Be shaken - not stirred - by the splendor of James Bond's birthplace. Dashing 007 originated at this 15-acre seaside hideaway, which blossomed around the home of Ian Fleming, who wrote 13 spy novels here. The author delighted in the landscape's richness and praised "the blazing sunshine, natural beauty and the most healthy life I could live."

Today, Fleming's retreat is a boutique resort laced with beaches, tropical forest, caves and secluded nooks. Intimate and informal, this idyll attracts celebrities and other lovers of luxury.