Addu City

The Maldives’ southernmost atoll: causeway-linked islands, RAF Gan history, protected wetlands and year-round reef manta dives.

Browse places to staySouthern Atolls guide

Photo: Mark Hodson Photos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Addu is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives, lying just south of the equator, and its main islands form Addu City. Six districts, from Hithadhoo in the west to Meedhoo and Hulhudhoo in the north-east, share one of the country’s larger populations outside Malé. A 16 km link road ties Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Feydhoo and Gan together, so you can travel much of the atoll by land.

That road, and the airport at Gan, are legacies of an unusual past. Addu hosted a British naval base in the Second World War and an RAF staging post during the Cold War, and the wartime and post-war story is still visible on the ground. Add wetlands, a protected lagoon channel, reef manta dives and a handful of resort islands, and Addu suits travellers who want more than a beach.

Why visit Addu City

Addu offers something rare in the Maldives: several inhabited islands joined by road, with enough history, nature and everyday life to fill days on land. Visit Maldives notes evidence of settlement going back more than 2,000 years, and describes Meedhoo as among the first islands to adopt Islam. In 2020 UNESCO designated the atoll a biosphere reserve, recognising its lagoons, reef passes, seagrass, mangroves and brackish lakes.

Underwater, Visit Maldives lists around 20 dive sites between 5 and 30 metres, including a manta cleaning station where reef mantas can be seen year-round, and a wreck from 1946. Above water, you can cycle between districts, walk through wetlands and see the old military buildings on Gan. It is also the natural base for a side trip to Fuvahmulah.

British wartime history and Gan

The naval base and RAF Gan

In 1941 the Royal Navy established a secret base in Addu, known as Port T, and began building airstrips on Gan. Visit Maldives records that on 8 February 1943 a Walrus seaplane from the cruiser HMS Gambia became the first aircraft to land on the island. In 1957 control passed to the Royal Air Force, and RAF Gan became a staging post for aircraft flying to Singapore and east Asia.

Causeways built to link Gan with Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo became the basis of today’s link road. On 1 April 1976, according to the RAF Gan record, the island and its airfield were handed back to the Maldivian Government. The airstrip later became Gan International Airport. Walking or cycling around Gan, you pass buildings and layouts that date from the base years.

The British Loyalty and the Suvadive years

The tanker British Loyalty, used as an oil storage hulk, was torpedoed inside the lagoon by the German submarine U-183 on 9 March 1944, according to uboat.net. It was repaired, used again, and scuttled south-east of Hithadhoo in January 1946, and it is now a well-known dive site. Addu’s post-war history also includes a period of political upheaval: between 1959 and 1963, the southern atolls declared a breakaway state, the United Suvadive Republic, before rejoining the rest of the country.

Diving, reefs and wetlands

Manta rays, sharks and channel dives

Addu has four channels into its lagoon, and dives here range from sheltered inner-lagoon sites to current-swept passes. Visit Maldives highlights the manta cleaning station and grey reef sharks, and notes that diving is often strongest around full and new moons, when currents bring in more large fish. Currents in the passes can be powerful, so dive with a registered centre and follow its site choices.

The lagoon channel at Kudakandu was declared a protected area in September 2020, and Edition.mv reported that fishing and removing coral there are now prohibited. Everywhere in the atoll, keep fins off the reef, avoid touching or chasing mantas and turtles, and use reef-safe habits such as not standing on coral when snorkelling from shore.

Wetlands, nature park and kilhis

Addu’s brackish lakes, known locally as kilhis, are one of its most distinctive features. The same 2020 declaration protected wetlands at Maakilhi and Fehele Kilhi in Hithadhoo and at Mathi Kilhi between Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo, where catching birds and littering are banned. Visit Maldives recommends the Addu Nature Park and an eco garden it describes as the first wetlands garden in the Maldives, with cycling and canoeing among mangroves.

Island life and etiquette

Addu City is a Muslim community, and local-island rules apply across its districts: no alcohol outside resort islands, modest dress in streets and shops, and swimwear only where your accommodation confirms it is acceptable. Friday is the weekly holiday and many businesses pause for prayers. Resort islands in the atoll follow their own rules, and alcohol there must not be taken back to the inhabited islands.

Getting there and around

According to Visit Maldives, Maldivian operates several daily flights between Malé and Gan, and the airport is also linked to Colombo by SriLankan Airlines (both as checked September 2026). International routes change, so check with the airline before planning around a direct connection. Visit Maldives also mentions cargo boats from Malé taking two to three days, which suits only very flexible travellers.

From the airport, taxis run along the link road to Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo, and bicycles are a good way to cover shorter stretches. Meedhoo and Hulhudhoo are not on the link road, so you reach them by boat. Resort islands arrange their own boat transfers. Note that the link road is being rebuilt: Edition.mv reported in February 2026 that survey work had begun, so expect roadworks.

For Fuvahmulah, MTCC’s Southern Transport Link runs ferries from Feydhoo, taking roughly 45 to 90 minutes depending on the weather, according to Visit Maldives (as checked September 2026). Check timetables on the MTCC booking site, and remember that public ferry services are reduced or absent on Fridays on many Maldivian routes.

Best time to visit

The Maldives Meteorological Service describes January to March as the dry season and mid-May to November as the wet south-west monsoon, and records higher annual rainfall in the southern atolls than in the north. Addu can be visited in any month, but the drier months give calmer seas for boat trips and the ferry to Fuvahmulah. With reef mantas present year-round, diving is not tied to one season.

How long to stay

Three to five nights lets you explore Gan’s history, cycle the link road, visit the wetlands and fit in a few dives or a snorkelling trip. Add two or three nights if you plan a day or overnight trip to Fuvahmulah, or if you want to finish with a stay on one of the atoll’s resort islands. Build in a spare day before your flight back to Malé.

Nearby destinations

Frequently asked questions

Can I fly directly to Addu from abroad?

Gan International Airport has had international service to Colombo, according to Visit Maldives, but routes change. Most visitors arrive at Velana International Airport near Malé and connect on a domestic flight to Gan. Allow a generous buffer between your international arrival and the domestic departure.

Is Addu good for a non-diver?

Yes, more than most atolls. The link road makes it possible to explore several islands by bicycle or taxi, and there is wartime history on Gan, wetlands, a nature park and snorkelling trips. The trade-off is that the inhabited islands are working towns rather than resort-style beach islands.

Can I visit both Addu and Fuvahmulah?

Yes. The two are linked by MTCC ferries from Feydhoo and by domestic flights. The ferry crosses open ocean and depends on weather, so keep a flexible day in your plan and avoid scheduling the crossing on the same day as a flight back to Malé.

Can I drink alcohol in Addu City?

Not on the inhabited islands of Addu City, which follow local-island rules. UK travel advice notes that alcohol is available only on resort islands and must not be taken away from them. If this matters to you, split your stay between a guesthouse and a resort.

Plan the rest of your trip

• Southern Atolls region guide
• Where to stay in the Southern Atolls
• Getting around the Maldives
• Maldives diving trips
• Maldives snorkelling tours
• Maldives travel planning

Official sources for Addu City

Transfer schedules, fees, entry rules and island regulations change; check the official source before you travel. The sources below were used for this guide; Visit Maldives and MTCC publish the most current transport information.

• Visit Maldives: Addu
• Visit Maldives: Addu connectivity
• Visit Maldives: Addu activities
• Visit Maldives: Addu nature and culture
• UNESCO: Addu Atoll Biosphere Reserve
• MTCC Southern Transport Link
• Maldives Meteorological Service: climate
• GOV.UK: Maldives safety and security
• Ministry of Tourism: Tourism Yearbook 2025

Where to stay, and what to book

Addu has guesthouses on the linked islands, a tourist hotel and a small number of resort islands, according to Ministry of Tourism figures. Compare location along the link road, transfer arrangements and meal plans in our Addu City accommodation listings, then look at Maldives tours and activities for diving and snorkelling ideas.