The capital and the airport
Every trip starts at Velana International Airport on Hulhulé island, next to Malé, one of the most densely built capitals on earth. Malé has the coral stone Old Friday Mosque, the National Museum and the fish market, while neighbouring Hulhumalé has a long beach and hotels for late arrivals and early departures.
Local islands close to Malé
South Malé Atoll is where guesthouse tourism began. Maafushi, Guraidhoo and Gulhi are a ferry or speedboat ride away, with bikini beaches, sandbank trips and reefs full of turtles, alongside some of the closest resorts to the airport.
Whale sharks and big reefs
Ari Atoll, west of Malé, is a diver's favourite. South Ari is famous for whale sharks all year, North Ari for shark filled thilas, and local islands such as Dhigurah and Ukulhas offer a budget way in.
The manta atoll
Baa Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and home to Hanifaru Bay, where mantas gather in their hundreds in the southwest monsoon. It has some of the country's most celebrated resorts and a few local guesthouse islands.
The far south
Addu Atoll, just south of the equator, has its own international airport, a road linking several islands, wetlands, wartime heritage from the British base at Gan and a famous wreck dive.
How to fit it together
Most trips choose one or two atolls. A week might combine a night near the airport, a few nights on a local island in South Malé Atoll and a few on a resort in Ari or Baa. Transfers depend on boat and seaplane timings, so plan the days you travel around your flights. Use the free trip planner to shape your route.