on the market, ready for a buyer with an ambitious vision and deep pockets. Currently listed with Knight Frank for £4.85 million ($6.1m), this stripped-to-the-studs space offers new owners the chance to “create their ideal flat” in Whitehall Court, according to the listing.

The 19th-century flat, fortunately, includes new electrics and plumbing, with planning permission in place to remodel the interior layout to include an open plan kitchen and living room, a dining room, two spacious bedrooms with dressing rooms and walk-in wardrobes, two bathrooms and a separate powder room. The entire flat offers more than 2,500 square feet of living space, promising plenty of flexibility when designing a new floor plan.

While there is clearly plenty of work still to be done, the property does boast an array of beguiling features including high ceilings, an original fireplace, six sets of French doors, and views of the river and the London Eye. The planning documents do note that, unfortunately, many of the historical features typically found within the Grade II-listed Whitehall Court were ripped out in previous refurbishments, bar a section of original cornicing in the master bedroom.

In addition to any construction and refurbishment costs, the buyer will also have to contend with an eye-watering £28,000 ($34.9k) annual service charge. However, this fee does grant owners automatic access to the Farmers Club, a private members club located within the building and dating to 1842, as well as a chance to add their name to the prestigious roster of previous Whitehall Court tenants, who include political titans such as William Gladstone and Lord Kitchener, alongside literary luminaries like H.G Wells and George Bernard Shaw.

Loved this? Check out more historic homes that have a story to tell.