Islands you can stay on
Inhabited islands with guesthouses — the half of the Maldives that costs a tenth as much and that the booking sites rank last. Local islands, local custom, and a ferry timetable worth reading before you book.
Guesthouse islands
MaafushiSouth Malé — The island that started Maldivian guesthouse tourism. Dozens of properties, a bikini beach, and a public ferry from Malé most days.ThoddooAlifu Alifu — Farming island — watermelon and papaya grow here, which is unusual in the Maldives. A long bikini beach on the west side.DhigurahAlifu Dhaalu — Three kilometres long with a sandbank running off the southern tip. On the whale shark route.UkulhasAlifu Alifu — Known nationally for waste management and a tidy beach — a small island that runs itself well.RasdhooAlifu Alifu — The atoll capital. Hammerhead dives at dawn off Madivaru, and a short hop to Ari's northern reefs.FulidhooVaavu — Tiny, quiet and dive-led. The one guesthouse island most visitors to Vaavu reach.DharavandhooBaa — Carries Baa's domestic airport and the atoll's cheapest beds — and the closest access to Hanifaru Bay.
Listings in progress
More islands are being added as their listings are checked. If you run a property that belongs here, list it free.