A week in the Maldives: South Malé, Ari Atoll and back
The Maldives from the water is not one resort on one island but the lagoons of the atolls, where local islands with a mosque and guesthouses alternate with uninhabited sand islets. The loop is about 136 nm from Hulhumalé lagoon by the airport, through South Malé to the eastern edge of Ari Atoll and back. Two days are open crossings of 36–37 nm through the channels between the atolls; the rest are short hops inside the lagoons. You sail here only by day and by the sun: you see the reefs by the colour of the water, not on the chart.
Day by day
Hulhumalé lagoon
- Hulhumalé lagoon4.228, 73.529
Boat handover at the anchorage in Hulhumalé lagoon, ten minutes from Velana International Airport. Take on water, fuel and the main provisioning here: shops on the local islands are small, and there is no alcohol at all.
Hulhumalé → Gulhi (South Malé)
- Gulhi3.990, 73.505
- Crossroads Marinamarina4.122, 73.463
South past Malé and across the Vaadhoo channel between the atolls into South Malé. Gulhi is a small local island on the atoll's eastern edge with guesthouses and a tourist beach; anchor on sand in the lagoon and walk round the village in the evening.
Gulhi → Bodukaashihuraa (Ari)
- Bodukaashihuraa3.882, 72.949
- Hangnaameedhoo harbourtown quay3.850, 72.957
The main crossing of the week: across the South Malé lagoon and an open channel about twenty miles wide to the eastern edge of Ari Atoll. Leave early so you enter Ari through the reef pass with the sun high. Night in the lagoon off Bodukaashihuraa, an uninhabited islet next to the local island of Hangnaameedhoo.
Bodukaashihuraa → Omadhoo
- Omadhoo3.790, 72.957
A short day inside the atoll: snorkelling on the reefs around Bodukaashihuraa in the morning, then Omadhoo, a local island with guesthouses and a fishing harbour. Lie in the harbour or at anchor outside; in the evening, a walk through the village and dinner at a café.
Omadhoo → Dhangethi
- Dhangethi3.607, 72.952
- Mahibadhoo harbourtown quay3.756, 72.968
South along the eastern edge of Ari past Mahibadhoo, the capital of South Ari. Dhangethi is a local island in the south-east of the atoll; just south of it begins the South Ari marine protected area, where whale sharks are seen all year. Go to see them with local boats, which hold the permits and follow the approach rules.
Dhangethi → Guraidhoo (South Malé)
- Guraidhoo3.900, 73.462
The crossing back over the channel to the southern part of South Malé, again a full day of daylight, starting at dawn. Guraidhoo is a local island by the Guraidhoo Kandu pass, where the current brings in fish and the outer reef sometimes has surf. Night in the lagoon on the atoll side.
Guraidhoo → Kuda Bandos (North Malé)
- Kuda Bandos4.262, 73.497
- Maafushitown quay3.942, 73.485
North through the South Malé lagoon past Maafushi, then across the Vaadhoo channel again into North Malé. Kuda Bandos is a small island next to Bandos with a resort on it since 2016; night at anchor in the lagoon, and go ashore only by arrangement with the resort.
Kuda Bandos → Hulhumalé
- Hulhumalé lagoon4.228, 73.529
A last swim and less than an hour back to Hulhumalé lagoon. Boat handover; the airport is ten minutes away.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Charter and permits: bareboat charter hardly exists in the Maldives — pleasure boats run under a tourist licence with a local skipper. A foreign yacht must appoint a Maldivian agent, who handles the arrival clearance and the cruising permit for moving between atolls if you stay longer than a week.
- Navigation: reefs are the main hazard. Move only in daylight, ideally from nine to three when the sun is high and behind you, with a lookout on the bow; electronic charts here can be off by hundreds of metres. In the reef passes (kandu) the current reaches several knots — enter an atoll when the stream is setting in.
- Anchoring and rules: anchor on sand only, never on coral. Do not anchor off resort islands or go ashore there without permission. On local islands alcohol is banned and a modest dress code applies: swimwear only on the designated tourist beaches.
- Season: the north-east monsoon (iruvai), December to April, brings dry weather, steady wind, calm water and the best visibility underwater. From May to November the south-west monsoon (hulhangu) brings rain, squalls and a westerly swell, and the crossings to Ari become wet and hard.
- Logistics: Hulhumalé lagoon is ten minutes from Velana airport (MLE), where almost every international flight lands. The nearest marina with pontoons is Crossroads in South Malé, seven miles away; along the route, water and fuel come from the harbours of the local islands.
How to get to the marina
- Hulhumalé lagoon anchorage, North Malé Atoll
- Malé (Velana) (MLE) — 5 km, 10 min by car
10–20 min · price on request
The boat's tender or a speedboat picks you up straight from the airport jetty, across the road from arrivals. Agree the time and meeting point with the fleet in advance.
10–20 min · €5–9 per car
A taxi from the rank outside arrivals at the fixed fare to Hulhumalé, about 80 rufiyaa, cash only; from there the tender picks you up at a Hulhumalé jetty.
20–40 min · €1–2 per person
The city bus from the airport to Hulhumalé runs every 15–30 minutes, fare 10–20 rufiyaa; then the tender from the jetty.
Hulhumalé is linked to the airport by road and to Malé by a bridge, so shops, pharmacies and cash machines are fifteen minutes away by taxi.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
How long is the Hulhumalé — Ari route and where do you stay overnight?
8 days and about 136 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Hulhumalé. Overnight stops in order: Hulhumalé lagoon, Gulhi, Bodukaashihuraa, Omadhoo, Dhangethi, Guraidhoo, Kuda Bandos. The longest leg is day 6, 37 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Hulhumalé — Ari route?
The route starts and finishes at Hulhumalé lagoon anchorage, North Malé Atoll. The nearest airport is Malé (Velana) (MLE), 5 km away. Fastest: transfer, 10–20 min, price on request. Cheapest: bus, 20–40 min, €1–2 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Hulhumalé — Ari route?
In the Maldives the season runs December to April: the north-east monsoon, dry weather, a calm sea and the best visibility underwater. May to November is the south-west monsoon, with rain, wind and a westerly swell; boats then keep to the inner waters of the atolls, and open crossings can be hard going.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).