When Paul Ricard acquired the island of Bendor in 1950, he set out to transform it into a symbol of Provençal art de vivre. It was a fitting pursuit for Ricard, the entrepreneur who first commercialised France’s iconic pastis, an aperitif synonymous with the region’s leisurely spirit. Over time, his singular vision drew a constellation of dreamers and jetsetters, from Salvador Dalí to Josephine Baker, who flocked to soak up the sun-drenched glamour of this coastal idyll.