Addu City (Hithadhoo)

Essentials

The basics, at a glance

Population

19,000

Transfer from Malé

1.5 hours by domestic flight

Ferry days

—

Nearest dive site

British Loyalty wreck, Manta Point, Maa Kandu

Peak season

Nov–Apr

Bikini beach

Yes

Why go

Why go to Addu City (Hithadhoo)

Addu is the bottom of the country — a heart-shaped atoll roughly 540 km south of Malé, sitting just south of the equator. It's also the country's second city: 19,000 people, an international airport at Gan, and four of the islands (Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Feydhoo, Gan) connected by a 14 km causeway you can drive end-to-end. That gives Addu a more developed, more "everyday Maldives" feel than the resort-and-dhoni postcards — supermarkets, schools, working harbours, a 1940s British military airfield (Gan was a Royal Air Force base until 1976) and an unmissable WWII history layer. Below the water, the diving is extraordinary and uncrowded: the British Loyalty wreck, regular manta cleaning at Maa Kandu, big-fish channel dives around the southern points. Outside dive season the same atoll is a quiet, walkable, family-friendly base.

Where to stay

Stays on Addu City (Hithadhoo)

3 curated stays on this island. Filtered by tier.

from $95 / night

Addu Atoll

Equator Village

Addu (Gan)

Classic Addu resort on the old RAF base — bungalows with palm views, bikes for the 30 km causeway ride, British Loyalty wreck dives.

Indicative — see full rates incl. 17% GST + Green Tax + 10% service.

• Bike hire
• Wreck dives
• Half-board

View & book→

from $210 / night

Addu Atoll

Canareef Resort Maldives

Addu (Herathera)

All-inclusive beach-bungalow resort stretched along the south's longest natural beach. 2.5 km of beach, all to itself.

Indicative — see full rates incl. 17% GST + Green Tax + 10% service.

• All-inclusive
• 2.5 km beach
• Dive centre

View & book→

from $240 / night

Addu Atoll

South Palm Resort Maldives

Addu (Meedhoo)

Modern resort on Addu's eastern arm. Dive access to Manta Point and the British Loyalty shipwreck.

Indicative — see full rates incl. 17% GST + Green Tax + 10% service.

• Manta Point dives
• All-inclusive
• Wreck dives

View & book→

Things to do

On the island & nearby

• Dive the British Loyalty wreck
• Manta cleaning station at Maa Kandu
• Cycle the Gan–Hithadhoo causeway
• Visit the British war memorial at Gan
• Sunset at Eydhigali Kilhi (mangrove walk)

Food & life

Eating and living on Addu City (Hithadhoo)

Bigger food scene than smaller local islands — proper restaurants, bakeries, and a few decent cafés in Hithadhoo. Try a cup of saa-hibe (sweet milk tea) at a teahouse in the evening.

Culture & etiquette

What to know on a local island

Addu has a distinct Adduan dialect and a strong local identity. Bikini beach designated near the resorts. Modest dress in the villages.

How to get here

Malé → Addu City (Hithadhoo)

1. 1Land at Velana International (MLE) or arrive direct on a Sri Lanka or Colombo connector to Gan.
2. 2Domestic flight Maldivian or Manta Air to Gan (~1.5 hours from MLE, ~$280 return).
3. 3Causeway taxi from Gan to your guesthouse on Hithadhoo, Feydhoo or Maradhoo.

When to visit

Year-round at a glance

The Maldives has two monsoons. Northeast (Nov–Apr) is dry and busy; southwest (May–Oct) is wetter and cheaper, with surf and manta seasons in full swing.