Addu Atoll
The southernmost, equator-straddling atoll — its own international airport, value and diving
Addu (Seenu) is at the far south of the Maldives, straddling the equator, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with freshwater lakes, mangroves and WWII relics, and with its own international airport it is often chosen for value, getting away from crowds and diving. Both islands covered here sit at the low end of the price range: Canareef is a beach-bungalow resort on a 4.5 km beach; Equator Village is a garden-bungalow resort converted from the RAF's old 'British Club' base, at the lowest price band in the Maldives.
- Access
- A ~1.5 hr domestic flight from Malé to Gan (crossing the equator), then a 10–15 min speedboat. Gan also has an international airport, so you can fly in directly from Colombo and skip the Malé transfer.
- Best for
- Value · Diving / snorkelling · Getting away from crowds · Local culture / WWII relics
- Watch out
- · One extra equator-crossing domestic flight — the longest total transfer
- · Both islands are fairly basic — do not expect a private-island ultra-lux experience
- · Gan is an inhabited island with roads, not an uninhabited private island
Choosing between the two
Canareef (Herathera) is a resort of 271 beach bungalows on one of the longest beaches in the Maldives at 4.5 km, with a footbridge to a local island, an all-inclusive and value as the draw. Equator Village (Gan) sits right by Gan airport, converted from the RAF base's 'British Club' into garden bungalows plus a pool and a tennis court, with dated rooms (the lowest Rooms score of the islands covered here) but the lowest price in the Maldives - a choice for divers and exploratory travellers.
Why come to Addu
Addu has plenty of dive sites (hammerhead cleaning stations, the British Loyalty WWII wreck), with whale-shark and manta chances too; there are WWII / Cold War relics, freshwater lakes and mangroves, and Gan / Feydhoo / Hithadhoo are linked by causeway roads you can cycle. To skip the Malé transfer, you can fly directly into Gan international airport from Colombo.
What to watch
Addu is at the far south, so the domestic flight from Malé is 1.5 hours (one extra leg beyond the norm, crossing the equator), and some guests arrive in the middle of the night; the total is the longest of any island covered here. Both resorts are fairly basic, so for a private-island ultra-lux stay, head to the northern atolls.
Islands in Addu Atoll
2 on the site
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