« What better than an island for dreaming »
PAUL RICARD
When in 1950 a businessman from Marseille, an inventor ahead of his time, buys Bendor Island, and then a few years later the island of Embiez, his goal is to develop the art of creating beautiful things that make people happy. Although the islands are private, Bendor and Embiez were developed to allow access to many visitors.
Paul Ricard will transform these islands, which were real jewels in their natural state, into a magical universe for anyone wanting to live a few days of insular existence. He builds restaurants, a harbour, hotels, art galleries, museums, shops, a yacht club and a diving center on each of them, tennis courts and petanque grounds. Everything is set up for a break outside the everyday run of things, even the wine from the vineyards of Embiez that is bottled on the island.
The islands are also the meeting place for many cultural, musical and sporting events throughout the season.
Today they are still managed by members of the Ricard family, some of whom have a very active role.
All of them, without exception, are driven by the same desire, to share moments of joy and hospitality with their guests.
From the very first sunny days they gather on the islands, and have been doing so for the last 60 years without interruption. The islands are their anchor points, the place where a nice mix of generations blends past and present. Their love for these islands will never end…
