{{Short description|French island in the Mediterranean Sea}} {{distinguish|Bendor Range}} thumb|
'''Bendor Island''' ('''Île de Bendor''' in French, {{IPA|fr|il də bendor|pron}}) is a French island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located 300m off the coast from the commune of Bandol, in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in south eastern France. It was bought and subsequently developed by the industrialist Paul Ricard in 1950.<ref name="Williams2010"> {{cite book |author=Nicola Williams |title=Lonely Planet Provence & the Côte D'Azur |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781740595445|url-access=registration |accessdate=24 March 2013 |year=2010 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-74059-544-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781740595445/page/306 306]– }} </ref> The island has a surface area of 0.08 km<sup>2</sup>, with a coastline of 1.5 km. The island is 17m high at its highest point.<ref name="Arnold2008"> {{cite book |author=Charles Arnold |title=Mediterranean Islands |accessdate=24 March 2013 |date=1 August 2008 |publisher=Survival Books |url=https://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=wikipedia&q=isbn%3A9780955648915 |isbn=978-0-9556489-1-5 |page=92 }} </ref> A frequent daily ferry service runs to the island from Bandol.<ref name="BendorAccess"> {{cite web |title=Times and ferry service for the Île de Bendor |url=http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/D%C3%A9pliant-marine-Les-Iles-Paul-Ricard.pdf |publisher=Société PAUL RICARD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015202438/http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/D%C3%A9pliant-marine-Les-Iles-Paul-Ricard.pdf |archive-date=2017-10-15 |url-status=dead }} </ref>
==Facilities== thumb|At the Bendor island
The island has a main hotel, the Hotel Delos, five restaurants, an artists village, boutiques, an art gallery and two museums: the Universal Exposition of Wines and Spirits (''Exposition Universelle des Vins et Spiritueux'', EUVS) and the Museum of Ricard Advertising Objects.<ref name="BendorWeb"> {{cite web |title=Île de Bendor – Practical information |url=http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/uk/hotel-restaurant-ile-bendor.php |publisher=Société PAUL RICARD |access-date=30 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121021338/http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/uk/hotel-restaurant-ile-bendor.php |archivedate=21 January 2016 }} </ref> Both museums were built by Ricard, admittance is free, but they are open during July and August only.<ref name="BendorMuseums"> {{cite web |title=Museums, exhibitions and galleries on Bendor |url=http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/uk/musee-expositions-galeries-bendor.php |publisher=Société PAUL RICARD |access-date=30 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121021350/http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/uk/musee-expositions-galeries-bendor.php |archivedate=21 January 2016 }} </ref>
Sporting amenities include tennis courts, water sports facilities, a diving club and a marina.<ref name="BendorWeb"/> The marina is the smallest on the Côte d'Azur, with a surface area of just 2.8 km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="BendorWeb"/>
==History== thumb|Neptune, Bendor island
In 1950 the island was bought by the industrialist Paul Ricard (1909–1997) the founder of Ricard, the pastis manufacturer. At the time of Ricard's purchase the sole inhabitant of the island was a sheep.<ref name="BendorMuseums"/> Ricard also bought the Île des Embiez in 1958, located nearby off the coast of Six-Fours-les-Plages.<ref name="Williams2010"/>
Under Ricard's patronage the island became a magnet for the jet set of the 1960s. Visitors to the island included Mireille Darc, Gilbert Bécaud, Salvador Dalí, Melina Mercouri, Marcel Pagnol, Annie Cordy, Fernandel.<ref name="PaulRicard100ans"> {{cite web |title=Paul Ricard 100 ans |url=http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/maj/images/BENDOR%20MUSSE/communique-presse-centenaire.pdf |publisher=Société PAUL RICARD |year=2009 |access-date=30 December 2015 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} </ref>
A monolith built by Ricard dominates the marina.<ref name="CentenairePaulRicard"> {{cite web |title=Centenaire Paul Ricard, Artiste et mécène |url=http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/maj/images/BENDOR%20MUSSE/communique-de-presse.pdf |publisher=Société PAUL RICARD |year=2009 |access-date=30 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002720/http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/maj/images/BENDOR%20MUSSE/communique-de-presse.pdf |archivedate=4 March 2016 }} </ref> The monolith is inscribed with the phrase ''Nul bien sans peine'' ("No pain, no gain") which was Ricard's personal philosophy. Ricard built the monolith in tribute to Pierre Paul Puget, a Provençal sculptor, painter and architect of the 17th century. It was from Puget that Ricard took the motto.<ref name="BendorWeb"/>
==See also== * The island of Embiez, bought by Ricard in 1958
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20151030054151/http://www.lesilespaulricard.com/uk/ile-paul-ricard-site-officiel.php}} *{{Facebook|id=Ile-de-Bendor/208474049589|name=Ile de Bendor}}
{{coord|43|07|38.84|N|5|44|59.35|E|region:FR-83_type:isle_source:dewiki|display=title}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bendor}} Category:Landforms of Var (department) Category:Islands of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Category:Mediterranean islands Category:Tourist attractions in Var (department)