Baja California
Baja California is the stretch of Mexico that Hollywood uses when it needs ocean, desert and sound stages within a day’s drive of one another. Baja Studios, with its enormous water tank, sits on the coast south of the border.
Fly into Tijuana or San Diego, and bring a hire car.
Places
Where Bond filmed
Baja California
1Baja Studios (Titanic tank)
Rosarito, Baja California
The scenes of the sea landing used the vast water tank built for Titanic at Rosarito in Baja California, Mexico. Wikipedia and Movie-Locations record that the tank was used for the film’s maritime sequences.
- Scenes
- Sea landing and open-water sequences
- Today
- The tank complex was built for Titanic (1997) and is now part of the Baja Studios facility.
- Visiting
- The studio is a working production facility. Contact the studio or the Rosarito tourism office before planning a visit.
Tecate, Baja California
2La Rumorosa
Tecate, Baja California
The tanker chase in the finale was shot on a section of Mexican Federal Highway 2D at La Rumorosa, a mountain pass in the desert. The producers closed that stretch for safety. Sixteen modified Kenworth tankers were used, with stunts arranged by Remy Julienne. The coordinates given are approximate for the pass.
- Scenes
- The climactic tanker chase and the final fight on the last tanker
- Today
- The pass is still a public highway through the mountains between Mexicali and Tecate.
- Visiting
- It can be driven on the Tijuana to Mexicali road. Drive carefully on the mountain curves.
San Felipe, Baja California
3San Felipe
Baja California
The aerial battle between Bond’s DC-3 and the pursuing fighter was shot in early 2008 in Baja California. Movie-locations.com says the work was based at the airstrip at San Felipe. The vintage propeller plane is one of several homages to Hitchcock in the film.
- Scenes
- DC-3 aerial dogfight
- Today
- San Felipe is a small fishing and holiday town on the Gulf of California.
- Visiting
- Open to visitors. The airstrip use is from a fan source, so verify before planning a trip around it.
Positions marked approximate are matched from stills and published location guides. Opening arrangements, fees and access change often. Confirm locally before you travel.