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The best local island in the Maldives: Fuvahmulah
Fuvahmulah, the island renowned for their year round tiger shark sightings. There’s something about Fuvahmulah that grabs you the moment you step off the plane in that tiny airport — It has a beautiful stretch of untamed coastline, the excitement of everyone coming to see the sharks and laidback island life vibe that feels very inviting. This isn’t the Maldives you see on postcards — no overwater bungalows or infinity pools — but that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.
I came Fuvahmulah chasing its legendary tiger shark dives, but the island has a lot to offer besides the sharks: local cafe’s serving up tasty fish curry, cozy guesthouses where strangers quickly become friends, and hidden spots like the tranquil Bandaara Kilhi lake and the romantic pebble beach of Thoondu.
In this guide, I’ll share my favorite dive school, where to grab a delicious meal, the best places to stay, and a few lesser-known corners of the island that made me fall for Fuvahmulah. Get ready to uncover the secrets of this one-island atoll — a paradise where adventure and tranquility coexist.
What to do on Fuvahmulah?
Diving with the tiger sharks
The thing the island is most known for, are the dives with the tiger sharks. I spent my week on the island with Fuvahmulah Scuba Club. They ticked all the boxes that are important when choosing a dive center, safety, professionalism and fun! Their crew and dive guides are all amazing guys, that were a pleasure to hang out with. They made me feel safe on all the tiger dives with the safety divers in place. The tiger sharks were INCREDIBLE! They were calm, but curious and I could’ve never imagined seeing them this close! They brief you on what to do, but the safety divers are always looking out for you. During this dive you dive to the sandy bottom at around 9 meters and hold on to a rock. From your position you’ll have a prime view of the sharks. You stay stationary while the safety divers watch your back. If one of the sharks does come a bit too close, they’ll be ready to redirect them when necessary.
The Scuba Club does 3 dives a day, including one tiger shark dive each day. The reef around Fuvahmulah is stunning as well! There’s a few cleaning stations for threshers, so if you’re lucky you may see those as well. We managed to see some threshers, but they were quite deep down. At a different time of year they come up to shallower water. I didn’t see whale sharks or Mola Mola during my trip, but I know there are sightings of those as well.
All of my dives were arranged by Endhaa Divers Home. Booking with them you get a great deal on the dives and they also arranged my domestic flights and everything else I needed. More on them below!
Tiger sharks can be seen all year round. Thresher sharks and scalloped hammerhead sharks are best between September to December. Occasional sightings the rest of the year. Whale sharks and oceanic mantas sightings are between January to May.
See the sunset at Toondha Beach
This stunning white pebble beach is a sunset spot frequented both by locals and tourists. There’s enough space to spread out, so you can find a spot to yourself if you want a quiet moment watching the sun go down. The sunsets were absolutely spectacular and we’d go to this beach every day.
Have lunch at Moodige overlooking the Bandaara Kilhi lake
As you settle into a table on the terrace, the lake stretches out before you, its still waters reflecting the swaying palm trees and the occasional flash of a heron taking flight. The menu has mix of local flavors, with freshly caught fish and curries and some western options if you’re craving something different then local cuisine.
Go on a fishing trip with the locals
Due to its location in the middle of the ocean, Fuvahmulah is fantastic place for big game fishing. Yellowfin tuna and wahoo are commonly caught around the waters of the island, typically 1-2 kilometers from the island. Marlin and sailfish are also not uncommon. The locals fish with line and hook, not with fishing nets, which keeps the fish population healthy! It’s a very sustainable way of fishing. It’s an incredible experience going out to sea with the locals and experiencing how it’s done.
Where to stay on Fuvahmulah?
If you’d like to stay in a local place that feels like a home away from home, this is the spot. Endhaa Divers home is a house with 4 rooms. It has a large living room and kitchen where you can grab breakfast any time of day. They provide bread, eggs, fruits, coffee, tea and drinking water. The rooms are spotless and have AC. I really enjoyed meeting the other divers staying there and Mujey was always available to help if I needed something. They have a washing machine in the back, so you can do laundry there as well.
Endhaa offers free pickup from the airport, scooter rental, and can arrange your domestic flights and dives for a very good price! I saved a lot of money by having Mujey book my domestic flight for me.
Best restaurants on Fuvahmulah
It was ramadan while I was on the island, so not everything was open during the day. Maybe I could’ve tried a larger variety of places if I came at a different time, but I stil tried a good amount of places on the island! And after sunset everything was open of course.
Miruha Cafe: My favorite local place can’t be found on google maps, but I’ll leave a pin so you can find it. It’s called Miruha Cafe and is located on the north side of the island. I had the best fish curry I’ve tried at this cute local spot. The owner is wonderful and gave me and my friend a plate of watermelon on the house as well.
White Collar Coffee Club: Another spot I loved was this cafe. They had great Kottu and Pasta!
Pirates of the Maldivan: This restaurant is located on the harbor. Great spot to have breakfast in between dives or a seared tuna steak in the evening. It is on the pricier side, but it’s a lovely spot to sit.
How to get to Fuvahmulah
There are two ways of getting to Fuvahmulah. You can fly into Male and then take a domestic flight to Fuvahmulah or you can fly straight to neighboring island Addu (Gan international Airport) and take the ferry to Fuvahmulah. You won’t be able to get a direct flight from every location, but if you’re flying from Sri Lanka, like I was, flying to Gan international airport is an option.