Top tip: Don’t miss a diving trip to the unique coral gardens of Coral Paradise.
Beach holidays to the Maldives
1. Reethi Beach (Baa Atoll)
Reethi Beach in Baa Atoll, home to Reethi Beach Resort, stands for pure luxury. It’s considered to be a postcard perfect representation of the Maldives, with its picturesque water villas, exclusive seafood restaurants and gorgeous beachfront. You can reach the island from Malé in around 30 minutes, travelling by seaplane.
2. Fulhadhoo Beach (Baa Atoll)
Located completely away from it all, remote, wild Fulhadhoo Beach warmly welcomes its guests. It’s an inhabited island, blessed with an extraordinarily long beach for an island here – nearly 1km of fine white sand. Those looking for peace and quiet, and a break from everyday life are in the right place. Excellent local restaurants provide great food before you go back to contemplating the gorgeousness of the setting. You can reach the beach from Malé within 2 hours if you travel by boat, or 20 mins if you travel by seaplane.
Top tip: Enjoy a romantic seafood dinner at sunset.
3. Lily Beach (South Ari Atoll)
The heavenly, pearl-white Lily Beach is located on the island of Huvahendhoo at the Lily Beach Resort & Spa. Divers and snorkellers are particularly well catered for here, with incredible proximity to some of the most famous dive sites. Afterwards, the resorts’ cocktail bars and excellent restaurants are perfect for a wind-down. Malé Airport is just a 25-minute seaplane ride from the beach.
Top tip: The house reef here lures with a particularly fascinating underwater world.
4. Dhigurah Beach (South Ari Atoll)
The long and skinny Dhigurah Beach in South Ari Atoll might just be your deserted island paradise. An expanse of fine-grained, white sand and a bright blue sea is yours to discover on this inhabited island – with only a couple of cafés and a handful of low-key hotels. But if you’d like to discover the underwater world, there are few finer places. This is one of the best places to come for the opportunity to dive with majestic whale sharks. The ferry ride from Malé to Dhigurah Island is around 4 hours.
Top tip: Take a walk along the deserted sandbar at the end of the beach, which flows into the crystal clear sea and on to the superlative LUX South Ari Resort.
5. Bandos Beach (North Male Atoll)
The private Bandos Beach resort is one of the oldest in the Maldives and attracts numerous guests to its idyllic setting. This is a place for lovers, who stroll on the white powder sand or relax on the comfortable loungers. This is a more low-key sort of area, with activities mainly centred around snorkelling the colourful house reef and fishing. Guests can reach Bandos Beach in around 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé.
Top tip: Enjoy unforgettable moments at sunset, when the fiery red sun sinks into the sea and the scene is immersed in a spectacle of colour.
6. Mirihi Beach (South Ari Atoll)
On the small resort island of Mirihi Beach there is nothing to be seen except modern villas, shady palm trees and white sand, lined with green vegetation. A wonderful peace prevails in the whole resort. Mirihi Beach is located in the South Ari Atoll and can be reached by seaplane within 30 minutes from Malé.
Top tip: From July to February, you may observe the natural phenomenon known as Sea of Stars. The beach glows at night due to a certain type of plankton – an unforgettable experience.
7. Kurumba Beach (North Male Atoll)
Just 10 minutes by boat from Malé, Kurumba Beach stretches out in all its glory. The sand is like white powdered sugar. With its paradisiacal backdrop of turquoise blue waters and green palm trees, Kurumba particularly attracts honeymooners. Located in the North Malé Atoll, the resort offers beautiful spots for divers, snorkellers and kayakers to discover, while the many excellent restaurants take care of your culinary wellbeing.
Top tip: Don’t miss the entertainment program staged by the resort, which ranges from live music to jazz evenings at sunset.
8. Hulhumalé Beach (Male)
The public beach on Hulhumalé is in fact one of the most beautiful in the Maldives. Lush green foliage and white, fine sand characterise the landscape, while a range of romantic restaurants and bars invite you to enjoy an unforgettable evening. Just bear in mind that Hulhumalé’s beach isn’t a tourist one per se, so you need to remain covered up – bikinis are not welcome. Malé Airport and Hulhumalé Beach are only 5km from each other, so it’s only a few minutes’ drive to the beach.
Top tip: Enjoy wonderful views of the sunset over a feast of local seafood.
9. Bikini Beach (North Male Atoll)
Thulusdhoo Island is a real hub of the local surf scene. The town attracts numerous enthusiastic surfers year after year, while bathing holidaymakers and sun worshippers linger on the comfortable loungers at snow-white Bikini Beach. You will also find many wonderful snorkelling opportunities and diving spots here. The island is located north of the capital Malé and can be reached in about 30 minutes via speedboat.
Top tip: Swim, snorkel or dive at the Meeru Kuuda wreck, populated by many colourful sea creatures.
10. Meeru Beach (North Male Atoll)
The beach on the picturesque island of Meeru attracts delighted holiday-makers to its brilliant white sand. It’s surrounded by palm trees and mangroves, making it a perfect setting for some major unwinding. Here, you will find one of the oldest resorts in the Maldives. There’s loads to do here, including island-hopping tours to neighbouring islands, opportunities to play tennis, snorkel, dive, golf and much more.
Top tip: Don’t go to bed too early. Cultural performances, disco and karaoke evenings take place regularly.
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