Mathiveri Island

Mathiveri Island is one of the eight inhabited islands in Alif Alif Atoll in the western Maldives. It is popular for its three beaches and water sports opportunities like wakeboarding, diving, snorkelling, and dolphin and manta ray watching. It has a gorgeous reef that’s ideal for fishing as well. Just 84 kilometres from Male, it is connected via ferry, speedboat, and even seaplane.

The island has 3 beaches. Stingray Beach, as the name suggests, is home to stingrays and even baby sharks washing up on its shores. The local beach has a sandbank called ‘picnic island’ that is just a 15-minute swim from the shore, although currents can get strong and one should be careful. The bikini beach is where most of the guesthouses are located where they provide sun-loungers and beach umbrellas to lay back and relax. As there is only one diving centre on Mathiveri Island, diving prices can be rather high, but the sites include beautiful coral gardens that are nearly 60 feet deep and ideal for novice divers.