View image 1: The terracotta bell tower and Café Paul Ricard rise above the harbor among umbrella pines- View image 2: A sunlit bedroom opens through glass doors onto a private terrace facing the dunes
- View image 3: Dining room shelves hold curios and glassware between stone arches framing the sea
- View image 4: Woven rattan pendants hang over a rustic dining room with a terracotta arch and wine bottles
- View image 5: A pottery atelier holds a round worktable, ceramic bowls and a weathered wooden ladder
- View image 6: Traditional blue and white fishing boats moor at the quay before pastel harbor houses
A car-free private island seven minutes off Bandol, reopened after a five-year revival by Zannier Hotels.
Île de Bendor is a private island off Bandol, reached by a shuttle crossing of about seven minutes. Paul Ricard, the Marseille-born creator of pastis, bought it in 1950 and made it a gathering place for art and Mediterranean life before decades of decline closed it entirely. In May 2026 it reopened as Zannier Île de Bendor, the result of a five-year restoration led by Ricard’s great-grandson and Arnaud Zannier.
The island holds just over ninety rooms and suites across three quarters, from the striped 1960s spirit of Delos to the former fishermen’s cottages along the harbor, each with its own garden. There are no cars, eight places to eat under Michelin-starred chef Lionel Lévy, and a spa with indoor and outdoor pools that ranks among the largest on the coast.
Photo Gallery
Rooms and Suites
- View image 1: A terracotta suite pairs a framed abstract canvas with a linen sofa nook beyond the bed
- View image 2: A corner suite bed faces floor to ceiling windows over the harbor and distant hills
- View image 3: Pillows are piled high on a bed facing arched windows over the sea and stone ramparts
- View image 4: A soft toy lamb sits on linen bedding beside a wood dresser and open dressing nook
- View image 5: A rust colored chaise faces glass doors opening onto a terrace among coastal dunes
- View image 6: A sunlit bedroom opens through glass doors onto a private terrace facing the dunes
Dining
- View image 1: Dining room shelves hold curios and glassware between stone arches framing the sea
- View image 2: Model ships and coral sit on oak shelving between the dining room and bar beyond
- View image 3: Cognac leather armchairs and a striped sofa face arched windows over the harbor
- View image 4: A bartender shakes a cocktail at the marble bar beneath arches framing pink parasols and the sea
- View image 5: A terracotta lounge pairs a striped sofa with wire frame chairs and a marble topped table
- View image 6: A table set for dinner frames a stone archway looking out to a passing sailboat
Amenities
- View image 1: Morning light warms the stone hotel wing above a reflecting pool lined with white parasols
- View image 2: Fringed red parasols and loungers line the pool as the stone hotel glows at dusk
- View image 3: A sculptural spiral stair curves past a clay urn beside the indoor spa pool
- View image 4: A guest in a robe reclines on a spa lounger beneath pendant lights and a potted olive tree
- View image 5: Guests hold a yoga pose on cork mats before arched windows overlooking the sea
- View image 6: Dark and pale ceramic vessels line a wooden table beneath a tiled backsplash and shelf
Property
- View image 1: A carved stone monument to Paul Ricard stands amid Mediterranean garden plantings
- View image 2: The terracotta bell tower and Café Paul Ricard rise above the harbor among umbrella pines
- View image 3: Traditional blue and white fishing boats moor at the quay before pastel harbor houses
- View image 4: A steel sea ladder descends the rocky shoreline toward the open Mediterranean
Property Details
Eight dining spaces
Three restaurants guided by Michelin-starred chef Lionel Lévy, from the harborside Café Paul Ricard and the brasserie Nonna Bazaar to Le Grand Large, the historic gastronomic room above the sea, alongside Bar Patrick, Delos Table and the wellness restaurant at Soukana.
The Rēsonance spa
Among the largest wellness centers on the coast, with indoor and outdoor pools, a hammam, cold bath and mud bath, and treatments drawing on Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and naturopathy.
Three island quarters
Just over ninety rooms and suites divided between Delos in 1960s-Riviera stripes, the earthier wellness wing of Soukana, and the two-story Madrague Houses, the former fishermen’s cottages along the harbor, each with its own garden.
Water and the coastal path
A diving center, snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding and sunset sails, with a seaside path tracing the quieter shore past a statue of Neptune, sea ladders, and coves that briefly become your own.
Gallery and artisan village
A dedicated gallery of more than two hundred works displayed across the island, and an artisan village where ceramicists, textile artists and embroiderers work in residence, open to visit, watch, or join for a weekly workshop.
