North and South Malé Atolls

The North and South Malé atolls, known together as Kaafu, hold the capital, Malé, and Velana International Airport. Their first advantage is distance: resorts are 15 to 45 minutes away by speedboat, and this is the only atoll where every resort can be reached by day or night without a seaplane. It suits an evening arrival, or a holiday that begins a few hours after you leave Riyadh.

In the north of the atoll lie the Fari Islands, a small archipelago built on the lagoon about 50 minutes by speedboat from the airport. Each resort has its own island: Patina Maldives, which opened in May 2021, and The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, with Capella still to come, all linked by Fari Marina with its beach club, boutiques and restaurants. It combines exceptional privacy with coral reefs and very clear water.

The two atolls also hold resorts we know well: One&Only Reethi Rah; Four Seasons at Kuda Huraa, built like a Maldivian village; Jumeirah Olhahali, 55 minutes out; and Grand Park Kodhipparu, just 20 minutes away. In South Malé, Anantara Dhigu, Anantara Veli and Naladhu share one lagoon about 30 minutes by boat from the airport, near SO/ Maldives and Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi, whose private island covers 32,000 square metres.

The eastern rim of the north atoll has well-known surf breaks from March to October, and dive sites such as Banana Reef, among the first in the Maldives to become famous. Malé itself is small and crowded, and worth half a day: the Old Friday Mosque, the fish market and the King Salman Mosque.