21 of the best · the Maldives, Indian Ocean
Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, Fuvahmulah’s tiger sharks, famous thilas and channels, wetlands and a fairy pond, turtle rescue and the dive centres to book.
Our 21 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love the Maldives.
The Maldives’ most famous manta site
The bay inside the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where manta rays gather in large numbers.
Hanifaru, Baa Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Swim with the gentle giants
Visit Maldives picks South Ari Atoll as the place to swim with whale sharks. A Maldivian research NGO studies the population.
South Ari Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
The “Tiger Zoo”
Visit Maldives calls Fuvahmulah the best place in the country to see tiger sharks, at a dive site nicknamed the “Tiger Zoo”.
Fuvahmulah, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Dive and snorkel responsibly.
The back story
Thilas, channels, mantas and whale sharks: where to see the Maldives’ marine life, when to go, and the codes of conduct that keep the animals coming back.
Mantas and sharks.
The Maldives’ most famous manta site
The bay inside the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where manta rays gather in large numbers.
Hanifaru, Baa Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Mantas all year round
A manta cleaning station in Addu, one of the few places in the Maldives where reef mantas can be seen all year.
Addu City, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
The “Tiger Zoo”
Visit Maldives calls Fuvahmulah the best place in the country to see tiger sharks, at a dive site nicknamed the “Tiger Zoo”.
Fuvahmulah, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Swim with the gentle giants
Visit Maldives picks South Ari Atoll as the place to swim with whale sharks. A Maldivian research NGO studies the population.
South Ari Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Thilas and channels.
A classic thila
A famous submerged pinnacle, or thila, and a marine protected area, named by Visit Maldives as a classic of Maldives diving.
North Ari Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Soft corals and overhangs
A South Ari thila and marine protected area, among the sites Visit Maldives uses to show off Maldivian pinnacle diving.
South Ari Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Pinnacle diving in Ari
One of the thilas Visit Maldives names as a good example of Maldivian pinnacle diving.
Ari Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Drift with the sharks
A channel dive in Vaavu Atoll that Visit Maldives uses as its example of current-swept channel diving.
Vaavu Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Courses and guided dives.
Close to the airport
One of the longest-running dive centres in the Maldives, on Bandos, 7 km from the airport, with the country’s first hyperbaric chamber.
Bandos Maldives, North Malé Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Dive centres in four atolls
Resort dive centres across four atolls, from Kurumba and Meeru in North Malé to LUX* South Ari and Alila Kothaifaru in Raa.
Lhaviyani’s quiet reefs
Dive and snorkel centres at six resorts, including Kuredu, Komandoo, Hurawalhi and Kudadoo in Lhaviyani and Lily Beach in South Ari.
Beaches, lakes and wetlands.
One of the largest wetlands in the Maldives
The wetlands at the north end of Hithadhoo, one of the largest in the Maldives, inside the Addu Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Hithadhoo, Addu City, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Boardwalks, birds and canoes
A nature park on Dhadimagi Kilhi lake, with a boardwalk, birdlife and bikes, canoes and pedal boats to rent.
Dhadimagi Kilhi, Fuvahmulah, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
The “Fairy Pond”
A freshwater pond on Gan in Laamu, around 28 to 30 metres deep, wrapped in red mangroves and island folklore.
Gan, Laamu Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Pebbles, surf and natural pools
Fuvahmulah’s northern beach, the Maldives’ only beach break, with glittering pebble sand and seasonal natural pools.
Thoondu, Fuvahmulah, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Reefs, turtles and mantas.
The people who wrote the manta code
The manta research charity behind the swim-with-mantas code of the swim-with-mantas code of conduct.
Coral propagation by the airport
A conservation centre at CROSSROADS running coral-propagation projects and showing visitors the Maldives’ marine ecosystem.
CROSSROADS Maldives, South Malé Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Where injured turtles are treated
The Olive Ridley Project’s flagship sea-turtle clinic, at Jawakara Islands Maldives, one of its three clinical facilities.
Jawakara Islands Maldives, Lhaviyani Atoll, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
Submarine and dolphins.
Spinners in the far south
Canareef’s dolphin cruise in Addu, where spinner and bottlenose dolphins, and sometimes pilot whales, live around the island.
Addu City 19060, Republic of MaldivesExplore View on map
45 metres down, without getting wet
A passenger submarine that takes you down to a reef about 45 metres below the surface on a 45-minute dive.
Sandbank picnics and dolphin cruises are sold by each resort. Ask yours what it runs. Keep your distance from marine life and never touch it.
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