I remember Bandol as it was when I was a teenager, during an exiting journey tramping across the South of France, chasing adventures and surrendering to the irresistible allure of the Mediterranean.
Back then, Bandol was a charming little seaport, its harbor lined with a handful of cafés where time seemed to drift as lazily as the boats rocking in the marina. And just a stone’s throw from the shore there was that rugged island..
Shimmering like a mirage in the morning light; drenched in pure gold at sunset. Even then, it felt like a place suspended between dream and reality.
I had the opportunity to return to Bandol for a photoshoot and production for upcoming publications of that very island—one of my long-held dream destinations. Today, Île de Bendor captures the essence of French allure—sun-soaked, understated, and impossibly chic . And all that through the vision of two remarkable families: the Ricards, whose patriarch Paul Ricard acquired the island in the 1950s as a sanctuary for his family, and Arnaud Zannier, founder of the acclaimed Zannier Hotels, honoring its soul and legacy.
“Bendor is lavender and pine needles carried on the breeze, the taste of crêpes and salt upon the tongue, the force of the wind and the raw power of the sea—every sensation heightened on this tiny isle. It embodies boundless freedom and escape. Here, too, live my strongest memories of my late great-grandfather, who left us in 1997.” says Marc de Jouffroy, great-grandson of Paul Ricard
And now, here I am.
Breathing the salty air. Jumping from sun-warmed rocks into the crystalline Mediterranean Sea. Listening to the wind sweep through the pines. And photographing one of the most anticipated openings of the decade.
Some places remain etched in our imagination for years before life brings us back to them. Île de Bendor is one of them! I will be back. Again and again!
