Bandol is a small town in Provence located 45km east of Marseilles and 15 km west of Toulon. It has the second-largest cruise port in Provence and a beautiful view over the Mediterranean sea. The city is known for its quality wines and pleasant weather. Come and explore Bandol with me!

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Before visiting the charming little seaside town, I’d never heard of Bandol.

There were actually many stops we made to cute towns on this 3-week trip that I’d never heard of before. That was part of the beauty of my time in France- I was getting to experience so many more places than I ever thought possible and I was honestly so happy.

We didn’t actually spend a lot of time in Bandol as it was just a stop along the way to Nice, but I still enjoyed the little time we did spend there.

Truthfully, it doesn’t take much to make me happy when traveling haha. I am A-okay simply walking around soaking in the sights and sounds while snapping pictures along the way.

That alone and being in a new place is all I need and I am a happy camper. I don’t even need to eat…although that does help-a lot!

After driving down from the mountains where we stayed for the night in a cute little Airbnb, we arrived in the city center of Bandol fairly early in the morning.

Bandol

Located between Cassis and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez lies the charming colourful town of Bandol.

We parked the car and explored on foot. Deciding to grab a coffee from one of the stores lining the beach for a little wake me up, Le hubby and I proceeded to walk along the sand sipping our hot drinks and taking in the turquoise blue waters.

Picture this: On one side, you have all the shops and restaurants, and on the other, the beautiful Mediterranean sea.

Pretty nice vision right? I know!

We walked along the boardwalk and admired all the boats that were docked in the marina. I may have daydreamed a little bit about what it would be like to sail away on one of those fancy little boats (oh that vision was good ya’ll) but of course, I quickly came back to reality.

Colourful houses

Along the road we continued walking, the path leading us to higher ground and to a viewpoint over the beach.

Here you could see the beautiful pastel-coloured houses and buildings rising up over the beach. I thought about how lucky the people who resided there must be to have such a beautiful view to wake up to every morning.

I honestly just love European architecture. It’s some of the most beautiful and unique architecture I’ve ever seen.

The way some of the houses are stuck together and are painted in different shades of colours is so charming to me. And it was no different here in Bandol.

Time is of the essence

Taking in as much of Bandol as we had time for, Yann and I began to make our way back to the car to head to our next destination.

While I didn’t get to spend that much time in Bandol, which is pretty much the same for all the places we visit- remember we pack A LOT into a little bit of time.

However, I still wanted to give you some information on what else you can do and see in Bandol if you decided to visit yourself and stay for a longer period of time and I definitely think you should!

Things to do in Bandol

~There are 13 different beaches you can visit in Bandol. 5 are sandy beaches, 8 pebbles beaches, and 2 creeks. 

~Go whale and dolphin watching off the Cap Sicié 

~Visit the Île de Bendor which is only 7 minutes away from Bandol by boat. Find shops, restaurants, and beautiful architecture there, and discover it’s charm.

~Walk around the harbour- Being the second-largest marina next to Marseille, you’ll find boats and yachts of all sizes, some even up to 30 meters long. Simply walk around and gaze at the structures and daydream of what owning your own boat would like.

~For all my fellow wine lovers, discover some delicious wines at the Maison des Vins de Bandol 

~Browse around the market- Many cities in the South of France have markets you can frequent where you can purchase local goods and souvenirs. Take a stroll through the market in Bandol and see what you find. 

How to get to Bandol

Bandol is located 45 km east of Marseille, 15 km west of Toulon, and is only 18 minutes away from Cassis. You can also take a 2-hour train ride from Aix-en-Provence to reach the city.

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Have you been to Bandol? If not, are you ready to start planning your next vacation there? I bet you are!

Until next time, Stay blessed ♡

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Travel is my therapy

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