Checking In: An Intimate Island Retreat on Corsica

If anyone knows how to blend the Corsican spirit with five-star luxury, it’s Domaine de Murtoli. On the French island neighbouring with Sardinia, in the small town of Sartène in Corsica’s Ortolo Valley, the sprawling four-season retreat is set on more than 6,000 acres of mountainous farmland dotted with 20 17th-century shepherds’ houses and landlord’s mansions, each with ample space and privacy and many with their own heated pools. It’s a relaxed and quietly luxurious homage to the island.

Now, the iconic estate has a new younger sibling just a stone’s throw from Domaine de Murtoli: A Mandria di Murtoli. A more accessible but just as elegant alternative to the original, A Mandria is made up of 10 rooms and suites, all integrated into the landscape and laid out across the property in a way that’s intended to feel like a private country village.

A spacious duplex and four bedrooms—one on the upper level and three with curved stone ceilings on the garden floor—make up the stately main house. Other rooms and suites are tucked into various historic buildings, such as the sheepfolds, the stable, and the barn—each updated for ultimate comfort while retaining the charm and spirit of the original structures. Each accommodation holds its own character, with aged wood beams, exposed brick, and colourful Sardinian tiles, and many have private outdoor space.

A trip to the five-star hotel’s ethereal cobblestoned pool is a must. Nestled in an olive grove and framed with spacious daybeds and fringed shade umbrellas, the pool offers sweeping views of the valley and is the ideal place to watch a lazy afternoon pass by.

On an island that blends French and Italian influences, food holds a place of pride at A Mandria di Murtoli. The hotel’s bright and relaxed Italian restaurant, L’Appuntamento, serves fresh dishes and a wine list with plenty of Italian and Sardinian options. As there are only 30 seats, each meal here, enjoyed on a terrace under 100-year-old olive and orange trees, is an intimate occasion. Most of the ingredients are from local producers, and many are from the estate itself. Much of Domaine de Murtoli’s land is dedicated to farming, and the estate produces fruit and vegetables (including five endemic olive varieties that they use to make oil), meat, sheep’s cheese, and honey.

As with Domaine, the heart of A Mandria is environmental stewardship. With the hotel and its land inextricably tied, it relies on local materials and partakes in in-depth ecological research to better understand how to preserve and promote biodiversity in the hamlet where the hotel is located, as well as contribute to the Environmental Endowment Fund dedicated to Corsica’s environmental protection.

Ultimately, a stay at A Mandria di Murtoli means immersing oneself in the pleasures of Corsica and enjoying quiet, intimate moments at a place that feels as much like a friend’s home as a hotel.

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