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Shahee Ilyas, CC BY-SA 3.0

Maldives

The Maldives is a nation of coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, where most visitors stay on one resort island and travel by boat or seaplane.

Best things to do in Maldives

The one thing not to miss

Spend a day in Malé, the capital, with the Old Friday Mosque and the National Museum.

Malé, the capital
  1. Malé
    Shahee Ilyas, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Malé, the capital

    • Half a day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • Rainy day

    The capital and most populous city of the Maldives, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It has the Old Friday Mosque and the National Museum, opened in 1952.

    21,092 readers a month

    Sources
  2. Malediven Rückflug Hulhumale 6
    Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Hulhumalé

    • Half a day
    • No booking needed
    • Families

    A reclaimed island in the south of North Malé Atoll, built up from sand pumped from the sea floor.

    2,160 readers a month

    Sources
  3. Fuvahmulah
    GIS & Mapping Unit, Spatial Planning Section, Department of National Planning, Republic of Maldives, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Fuvahmulah

    • Several days
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Active

    A single-island atoll in the far south, between Huvadhu and Addu atolls.

    1,593 readers a month

    Sources
  4. Baa Atoll
    Map originally vector'ed by Hassan Waheed, Aabaadhuge of Thinadhoo island.. Note: This section of map was extracted and its text was romanized by Oblivious. Special assitance by Waddey and Zuru. helix84, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Baa Atoll

    • Several days
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Couples
    • Active

    An atoll made up of three natural atolls; its islands include Fulhadhoo.

    1,370 readers a month

    Sources
  5. Addu Atoll (Landsat)
    NASA, Public domain

    Addu Atoll

    • Several days
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Active
    • Couples

    The southernmost atoll of the Maldives, 540 km south of Malé, in the Southern Hemisphere.

    580 readers a month

    Sources
How we ranked these

By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Malé, the capital leads with about 21,092 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.

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