Maafushi Island – An Affordable Way to Explore Maldives

Maafushi Island in the Maldives is a slice of heaven on earth. Located in the heart of the Indian Ocean it’s famous for its stunning beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and budget-friendly accommodations.

Maafushi

Maafushi Island is where it all started for the affordable Maldives travel. It’s thanks to this tiny island that budget travel is now possible around the tropical nation. In 2009 when the government changed the law to allow non-resort tourism, the first guesthouses and hotels started to develop here.

Want to know more about affordable Maldives trips? Check out our complete guide to the Maldives on a Budget.

Getting to Maafushi

The cheapest way to get to Maafushi is by utilizing the Maldives’ public ferry system.

There’s a boat running daily (except for Fridays) that leaves the main island of Male at 15:00pm. It only costs $3 per person one way and it takes around 90 minutes.

If you’re landing in Male Airport (Velana International Airport) then you need to get the airport ferry over to the main Male Island. This ferry runs every 10 minutes and costs $1. It’s right outside the airport and you can buy your ticket at a small booth near where the ferry docks. This ferry takes you to Hulhumale Ferry Terminal, but the Maafushi ferry departs from Villingili Ferry Terminal on the opposite end of the island. The best way to get there is by hailing a taxi outside the terminal, it should only cost you around $2.

You can also go by speedboat directly from Male Airport to Maafushi. It’s a bit more expensive at around $20-$25 per person one way, but it does mean you get there in 45 minutes instead of 90.

Best Things to Do in Maafushi

Due to Maafushi being the original non-resort island, and drawing the largest number of tourists, there’s more to do here than most islands.

Bikini Beach

Most islands in the Maldives have beach areas reserved for tourists named ‘Bikini Beach’. The Maldives is a Muslim country and so rules on how people dress is very conservative. For that reason, each island has designated places where it’s okay to wear beachwear like shorts and bikinis.

Bikini Beach on Maafushi is on the northwest corner of the island. It’s a beach between two large breakwaters with a few palm trees at the back. It’s a great beach for bathing as the water is warm and shallow. There are places behind the beach that sell king coconuts and fresh fruit smoothies.

There’s also Arena beach, in front of the same named hotel, which is often quieter. It’s just round a bit from Bikini Beach to the northeast.

Harbor for Sunset

The rocky breakwater surrounding the port where you arrived by boat is a great place to watch the sunset. There are plenty of fish to spot from here, and many rays swimming around the harbor.

Excursions – Snorkelling, Islands, and Resorts

There’s plenty of choice when it comes to day trips from Maafushi. There are several companies offering similar excursions at comparable prices. We chose iCom Tours based on their positive reviews and they were very well run.

One bucket list adventure is the nurse shark and stingray trip. You actually swim with the nurse sharks, and you’ll be completely surrounded by a huge school of these gentle giants. The tour guides capture it all on a GoPro and forward you the footage later that evening. The footage we got was incredible. If you’re a capable swimmer and you follow the guide’s instructions, they will let you snorkel with them alone while they’re filming other groups.

We also really enjoyed our excursion to Gulhi Island, which included stops at various reefs. We were lucky enough to swim with a number of turtles at a reef drop-off as well as a diverse range of fish. We ended the day with food and relaxation time on a secluded beach on Gulhi.

If you’re interested in experiencing overwater bungalow resorts, day trips from Maafushi are available. While they are cheaper than staying at the resorts, they’re still a bit on the pricey side.

Renee’s Coral Garden

Renee’s Coral Garden is located off the shore to the northeast of the island. It’s around 200m from Sunrise Beach.

Google Maps does have its location marked, though this isn’t necessarily useful when you’re in the water. Unless you take your phone in a waterproof sleeve, you’re going to have to locate it manually. But it is worth checking on Maps first to get an idea of where you’re heading.

To find it you need to swim directly east from the beach past a huge swathe of sea grass. We found the visibility lacking at first because it was a little choppy near the shore and the sand was being disturbed. As you head out this will begin to improve. After you leave the expanse of grass, you should continue over a wide-open area of sand until you can suddenly see the marine life and coral patches.

There are dozens of man-made reefs spread around with an impressive diversity of animals. We spotted pufferfish, lionfish, butterfly fish, and many large schools of tropical fish.

Water Activities

Similar to the excursions and trips, there are also many places running water activities on Maafushi. We decided on Active Watersports and the service was great. The activities include parasailing, jet skis, a fun tube, and sea kayaks.

It worked out better value to book a package with more than one activity, so we opted for all four! The parasailing was breathtaking; you can see the entire island from above. What’s more, they film you on a drone and transfer you the incredible videos. For an extra special experience, book the parasailing for sunset.

Moonlight Bar

A slight downside to the Maldives when compared to other holiday destinations is there isn’t as much to do in the evenings. But Maafushi is somewhat of an exception as they have the Moonlight Bar.

They have live music at 8pm every night and they serve the best smoothies, milkshakes, and mocktails in the Indian Ocean. The traditional Maldivian band were great fun to watch – definitely a highlight. They also had solo guitarists and singers on other nights.

They also serve food, but it’s probably best to go before the entertainment starts as it can get loud and busy.

Boat Bar

Maafushi is a dry island like all of the non-resort islands in the Maldives. But thanks to a get out clause, a boat offshore doesn’t count.

The Boat Bar or Floating Bar is an anchored boat that’s allowed to sell alcohol. To get there you get a small boat from the Maafushi harbor. It was difficult to find so we just had to ask around.

They have a DJ playing some questionable tunes and they serve beers, wines, and liquor. It was really quiet when we went so would probably be better if there was a group of you. Also, it’s worth noting that it’s not as cheap as you might think – around $6-10 for a drink.

Where to Stay in Maafushi

Narnia Maldives is a great, centrally located guesthouse with spacious rooms and breakfast included. It costs around $80 per night.

Another option if you’d prefer a bigger hotel is Arena Beach Hotel on the north end of Maafushi. They have a beach right in front and nice restaurants nearby. Arena costs around $160 per night.

Where to Eat in Maafushi

Our favorite restaurant on Maafushi is an Indian restaurant called Tandoori Flames Maafushi. It’s around 30 yards north of the Moonlight Bar with a large sandy seating area outside.

Another Indian place we loved was Aveli Restaurant near Bikini Beach in the north. The outdoor seating is really nice in the night, adorned with fairy lights.

Maafushi FAQs

Maafushi Island – An Affordable Way to Explore Maldives

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