In Paris board- and ballrooms, it's an address that's exchanged in confidence: "Mais surtout ne le dis á personne." ("Above all, don't tell another soul about it.") La Domaine de Murtoli is a magnificent 4,900-acre estate with five miles of private white-sand beaches and 13 restored 16th-century farmhouses a few miles outside of Sartène in southern Corsica. So far, it's largely the preserve of the Franco-European chic set. Fellow guests during my stay included a famous fashion designer, the president of a French car company, and a cabinet minister.  You don't necessarily feel the magic right away as the gates to this exclusive Eden open onto a dusty gravel road. You are following the 4x4 of the person sent to escort you to your house. With any luck it's charming, blonde Valérie, the wife of owner Paul Canarelli. Canarelli, whose father, Toussaint, owns the famous Grand Hotel de Cala Rossa in Porto Vecchio, inherited this estate from his grandfather ten years ago. It was mostly wild land--and still is.  "I wanted to create a place that was completely private," Canarelli explains, "based on the privilege of living in a setting of incredible natural beauty."  Arriving at L'Albitru (the Arbousier), one of three houses with a view of the sea, you realize that Canarelli's idea of living like a noble savage is in fact pretty plush. There's a stunning free-form pool (all 13 villas have private lap pools) and an open summer kitchen set off to one side. Inside, the simple bergerie (shepherd's house) is whitewashed and scented by bunches of dried lavender and the beeswax used on the furniture. To a shelter magazineperfect mix of Corsican antiques and traditional French country furniture, add cool terra-cotta tiles underfoot, huge chestnut beams overhead, and a massive wood-burning fireplace in the living room. This exquisitely rustic mise-en-scène notwithstanding, the house is air-conditioned and has a kitchen equipped with an ice machine and a La Cornue gas range. There's a stocked wine cellar, a hammam, and a sauna. Lovely details include bottles of organic white peach juice in the fridge, jars of homemade wild blueberry jam, and canvas beach chairs and umbrellas--everything you need to do absolutely nothing in full-barrelled comfort.  To cook or not to cook? Fresh-caught fish from Murtoli's resident skipper and organic vegetables from the domaine's farm can be delivered to you daily. Or head to the dining room, spectacularly carved from a massive boulder, for ravioli stuffed with brocciu (sheep's milk ricotta) and herb-strewn veal chops grilled over an open fire. Or try the beach restaurant, maybe on a night when a group of Corsican singers animates a candlelit dinner that begins with freshly shucked sea urchins and chilled rosé and continues with what may just be the best bouillabaisse in France.  You can luxuriate in Murtoli's seaside spa, with its Corsican-made Realia products, or go fishing, horseback riding, or hunting (for wild boar and small game, in season). But don't miss a hike with botanist Stephane Rogliano through the maquis, the hypnotically fragrant cover of shrubs and wild herbs (mint, thyme, laurel, rosemary) that spreads over much of the island. There is no mystery about why the French have nicknamed Corsica "L'Ile de Beaute." --ALEXANDER LOBRANO  THE DETAILS $5,925$34,460 Per week September to June All villas available on a nightly basis Contact 33-4-95-71-69-24, murtoli.com
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