A hidden retreat on one of the Med’s last unspoiled islands

On one of the last unspoiled islands in the Mediterranean, a hidden retreat embodies the essence of low-key sustainable experiential luxury

On a beautiful yet oft-overlooked island in the Mediterranean, Domaine de Murtoli embodies the essence of low-key sustainable experiential luxury

We’re weaving around one red-bouldered headland after another as the cobalt sea winks at us from far below and the scrubby hinterland sends wafts of mint, rosemary and eucalyptus through the car’s open windows.

Finally, the GPS says we’ve arrived. But there’s no sign, nothing but a high wrought-iron gate and a blur of liquid heat across the khaki landscape. I press the intercom, a friendly voice welcomes us, the gate opens and we drive through a cloud of dirt on a potholed, unpaved road.

A secret world spreads out before us: undulating farmland and a golf course around a meandering river, neat rows of olive trees and vines, a wide wild crescent of sandy beach embracing the aquamarine sea, and a sprawling, red-roofed stone farmhouse nestled at the bottom of a valley framed by crimson-hued granite mountains.

This is Domaine de Murtoli in Corsica. Murtoli, Corsican for myrtle, is just one of the many fragrant plants dotting the maquis landscape that defines this the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean.

Unassuming yet exquisitely appointed, Domaine du Murtoli is an ultra-private luxe retreat spread across 2500 ha of pasture and forest, beach, boulders and mountains. Well known among A-listers like Beyonce and Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s crafted from traditional farmhouses and sheepfold cottages tucked into a generations-old family farm, and it feels both wild and protected, a little surreal yet very much down to earth, a paradise both lost and found.

Back story

What and where is Corsica? Sitting off the west coast of Italy, it’s a rugged island that is a part of France but remains fiercely independent, resisting widespread commercialisation of its crenelated beach-studded coastline and mountainous interior.

The man behind the Domaine is Paul Canarelli, and he has hospitality and a passion for Corsica running through his veins. His father created the five-star Grand Hotel De Cala Rossa in Porto-Vecchio, while his grandfather bequeathed him the Domaine’s farmland in 1993. It’s located in the Ortolo River valley in the Sartene region on Corsica’s wild southwest coast, an area with prehistoric dolmen and menhir standing stones as well as centuries-old Genoese watchtowers atop rocky promontories.

Murtoli was first and foremost a farm, which Canarelli restocked with sheep and cows as well as restoring a traditional stone farmhouse for his family. It wasn’t long before he decided to craft a luxury country retreat as a way to, not only, repurpose the remaining farmhouses and cottages, but also to conserve the pristine environment through organic farming, and by creating a nature preserve populated by wild boars, hares, partridges and ducks.

Authentic accommodation

All the buildings are individual, authentic and rooted in the local materials and traditions of Corsica. There’s an earthy simplicity to the aesthetic but everything is beautifully crafted.

We stay in a spacious wood-beamed room decorated in soft neutral tones, one of nine rooms and suites added in 2021 around the heritage-olive-tree dotted courtyard behind the main farmhouse. It has a feather-soft king bed, rustic-chic dressers and comfortable chairs, and a table stacked with house-baked cookies beside a wood stove. A large bathroom and changing area lie behind the half-height bedroom wall.

There are also 20 restored stone farmhouses, sheepfold huts, watchtowers and mills tucked into private spaces throughout the property. Floors are oak or terracotta, shutters and doors are solid chestnut. There are stone sinks, cast-iron baths, and lime-washed walls. Furniture is sourced from antiques markets.

Some are grand houses that can accommodate large families or groups of friends. Others are intimate retreats for couples. You can choose between villas by the sea with access to a private beach, villas in the maquis, and villas nestled against giant rocks with views across the river valley. Each has bedroom and living areas, a fully-stocked indoor and outdoor kitchen and shaded dining terrace as well as private pool enclosed by drystone walls. You can have groceries, breakfast hampers and picnics delivered, pick vegetables and fruit from the estate’s kitchen garden, or hire a chef to cook your meals.

Farm and food

The three-hectare organic kitchen and herbal gardens supply 70% of the produce used in the three restaurants: La Table de la Ferme, la Table de la Plage and La Table de la Grotte. There are 150 cows which produce veal, and 300 ewes used for both lamb and cheese. Three olive oils are made from the estate’s 4000 olive trees while 10 ha of grape vines will start producing red and white wine next year. In the meantime, the sommelier pours excellent Corsican wines made from the likes of vermentino as well as other indigenous varieties such as sciacarello and nielluccio. The cellar’s collection of Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundies is breathtaking.

La Table de la Ferme offers an inspired one-Michelin-starred restaurant, and meals are served on its airy terrace or vaulted dining room with large open fireplace. Our favourite spot is driftwood-chic La Table de la Plage with blue-draped tables set on the beach and on terraces amongst the juniper and sage bushes. Its bar is perfect for a post-swim Murtoli gin and tonic, and we love the wild clam and parsley spaghetti and the Domaine’s own entrecote of veal with garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes. The candlelit La Table de la Grotte is also stunning, with tables set in an ancient cave and on an outdoor terrace ideal for sunset viewing. Here, the focus is on traditional Corsican specialties such as hearty vegetable soup and lamb confit with catmint.

“Our favourite spot is driftwood-chic La Table de la Plage with blue-draped tables set on the beach or on terraces amongst the juniper and sage bushes. Its bar is perfect for a post-swim Murtoli gin and tonic…”

Activities in nature

I savour walking, swimming, and kayaking along the two-kilometre sweep of beach. There’s a small boat to take guests fishing or to explore the surrounding coves. Close to the farmhouse is a swimming pool with four-poster, cloth-draped day beds on a spacious terrace.

My husband plays the 12-hole links-style golf course, which Robert Trent Jones-protege Kyle Philips designed to settle into the landscape amidst the olive trees, pastures and everlasting flower farm.

I enjoy an excellent massage in the Robinson Crusoe-like spa, nestled amongst wild rose bushes, myrtle and bamboo above the sea. Mr Canarelli’s sisters, Helene and Lise, created the Nucca spa products from maquis herbs, with the assistance of a Provencal aromatherapy specialist.

One of the best activities is to walk in the Domaine with local guide, Paul Poli, who is passionate about sharing the history and botany of the estate. You can also do a two-hour round-trip hike to discover the dolmen and menhirs on the plateau.

In Domaine de Murtoli, Paul Canarelli has created the ultimate homage to Corsican culture by offering genuine farm-to-fork cuisine, local wines, maquis-inspired spa treatments, and authentic rustic-luxe accommodation in a drop-dead gorgeous landscape that embodies the essence of this “Isle of Beauty”.

Journey Notes

Getting there

There are direct flights to four airports in Corsica from Paris, Nice, Marseille, London, and Rome, and ferry services between Marseille, Toulon and Nice to Bastia, Calvi and Ajaccio. Figari airport is the closest airport (25 minutes) to the Domaine. Two helipads are on the property.

Staying there

There are 20 villas/cottages ranging from one to seven bedrooms and nine suites and rooms in the farmhouse. Prices range from 320€ to 1160€ for a premium room for two people and from 300€ to 1630€ for a cottage for two people. An ideal time for Australians to visit is in June or September when the weather is warm without the high summer crowds.  www.murtoli.com