Maafushi Island

Let me be straightforward: this is an in-depth review of Maafushi, which I consider to be the worst local island in the Maldives. I’ll cover the pros and cons of staying here, how to get there, where to stay, and how to spot turtles and manta rays near the island. Expect lots of tips and hacks that will help you plan your Maldives trip more efficiently—some will even save you money and time. No personal bias, just straight facts and comparisons with other local islands.

---

It will be difficult for you to plan your dream trip to Maldives without these websites

A Brief History of Tourism on Maafushi

To understand why this island is so popular, let’s look at a little context:

In 1972, the Maldives opened to international tourism. But due to the country’s strict Islamic laws at the time, tourists were not allowed to stay on islands inhabited by locals.

Instead, private resort islands were developed—exclusive and luxurious, and often costing $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 or more per stay. This is how the Maldives earned its image as a millionaire’s playground, seemingly out of reach for average travelers.

That changed in 2009, when the government introduced a major tourism reform. Locals were finally allowed to open guesthouses and hotels on inhabited islands, and tourists were permitted to stay outside of the resorts.

Interesting fact:

There is only one global restriction left today: alcohol is allowed on resorts, but strictly prohibited on local islands. You can’t buy it here. If you’re interested, here’s a useful article about alcohol in the Maldives.

Maafushi was the first local island to open up to independent travelers, back in 2010. And with no real competition at the time, its popularity skyrocketed. That’s one reason why it’s still one of the most visited islands today. But believe me—these days, it wouldn’t even make the top 30 list of the best local islands.

Pros and Cons of Maafushi

Here’s the no-fluff truth. There are only three real advantages to staying on Maafushi:

1. Proximity to Malé and the airport – just 30 km away. By Maldivian standards, that’s very close—you can reach the island in under an hour.
2. Affordability – it’s one of the cheapest local islands. I’ll go into details on costs later.
3. Well-developed infrastructure – plenty of cafes, restaurants, shops, souvenir stalls, accommodation options, and even a hospital.

The Paradox:

Most budget travelers choose Maafushi because it’s cheap and easy to get to. But they completely overlook nearby local islands that are just as accessible and affordable, yet 25 times better in terms of nature and experience.

The Downsides of Maafushi

Important note: these are cons relative to other local islands.

• Weak bikini beach – It’s small, overcrowded, and often dirty despite the locals’ best efforts to keep it clean. The sheer number of tourists overwhelms it.
• No real house reef – There’s almost no snorkeling right off the beach. If you look at the photo above, you’ll see four Y-shaped breakwaters. The reef doesn’t really begin until the open ocean, far from shore—too far to swim to safely.
• Poor marine life – Unsurprising, given the lack of a proper reef.
• Not much greenery – Very few palm trees and vegetation compared to greener islands.
• Overcrowded – This is one of the most crowded islands in the Maldives. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Maafushi and Thoddoo are the most visited local islands by far.

A curious fact:

Maafushi is home to the country’s main (and possibly only) prison, which occupies around 30% of the island and coastline. It doesn’t impact the tourist experience directly, but it’s worth knowing.

Maafushi Island: General Info

Now let’s get into the actual guide.

• Coordinates: 3.9408279692203867, 73.48953629516771
• Size: Approximately 1,300 x 300 meters
  (Remember, 30% of that is occupied by the prison.)
• Population: Around 2,500 people – relatively high. Most local islands have fewer than 1,000 residents.
• Distance from Malé and the airport: 27 km
• Atoll: South Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll)

Travel Tip:

In ferry schedules or official documents, the island is sometimes listed as K.Maafushi. The “K” simply stands for Kaafu Atoll.

How to Get There: Ferry or Speedboat

It’s actually quite simple to get to Maafushi. You have two options: the public ferry or a private speedboat.

Public Ferry (Malé – Maafushi)

• Departure point in Malé (Hulhumale Ferry Terminal): 4.177959360862951, 73.51716386459321
• Price: About $1.50 one-way. Tickets are purchased on the ferry; no pre-booking needed.
• Duration: Just under 2 hours
• Ferry Number: 309 (Route: K.Guraidhoo – Malé)
• Timetable: Check the official MTCC website: https://mtcc.mv/. Look under “CTN Ferry – All Atolls” and search for ferry 309 using Ctrl+F.
• Schedule (except Fridays):
  • From Maafushi to Malé: 07:25 → 09:05
  • From Malé to Maafushi: 15:00 → 16:40

For a deeper dive into how ferries work in the Maldives, delays, cancellations, and reading schedules, check out my dedicated article on that topic.

Speedboat (Malé – Maafushi)

Speedboats are faster and much more popular among tourists.

• Frequency: Up to 12 departures a day in each direction – roughly every 30 minutes
• Travel time: 45 minutes
• Price: From $25 (sometimes as low as $20 depending on the provider)
• Advance booking required – at least half a day to a full day ahead. They often sell out.
• The main carrier is ICOM. You can book directly on their website: https://icomtours.com/
• For more information on ticket platforms, hidden costs, and tips about using speedboats in the Maldives, see my guide on inter-island transfers.

Restaurants and hotels

A short chapter, because everything here is pretty simple and straightforward. Maafushi is an island with plenty of accommodation options, and just as many cafes and restaurants.

Today, there are around 80 guesthouses and 2–3* hotels on the island. The standard room price ranges from $50–100 per night. For that price, you get a room with a large bed, air conditioning, a fridge, and a private bathroom.

Important to know:

The Maldives is not like Vietnam or Bali—you can’t just show up and easily find a place to stay. Book in advance. Locals are also very reluctant to bargain. Most of the time, the price you’re told on-site is exactly the same as online, and if you don’t like it, you’re told to look elsewhere. This applies to everything—not just housing. There’s almost no bargaining even when buying souvenirs. What souvenirs to bring from the Maldives?

Maafushi offers a great selection and low prices—buy them here. At the airport, it will be five times more expensive.

• You can browse rental options on Trip.com.
• There are many cheap package tours to Maafushi that include flights, transfers, and meals—check CheapOair.

As for food—no issues at all. There are dozens of eateries, all reasonably priced. The cuisine is typical Maldivian—lots of fish and tuna dishes, and some with chicken. Common side dishes include noodles and rice. For more on national cuisine, taxes, and tips, check the article linked.

Keep in mind: most guesthouses and hotels offer free breakfast. Don’t skip it—many restaurants don’t open until the afternoon.

A typical dinner for two at almost any local restaurant will rarely cost more than $30. We often eat for $20 or less. Prices are higher where I live.

Island Beaches: Turtles, Mantas, Sharks, and Glowing Plankton

The beach is the main reason I don’t like Maafushi.

Useful to know for first-timers:

The Maldives is a Muslim country. Sunbathing and swimming in revealing swimwear is only allowed in specially designated areas called bikini beaches. These exist on every local tourist island, including Maafushi, BUT:

• It’s very small—just two tiny patches of sand, 50–100 meters long each. In high season, it’s like Rimini—only the top layer of people gets sun.
• Maafushi’s bikini beach is here: 3.9453210757807415, 73.49095491853315 (near the Kaani hotel)

There’s no live reef here. Technically, there is one, but it’s dead. As I mentioned earlier, there’s not much to see underwater near the shore. If you want decent snorkeling, you’ll have to pay for a tour—they’ll take you to outer reefs near other islands.

Important to understand:

The real Maldives means sharks, manta rays, turtles, and glowing plankton right by the beach. You can encounter all this just by snorkeling 20 meters from shore. On Maafushi, that’s not possible. To understand what you’re missing, read the article and see photos of glowing plankton in the Maldives.

Now, to be fair: Maafushi’s bikini beach is actually quite nice. Clean, fine white sand, gentle entry into the water—perfect for kids.

While staying on Maafushi, you’ll see that iconic turquoise water that draws tourists from around the world. You’ll definitely get that swing-in-the-ocean photo with the “Maldives” sign—proof that you’ve been here. And that’s basically it. These are budget Maldives—you’ve technically been, got the photos, but won’t feel a major difference from other popular beach destinations.

But don’t be discouraged if you’ve already booked your stay or bought a tour to Maafushi. You can still experience the Maldives’ famous marine life—via excursions.

Excursions and Activities on Maafushi

On any local island in the Maldives, if you want activities, head to a dive center—they offer the widest selection of tours and fun.

Another unique thing about Maafushi: it’s the only local island with anything close to nightlife. No nightclubs, of course, but there are restaurants open late with loud music where tourists can have fun (without alcohol, naturally).

Currently, Maafushi has about 6 dive centers and 2 tour agencies, one of which is Icom (they also operate the airport speedboat transfers I mentioned earlier).

Here’s what you can do on Maafushi:

• Kayak or SUP – $20/hour
• Jet ski – $50 for 30 minutes
• Beginner fishing trip on a boat – from $35
• Snorkeling tours – from basic fish trips to full-day excursions with whale sharks. Prices vary a lot:
  • 2-hour snorkeling at a nearby reef, may see turtles – from $15–20
  • Full-day snorkeling with sharks and mantas + food – from $100–150

Walk around and compare dive centers to see who offers what.

• Diving starts at $50 per dive. You can take a 4–5 dive course and get a PADI certification for around $300.
• One popular activity is a full-day visit to a nearby resort island. The package usually includes:
  • Transfer to a 5* resort
  • Full access to beaches, pools, restaurants
  • Meals and drinks
  • Return to Maafushi in the evening
  • There are about 10 resorts you can visit from Maafushi: Fihalholi, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, Olhuveli, Rasfushi, Rannalhi. Prices start from $110.
  • Check with Maafushi dive centers for the full list of resorts offering this.

Tips for Tourists: Or Why You Should Pick Another Island

If anyone reading this feels I’m too negative about Maafushi—it’s not that. I like Maafushi. It has its own vibe and you’ll have a good time.
But those who choose this island won’t experience even half of the real Maldives, and I want to help you make an informed decision.

The main reason most people pick Maafushi is because it’s cheap and easy to reach. That’s the key factor. Now, a bit of math:

Yes, you can get to the island in 45 minutes for $25.
But then you’ll be paying for every turtle, every fish sighting—via excursions. And your total excursion bill for two people can easily reach $300–500 during your stay.

Or you could choose a different local island, where the trip takes longer and costs more—like Rasdhoo in the Alif Alif Atoll. The speedboat there takes 60 minutes and costs $35. But:

• You’ll see sharks right at the beach,
• Turtles,
• Mantas at sunrise—all without paying for tours.

You can snorkel for free all day long on a reef just 50–100 meters from shore.

The island is greener, the bikini beach is bigger, and there are fewer tourists. Plus, bioluminescent plankton appears right on the beach in the evenings. Accommodation and food cost the same as on Maafushi. So, do the math.

Here are the local islands I recommend instead of Maafushi (all relatively close to Malé, with detailed reports linked):

• Thoddoo Island in the Alif Alif Atoll: a colony of turtles lives on the reef just 20 meters from the beach—even kids can swim to them.
• Rasdhoo Island in the Alif Alif Atoll: every evening, a group of nurse sharks swims into the port. Reef sharks are also common while snorkeling.
• Thinadhoo (Vaavu Atoll): a fantastic island, almost like a private resort. It’s more expensive than Maafushi (accommodation and food), but the island and reef are stunning.
  The ferry from Malé to Thinadhoo passes through Maafushi—so you can spend a couple of days on Maafushi and continue to Thinadhoo.

In the Kaafu Atoll, Maafushi has two neighboring local islands:

• Gulhi local island
• And Guraidhoo Island with the main psychiatric hospital in the Maldives.
• Honestly, the only difference from Maafushi is that they’re quieter and less touristy. Everything else is the same—small bikini beach, no reef, no mantas or plankton.

Between the three (Maafushi, Gulhi, Guraidhoo), Guraidhoo is the better choice—read the full review for details.

In conclusion:
Maafushi is the most popular and most visited local island among independent travelers today. And that’s where its accolades end. Yes, there’s a beach with fine white sand, a turquoise ocean like in the postcards, and a swing in the sea with a “Maldives” sign :).
But if you want more than that, look at islands in nearby atolls.

---

Resources to help you plan your dream trip to the Maldives

• Flight tickets and the best deals
• Vacation packages (from budget to luxury): CheapOair
• Hotels and guesthouses on any island:
  • TripAdvisor compares prices among a dozen other services and platforms and offers to choose the best one.
  • Trip.com – the most popular service for booking accommodation.
• 12go is the largest Asian ferry and speedboat reservation service. It gathers all Maldivian carriers, even the small ones that operate between local islands.
• Tours and excursions: Viator – a limited selection of excursions, but convenient and reliable.
• Comprehensive insurance: EKTA
• eSIM at the same price as in telecom office in Male airport.