Pristine white sand beaches that cover stretches of land, turquoise coloured crystal-clear water and emerald-coloured palm trees are pleasant sights that one can come across in the Maldives.
The Maldives offers a fantastic collection of island beaches, whether it’s for your honeymoon, romantic getaway, or a cosy family vacation. Here are our handpicked fourteen best beaches and private islands in the Maldives for your most awaited getaway.
Hulhumale Island
This public, man-made island is unarguably one of the visitor favourites as it maintains the perfect balance between alluring urban life and amicable island life. Located in close proximity to the Male airport, it is a budget-friendly beach dotted with friendly cafes.
Tourists are advised to enjoy their leisure time here in modest swimwear. This beach is ideal to spend time in the evening, chatting with the friendly locals, swinging gleefully in the Maldivian hammocks while having a relaxing time.
Veligandu Island
A small and intimate island only 600m long but with a wide array of water sports for beginners and daring adventurers. The long coral reefs offer tourists the opportunity to dive in its teeming water with turtles and reef sharks.
Visitors can relish in nature’s artistry and the elegance of reefs in the crystalline sea by snorkelling, swimming, or simply taking a stroll along the coastline. This is an incredible island invoking pure feelings of being in paradise.
The azure waters here are inhabited by a diverse marine population. The island has all the facilities for a relaxing time, including sunbeds and umbrellas and even hosts Maldivian traditional parties.
Check out this related article: Can you Swim in the Maldives Waters?
Cocoa Island
Cocoa Island is a picturesque island on the Maldivian archipelago that offers its visitors an exotic experience. The coral reef that surrounds the island is of indescribable beauty, and a great spot for scuba diving and enjoying the magical underwater world. The calm lagoon provides water enthusiasts with the opportunity to snorkel throughout the year and explore the exquisite marine life.
As a private beach, it offers visitors a much-needed break from their busy life with great seclusion. Find luxury villas that offer yoga and spa retreats for a personal rewind time and enjoy candlelight dinners on the beachfront for a romantic whirlwind experience.
Landaa Giraavaru
This UNESCO biosphere reserve, which houses the renowned Four Seasons resort, is an idyllic spot to have a splendid time with your significant other as it is a private beach that offers you the much-coveted seclusion and luxury accommodation.
With vibrant and charming beauty all around, it is an ideal place to explore manta rays which are the largest in the world. You can dive into the iridescent blue waters and watch the abundant sea life of a variety of fish and sea turtles that live along the coral reef.
Or you can even get onto the three-person submarine on the island to delve into the underwater world.
Fulhadhoo Island
Enjoy a world-class experience at this private beach away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and crowded locations. As a long and narrow inhabited island located on the Baa Atoll, it is one of the least expensive islands to visit due to its location being further away from popular tourist destinations.
So, if you are looking for a calm and affordable getaway to cherish the seductive charm of nature, Fulhadhoo Island is your ideal place. Its location has also granted it the advantage of possessing a magnificently colourful reef, which houses a plethora of marine life untouched by humans.
Ukulhas Island
With immaculate pristine beaches that are frequently cleaned of pollutants, this beach is highly favoured by many due to its spotless nature. Located on the Alif Alif atoll, this thousand-meter stretch of white sand beach will help you enjoy a brisk stroll, without having to fire a hole in your pocket.
Ukulhas Island is renowned for the budgetary yet illustrious service it offers tourists, from snorkelling, diving, and fishing to relaxing on a beach lounge with umbrellas for shade.
Kunburudhoo Beach
Want to experience the tropical desert island feeling? Then look no further than Kunburudhoo beach! This hidden gem of the Maldivian archipelago is the quintessential place to enjoy seclusion. The now lightly populated island has a wide range of affordable cafes giving visitors the opportunity to taste the country’s authentic cuisine and freshly caught seafood.
If you love lying on the beach, next to a bonfire, listening to the water’s tranquillity while watching the star-studded sky, then you wouldn’t want to miss this private beach.
Dhigurah Beach
If you are a beach enthusiast craving for some adventure, you shouldn’t miss this place. Dhigurah Beach is a private beach where you can flaunt your body in your favourite swimsuit. This beach is also distinguished for its world-class diving spots.
Tourists have the opportunity to dive along with whale sharks, sea turtles, and a wide range of colourful aquatic life.
With a seamlessly shaped sandbar, visitors can spend the whole day at the picnic table nearby the beach. Or the local cafes while being immersed in the serenity of the surroundings.
Reethi Rah
With twelve intimate sugar sand beaches, Reethi Rah is undoubtedly one of the best beaches in the Maldives.
You can sit back and sip your favourite drink while relaxing in a private spa and wellness centre. Or immerse yourself in a range of water sports including swimming, snorkelling and private water excursion.
Rasfannu Beach
A postcard-worthy view of azure waters and golden sand awaits you at the man-made Rasfannu beach. With long stretches of the beach overlooking the Laccadive Sea, tourists can engage in many water activities.
With the alluring beauty of nature and overflowing opulence, visitors can have a great time at the beach. Large numbers of local restaurants around this public beach will undoubtedly give your tastebuds a tour of the local cuisine.
Kurumba Beach
Located in close proximity to the airport and filled with charm and grandeur, Kurumba beach is a popular honeymoon destination. As a private beach, it offers much more than seclusion by extending its ambience to a wide range of activities.
The marvellous beauty of the coral reefs set on translucent blue waters is a picturesque sight here. In the evening you can walk along the lagoon or swing on the hammocks while sipping your favourite cocktail.
Vabbinfaru Island
Surrounded by colourful coral reefs and vibrant marine life, visitors can bask in the tropical sunshine at Vabbinfaru Island. The island beach is benevolent not just in natural beauty but also in the range of water activities it offers.
Visitors can snorkel around the coral reefs and explore stingrays, pufferfish and small sharks. Or just leisurely walk around this almost perfect circular island barefoot, combing through the white sand.
Lily Beach
This private beach is one of the elite beaches in the Maldives in close proximity to diving sites. Visitors can dive right into the exquisite aquatic world and explore the ethereal beauty of the exotic reefs. Jet skiing, water skiing, kite surfing and catamaran sailing are some extreme sports activities that tourists can engage in.
Not an ardent adventurer? No worries, you can pamper yourself through fishing, snorkelling and boat tours. The evenings are spectacular with beachfront entertainment coupled with bonfires to spice up the night. With the breathtaking sunset as the backdrop, a true dream come true experience.
Bikini Beach
Bikini beach is one of the public beaches on Maafushi island where ladies can put on their favourite bikinis and swim their hearts out. Tourists flock here due to the freedom of being able to wear their favourite swimwear in a conservative country.
Visitors can swim, snorkel and spend a day swinging on the palm tree hammocks.