The 007 Road Trip: Driving to James Bond's Futuristic Hideout at Cerro Paranal

Cerro Paranal is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,635m (8,645ft) above sea level, located in the Antofagasta Province of Chile.

Cerro Paranal

Where Is Cerro Paranal?

The peak is located in the Atacama Desert, in the west-central part of the country.

Why Is Cerro Paranal Famous?

The summit hosts an observatory called the Cerro Paranal Observatory, the site of the Very Large Telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope. The area is so futuristic-looking that portions of the James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, were filmed here. Near the summit, there's a hotel, also known as La Residencia, which provides accommodation and meals for ESO staff only. It is not possible to stay overnight in Paranal. It served as a backdrop for part of the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace. The location features as the Hotel Perla de las Dunas, the place where Greene and General Medrano meet to finalize the coup. In 2012, ESO's Paranal Observatory was portrayed worldwide by Land Rover in an advertising shoot.

How Long Is the Road to Cerro Paranal?

The road to the summit is totally paved. It's called Ruta Observatorio Paranal. The drive is pretty steep, hitting a maximum gradient of 12% through some of the ramps. Starting from the B-710 road, the ascent is 8.6km (5.34miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 566meters. The average percentage is 6.58%. The last part of the climb is closed by a horizontal control point.

 

 

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