In short… A family-owned 6,000 acre estate with 17th-century homes you can rent, a small hotel, several restaurants, their own vineyard, a golf course and the most lovely white sand beach with turquoise water.
The surroundings… The Domaine de Murtoli is located in the Sartène area of Southern Corsica, a very wild and untouched region. We almost drove past the property—it has no signage, only our Google pin alerted us that we had arrived. It’s mountainous, but you’re just a 15-minute drive on a dirt road to the sea–expect to see herds of cows, flocks of ducks, and the occasional wild boar as you drive through the maquis, the scrubby dense vegetation that is everywhere on the property.
The backstory… The Domaine opened in 1993 when Paul Canarelli, its founder, began renting out converted shepherds’ huts on the estate he inherited from his grandfather. Their Hotel de la Ferme opened in 2021, and their newest hotel, A Mandria, opened in June 2025. He still runs the estate today with his daughter, Santa, who is the general manager.
The vibe… Since it’s such a massive property, the vibe shifts drastically depending on where you are—but it has a predominantly chic French clientele and feels very understatedly cool. Everything is hidden and discreet—you don’t see any houses from the road, and the cabanas on the beach are set back away from the sea, against the maquis. Nature gets to show off here—the guests may be cool, but they are here to be quiet and appreciate this almost mad wonder of a place. The only outlier to this is the color purple, which pops up in the interiors—it was the favorite color of the owner’s wife and when they opened, they became known for it.
The rooms… Our room in the Hotel de la Ferme had a lot of details that nodded to its farmhouse origins—big beamed ceilings, stone walls, and wooden floors…with Sardegnan soft wool carpets and lovely antiques throughout. We toured some of the rental properties, and they are so charming that we immediately asked about them for ourselves for next year. A Mandria is a bit further from the beach and the restaurants, but it is a less expensive option than the Ferme. It feels a bit more modern, and has individual pools in some of the rooms.
The food & drink… Normally I am not a buffet person, but this buffet was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. To set the scene: you park your car on the side of the road and walk through the maquis on a driftwood-encased boardwalk for at least five minutes—it’s that long—until you reach the beach. At that point, hidden inside the maquis, La Table de la Plage, with driftwood tables and chairs. It’s so raw yet so sophisticated. The buffet is spread out across many different stations, so there is only a line at the dessert table (the French sure love their desserts). It’s overwhelming how beautiful all the food is—the most simple tomatoes, more complex salads, unfussy everything, from prawns to whole fish to meats to charcuterie. After lunch, guests of the hotel can sit in the cabanas and go for a swim on the most perfect beach, and guests of the restaurant can just enjoy the beach. I didn’t think anything could top that experience until we went to dinner at La Table de la Grotte. I had no idea what this place was like, and I’m glad I didn’t, as it was a complete surprise. It’s a restaurant built into a massive candle-lit cave, with really slippery floors that you carefully walk up to get to the next level, where you’re greeted by the staff. All the tables are set in and around the caves—ours was right next to an alcove that had a big overhang, and our server had to duck each time he came to bring us food. It’s a set menu, but a very simple Corsican meal. We started with a hearty vegetable soup, followed by a cannelloni with local cheese and wild mint, roasted lamb, local cheeses, and creme caramel. The wine pairings were brilliant—I love Corsican wine, and it isn’t something we have much opportunity to try outside of the island.
The wellness… I didn’t experience the spa during my short visit.
Is it kid-friendly? Yes, super kid-friendly. They have a kids’ club, offer babysitting services, and other than La Table de la Grotte, I think everywhere would be great to bring children.
Be sure to… Be there on a Sunday for the buffet, and don’t miss dinner at La Table de la Grotte.
Date of stay… September 19-21, 2025
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