North Malé Atoll

North Malé Atoll, part of the Kaafu administrative atoll, holds the capital, Malé, and Velana International Airport on neighbouring Hulhulé island. Being close to the airport, its resorts are reached by speedboat in 15 to 50 minutes with no wait for a seaplane, which many families prefer.

Malé is a small, crowded city and the country's cultural and commercial centre. It has the Old Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskiy), built of coral stone in 1658, the Grand Friday Mosque of the Islamic Centre and the King Salman Mosque, the largest in the country, along with the fish market, the local market and Sultan Park.

Luxury resorts on private islands are scattered across the atoll, some among the oldest and largest in the Maldives. Its eastern edge is known for surf and channel dive sites.

We suggest half a day in Malé on arrival or departure, for its historic mosques and markets.