12 Exciting Things to Do in Maafushi Island Besides Beaches

by Jackie
Published: Updated:
A sandy road with palm trees on both sides on Maafushi Island

Maldives’s Maafushi is a small local island with swoonworthy beaches and pristine waters.

It’s a popular place to visit in the Maldives due to reasons such as proximity to Male City and the airport and its budget-friendly accommodations. It’s a great alternative to the resorts!

Since we like to stay active during our trips, we were surprised at how many outdoor adventures, water activities, and attractions to visit on the island. 

After staying on Maafushi for 3 days, we put together this list of what to do on Maafushi besides staying on the beach and other helpful tips. 


1. Take a photo of the Maafushi sign.

Everyone will arrive at Maafushi Pier by public ferry or speedboat. 

The all-capitalized white Maafushi sign is the first thing you’ll see when departing the boat. It’s a beautiful sign with marine animals in the area such as whale sharks and manta rays. 

The sign is open 24/7 so you can return and take a photo when it’s less crowded. 

Jackie Szeto and Justin Huynh, Life Of Doing, stand next to the Maafushi Sign

The Maafushi sign is an easy attraction to visit as it’s located off the pier


2. See the Holding Hands Sculpture.

Near the Maafushi sign is a sculpture of two hands holding a white water droplet. In the past, the water droplet was missing, so now the sculpture is complete. 

A sculpture of two hands holding a white water drop on Maafushi Island


3. Walk around the whole island.

It’s not a large island – only 1.275 kilometers (.89 miles) in length and .26 kilometers (.162 miles) in width. Everything is reachable in a 5 to 10 minute walk.  

If you decide to walk around the perimeter of the island, it’ll take between 15 to 20 minutes. 

Start at the pier and then travel down south to pass by the Maafushi prison, mosque, and even the garbage area. You can’t enter these places. 

Then go north along the water to see the local and bikini beaches. Feel free to zigzag between the local streets to extend the walk. 

Triton Hotel and Tours sign listing the various tours offered and marine animal sculptures

When walking around Maafushi, you’ll see this cool sculpture and sign from Triton Hotel


4. See the sunrise from the local beach (east side).

We made an effort to see the sunrise every day. It was a quick 2 minute walk from our hotel to the local beaches, and then we waited for the beautiful sunrise to say hello. 

Small boats docked on Maafushi Island with purple, orange, and yellow skies for the sunrise

Maafushi’s sunrise is gorgeous on a clear morning.

TIP: Check the sunrise time on Google. During our trip, it came up at 5:58am. We left our hotel at 6:45am and hung out on the beach. 

While waiting for the sunrise, you can see hermit crabs and sand crabs scurrying across the white sand.


5. See the sunset from the port or anywhere along the Bikini Beach area (west side of the island).

Check on Google for the sunset time. 

During our trip, it was 6:19pm. Unfortunately, there was always a layer of clouds blocking the sun, so we didn’t see sunset during our three days. 


6. Go snorkeling or wade in the shallow area off of Bikini Beach.

The Arena Beach, located north of the island, is one of the Bikini Beaches to hang out. 

While relaxing on a lounge chair on the beach is very relaxing, swimming in the ocean is a fantastic exercise. We saw people wear snorkels and swam away from the shore. 

One of the cool things to do during the low tides is to walk in the ocean to a shallow area. The water was knee to mid-thigh level. Many people took photos in the shallow area since it’s a unique spot.

Jackie Szeto, Life Of Doing, stand in the shallow area of the ocean, near Maafushi's Bikini Beach

The ocean near Bikini Beach area is shallow during low tide


7. Do water activities.

We saw a few places along the Bikini Beach area advertising water activities such as parasailing, riding the banana boat, riding a jet ski, and kayaking. 

Six people on a yellow banana boat inflatable on Maafushi's water

Have you ridden a banana boat yet? It’s an activity to try on Maafushi.

If this is something that you want to do, feel free to inquire and have fun! 

As a heads up, everyone is required to wear a life jacket for safety. 


8. Go on a day trip snorkeling or diving excursion.

We highly recommend that you do a snorkeling excursion in Maafushi. Near the port, many tour operators advertise snorkeling day trips and diving excursions.

You can stop by and inquire about the tours. They’ll let you know what is available for the next day or the following day. 

Here are the tours we saw – Half Day Snorkeling, Fish Tank, Whale Shark and Manta Rays, Shipwreck, and Night Fishing. The pricing is the same for everyone. Each tour has a minimum number of people required. 

Read more about the two excursions we took – Whale Shark & Manta Rays and Shipwreck & Nurse Sharks.

Nurse sharks swimming into each other in the Maldivian waters

We swam next to these nurse sharks!


9. Visit Gulhi Island as a day trip.

If you have a few days at Maafushi Island and want to explore a new island, consider visiting Gulhi. It’s a small, local island near Maafushi and has gorgeous beaches and a Gulhi swing in the middle of the water. 

What is the best way to get there? Many tour operators stop by Gulhi as a lunch spot during the snorkeling excursion. 

Or, take the public ferry from Maafushi to Gulhi and vice versa. It’s a 20-minute ride and departs every day except Friday. Pick up at Maafushi at 7:25am and Gulhi at 4:15pm.

Check out the ferry schedule here and change the departure to Maafushi or Gulhi Island.

TIP: Arrive at the port at least 10 minutes before departure time. Otherwise, you need to find a speedboat that can take you back. 


10. Spend a luxurious day at a resort.

Did you know that you can spend a full day at a nearby Maldivian resort? It’s a great way to save money as the tours start at $105/person instead of staying overnight at one and spending $1000/night. 

You get the full resort experience with access to the pool, a buffet lunch, and unlimited alcoholic beverages. 

When we stopped by iCom Tours, they went to Centara Rasfushi, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, Sun Siyam Olhuveli, and Fihalhohi Resort. A minimum number of people is needed. 


11. Eat at local restaurants.

We’re thankful that Maafushi has many restaurant and cafe options. Whether you’re looking for local Maldivian flavors, seafood, or Western food, you’ll find a suitable place to try. 

Check out our Maafushi restaurant guide here. 

Every restaurant accepts cash (U.S. dollars or Maldivian Rufiyaa) and/or credit cards.


12. Try the screw pine juice.

We didn’t try it since it was a bit on the pricey side – Around $5 per cup. But the fruit looks interesting, like a giant pine cone.

Jackie Szeto, Life Of Doing, has her hand out to the hanging screw pine fruit in front of a store on Maafushi Island

Have you tried screw pine juice?


Final Thoughts

There is so much to do on Maafushi Island! While beaches are a main highlight of the island, the adventurous water activities and daily snorkeling trips are fun additions to the Maafushi itinerary. We had a blast on the island and wouldn’t hesitate to return. 

Looking for other posts about Maafushi? Check out what we’ve written: 

If you have questions about visiting Maafushi, let us know in the comments below. 

Like this post? Save it to your Maldives Travel Board on Pinterest.

Palm trees and a sandy road on Maafushi Island, Maldives

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