IT IS hard not to be inspired by the view from Ian Fleming’s villa, which sits perched on a low cliff on the north shore of Jamaica. It was at Goldeneye that Fleming wrote the James Bond books, although he himself would close the jalousies so as not to become too distracted by the view.

When Fleming died, the place was abandoned until the 1970s when Chris Blackwell, the record producer who helped to launch Bob Marley’s international career, stumbled across the place. Blackwell persuaded Marley to buy it. The musician agreed, but later baulked, saying that it would take him away from his roots.

Blackwell stepped in instead. He renovated the property and used it as a holiday home, before turning it into a boutique hotel. There is now a tennis court and a couple of cottages on the property, one of which is known by the staff as “Naomi” because of the model Naomi Campbell’s liking for the place. The sleepy boutique hotel is about to have a few neighbours.

Around the corner, out of sight of the main house, is an artificial island built as a harbour to load bananas. Soon after the island had been completed, the project was abandoned and remained deserted until a friend of Blackwell’s, who was swimming in the sea, discovered it. The island is about to be converted into a luxurious resort. The plan is to build 85 properties, ranging from one and two-bedroom beach villas to four-bedroom houses with pools. Prices for the one-bedroom cove huts start at $600,000 (£296,000), while the large houses cost $3.5 million. It is expected that many will be rented out, providing the basis of a splendid hotel resort with a spa.

The company running the resort, Island Outposts, already manages some of the hippest places in the Caribbean, including Jakes, Strawberry Hill and the Caves in Jamaica. They are stylish places, which attract an international crowd such as Sienna Miller, Scarlett Johannson and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Goldeneye is a heavenly spot. There are palm trees, banyan, fig and cannonball trees from Africa, whose pink and cream seed-pods drop to the ground with a hefty thud. There are sandy beaches and a cooling breeze. There is the remains of what once was a coral reef. But what is really unusual about this development is the insistence that all buyers must be vetted by the management.

“We don’t want Bond baddies coming into the compound,” says Nick Simmonds, the managing director. Nor do they want people to buy ten properties off-plan and flog them on for a profit. Even with these terms, sales have been brisk so far. “We have already sold 55 per cent of the properties off-plan,” says Simmonds.

There are no restrictions on foreign ownership in Jamaica, once you’ve got through the vetting process. There will be a management fee of $1,000 per month per bedroom, whether you rent it out or not. If you want to sell the property before completion, you have to offer it first for sale to Goldeneye. If they don’t respond within 30 days, then you can sell it to whoever you like, even a Russian oligarch.

The north shore of Jamaica is not the most developed, but it is possibly the most lovely, part of the island. “There is some of the best snorkelling in the world,” says Simmonds. “There will be tennis courts, jet skis, beach bars and a luxury spa.”

Wandering along the shore, as the sun sets into the sea, it is hard not to have one’s own 007 fantasy and imagine a Bond girl walking out of the waves. Pure International www.pureintl.com goldeneyedevelopment.com

For buying advice and to search for your own island retreat visit: timesonline.co.uk/overseasproperty

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