Backpacking In The Maldives🇲🇻: Top 10 Sights On Maafushi Island

“Don’t believe the hype” – Everyone Sensible Who Ever Backpacked Maafushi.

To be honest, I didn’t have any real plans, dreams, hopes or inspirations before I finally landed in The Maldives in July 2025, for the first time ever. And probably the last time, as I’m just not into repeats any more, unless they are essential stopovers, and The Maldives hardly inspired repeat visits. Before this trip, I had heard of Maafushi, but didn’t have it on my radar or immediate list. Besides, it’s an alcohol-free island and famous for snorkelling, diving tours so not exactly my dream destination. Then suddenly, as I looked at budgets, time constraints, logistics and taking advantage of an already included ferry here from Maldives Traveller, I knew I had to visit Maafushi. It was almost like a free trip and sadly, I fell for the internet hype…

I checked into the Chao Guest House on Maafushi Island and set about backpacking the key sights. This was the fourth and final island in my The Maldives tour. It promised so much, yet gave so little. Maafushi was raved about online everywhere!! Had I missed something here? A concrete jungle of unfinished buildings, some never to be finished and looking so out of place, bars with no life whatsoever, rats running through restaurants, and cats jumping on tables in every bar to eat the food that waiters had failed to put away, or that customers had not finished. Call me old school, but I guess I just had high standards since I have worked in over 20 bars across 3 continents, including Asia. You clean when the customer leaves; animals and insects should not be near human food or jumping on tables. I wasn’t inspired at all by Maafushi Island and its wild odd juxtaposition of never to be finished concrete blocks on the right, and a marvellous beautiful natural ocean on the left…I’ve even made Maafushi’s conrete jungle look nice below!

And I still compiled a top 10 sights. If you want a tip – skip Maafushi completely, or day trip it quickly. Don’t believe the hype. No need to eat or drink here – especially not since coffee is much cheaper in Male, and even the non-alcoholic beers in Maafushi were $5 US Dollars! A shout out to my backpacking friend Amer, from Egypt. A young businessman and keen traveller, at least we tried to see the magic amidst the concrete…

I really tried to like it and the irony for me was that all the tourists who raved about Maafushi were the ones LEAVING it to go snorkelling, diving, swimming and boating! Alanis Mozzarella would have loved a cheesey rendition of IRONIC out here! Anyway if you do end up here, this would be my top 10 before getting out! Plus, Maafushi is not big, it’s easy to backpack it in a day.

1.Sunrise Beach / Maafushi Beach

I visited about 6 beaches in Maafushi in 24 hours and these were the only two that permitted sunbathing, or men being being topless or women wearing bikinis. A saving grace I guess? Both these beaches are beside each other and these are the two where it is written that bikinis and swimming trunks are allowed. So of course, I chilled out here and went in for a dip.

2.The Full-Size Football Pitch (Maafushi Boalha Dhandu)

I was actually a bit surprised that they have a full size football pitch here, so this was the main sight for me here. It is called Maafushi Boalha Dhandu, and is a full size. There was no match on, but the gate was open so I wandered in and onto the pitch. It is a plastic pitch.

3.Coconut Trees Walkway

This is not the beauty the world told you about. We’ve all seen coconut trees before, not usually opposite nameless unfinished concrete buildings. You’re better off staring at the sea, forgetting about the rubbish and the concrete behind you. I did find solace in fresh coconut juice though. You can get a juice here for between $2 to $4 US, so at least that is decent.

4.NO Bikini Beach

Most of the beaches here do not allow bikinis, or topless men so please check the signs. These beaches had just empty concrete bricks, unfinished buildings and a mix of cats and rats around them chasing plastic bottles and left over food! And don’t forget we are in a strict Muslim country either – so don’t be thinking you can get your waps out here girls for a vitamin D boost, it’s the complete opposite! Bikinis are banned, so are swimming pants and swimming trunks. Men cannot be topless here, girls cannot even have a bikini top. You MUST cover up. It wasn’t quite as strict as Saudi Arabia away for me in 2018, but it is pretty strict! Be careful, this is not an English Garden Munich or a Lubiewo Poland!

There are signs everywhere reminding you what you can and cannot wear, please read and take note!!

5.Floating Bar

Alcohol is illegal in most of The Maldives, but there is a “Floating Bar”, which by law is not allowed to be “on” Maafushi but off the coast. I was only spending one night here anyway and that bar was closed for a while at the time. Maybe it would be decent, who knows. Anyway, I had some beers in a few bars and was not really inspired at all here. Dead end spots, bereft of music, atmosphere or friendly staff.

6.Mosque Number One – Maafushi Mosque

Mosques in The Maldives are in high existence. The country has 1,192 islands. These islands are grouped into 26 natural atolls, with 20 of them being used for administrative purposes. While there are 1,192 islands, only 199 are inhabited.

This first Mosque was easy to visit, as I could see it from my balcony, room 7 of the Chao Guest House. In fact it woke me up with the Call To Prayer at 6 a.m.

7.Mosque Number Two

The second Mosque was in the north of the island, just beyond the football stadium.

8.Maafushi Prison

In fairness, Maafushi Prison might be the best hotel on the island, which says it all. They moved prisoners here back in 1998. It is the largest prison on the islands, in the entire country. It has seen some escapes and protests down the years. I was sleeping not far from it!

9.Maafushi Harbour

As a seaside boy, perhaps I should admire the beauty of Maafushi Harbour. Boats coming and going on trips, which in essence says it all. The best thing to do in Maafushi is to leave it!! I came in by boat and I left by boat. The positive news is there are many boat options in and out every day. This is in Kaafu Atoll, so even the capital city Male isn’t that far my boat – about 45 minutes or so.

10.The Maafushi Sign

Get your photo with it for the memory and then get the next boat out!

Whether I was harsh or not, it’s my blog and my opinion. I didn’t warm to Maafushi at all, sorry. 24 hours was too long. Not worth the hype in any way. Male, the capital city was much nicer, as was the resort I visited at Vadoo. However, there are two decent companies here I’d recommend –

Boats and Tours – iCom Tours – they were decent. Of course I wasn’t doing any snorkelling or diving tours, but they sorted me a boat out with minimum fuss, and their office has air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Good customer service here.

General The Maldives Tours – Maldives Traveller – – they provided me with the boat connection in here as well as a day trip to Vadoo and are excellent at customer service and punctuality.

Here are a few more photos from my time backpacking Maafushi in The Maldives.

Here are some of my videos from my time backpacking on Maafushi Island: