Laamu Atoll guide: surf, causeways and local life

Laamu is the administrative name. The natural atoll is called Haddhunmathi. It sits roughly 250 km south of Malé, a little north of the Equator, and is a wide, open ring of reef with a large lagoon and a string of islands along its eastern rim.

• People: around 14,700 residents in the 2022 census (Maldives Bureau of Statistics), on roughly a dozen inhabited islands.
• Largest island: Gan, with about 4,800 people. It is often described as one of the largest natural islands in the Maldives by land area.
• Main administrative island: Fonadhoo, home to most government services for the atoll.
• Airport: Kadhdhoo, a regional domestic airport on its own island, joined to its neighbours by causeway.
• Feel: farming, fishing and family life. Tourism is small-scale; resorts are private islands with their own rules.

For how Laamu fits into the wider map, see our guide to the atolls of the Maldives.

Most Maldivian islands can be walked across in minutes. In Laamu, a road built on causeways joins four islands in a line along the eastern reef: Gan, Maandhoo, Kadhdhoo and Fonadhoo.

PSM News reported the road as about 17 km long, completed in August 2016 with grant aid from China. Other official documents give slightly shorter figures, so treat the exact length as “around 15 to 17 km”. Either way, it is one of the longest stretches of land you can travel by road in the Maldives.

What this means for visitors:

• You can cycle, take a taxi or ride a scooter (if you are licensed and insured) between villages, shops, mosques and beaches.
• Kadhdhoo airport is on the road, so the trip from the runway to Fonadhoo or Gan does not need a boat.
• Expect quiet stretches of palms and lagoon views. Carry water and sun cover; shade is patchy.
• Drive slowly through villages and give way to children and cyclists.

Laamu has no single “tourist island”. These are the inhabited islands you are most likely to hear about. Guesthouse numbers change, so check current options before you travel.

Fonadhoo

The administrative hub, at the southern end of the link road, with government offices, schools, shops and cafés. A practical base if you want services nearby.

Gan

The biggest and most populous island, at the northern end of the road. Gan was an early home of guesthouse tourism: one opened here in 2012 was reported as among the first resort-style guesthouses on an inhabited island. It is big enough to explore by bicycle, with farmland, wetlands and quiet beaches.

Hithadhoo

Known for its mangrove, declared a protected area in December 2021 (see below).

Isdhoo

Home to the old coral stone mosque and to ruins from the Buddhist era. More on both under heritage below.

Kadhdhoo

The airport island, linked by causeway to Maandhoo to the north and Fonadhoo to the south. Most visitors pass through rather than stay.

Maandhoo

A small island in the middle of the link road, between Gan and Kadhdhoo.

Maavah

One of the more populous islands in Laamu. It is a local island first and a visitor destination second, so plan ahead.

Laamu faces open ocean and picks up southern swell. Its waves break on reef passes along the atoll rim, and most need a boat. They suit intermediate and experienced surfers: the reef is shallow and sharp, and conditions change quickly.

• Season: the main swell window runs through the southwest monsoon months. Our guide to surfing in the Maldives explains timing and swell across the country.
• Access: some breaks lie close to resort islands, which can limit access. Ask locally first.
• Safety: wear reef booties, carry a basic first-aid kit, and never surf alone on an outer reef.

Short on time? Our guide to surfing near Dhiffushi covers the breaks on the eastern rim of Kaafu Atoll, a 40–50 minute speedboat ride from the airport.

Laamu holds some of the oldest evidence of life in the Maldives before Islam.

The Isdhoo old mosque

The old mosque on Isdhoo was built in 1701 from carved coral stone, with timber doors and roof. It is one of the coral stone mosques on the UNESCO Tentative List, and it is still used for prayer. The compound includes an old well and a cemetery with carved gravestones. More in our guide to the coral stone mosques of the Maldives.

The mosque is also linked to the Isdhoo Loamaafaanu, a set of copper plates dated to 1194 CE. It is the oldest copper-plate record found in the Maldives so far, written in an early form of the Dhivehi script.

Buddhist-era ruins

Before the islands converted to Islam in the 12th century, the Maldives was largely Buddhist. Heritage surveys have recorded large mounds and ruins of monasteries and stupas on Isdhoo and on other islands along Laamu’s eastern reef, including Dhanbidhoo and Gan. Many are unexcavated and look like overgrown mounds.

How to visit respectfully:

• Ask the island council or a local guide first; some sites are on farmed land.
• Don’t climb on mounds, remove stones or dig.
• At the mosque, dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), remove shoes before entering, and visit outside prayer times. Non-Muslims should ask permission before going inside.

For more sites across the country, see historical sites of the Maldives.

Laamu’s large lagoon, mangroves and seagrass meadows make it rich in reef fish, turtles and rays. In December 2021 the government designated six protected areas in the atoll, as reported by national media. They include:

• the mangrove on Hithadhoo and the sea around it;
• the land and lagoon of Gaadhoo, a former inhabited island, with beach, reef and mangroves;
• reef fish breeding areas and a seabird area around Gaadhoo, Bodu Finolhu and Vadinolhu;
• a site at Gan and a river and sea area at Maabaidhoo.

Stay on paths, don’t anchor on seagrass, and never touch or feed wildlife. Our guides to protected areas and mangroves and wetlands explain more.

By domestic flight

This is the usual route. Flights from Velana International Airport to Kadhdhoo take under an hour. From Kadhdhoo, you can reach Gan or Fonadhoo by road, and other islands by speedboat. See seaplanes and domestic flights for how booking, baggage and weather delays work.

The government signed an agreement in April 2024 to upgrade Kadhdhoo to an international airport, and works have been reported under way since 2025. Plans have changed before, so check the current status.

By boat

There is no quick sea route from Malé. Within the atoll, speedboats and local ferries connect the islands, often on limited timetables. Confirm times with your accommodation, and allow a spare day before your flight home.

Laamu’s inhabited islands follow the same rules as every local island:

• Alcohol is not sold or allowed on inhabited islands.
• Swimwear only on designated bikini beaches. Elsewhere, cover shoulders and knees. See what to wear in the Maldives.
• Friday prayer: shops and cafés close for a while at midday.
• Ramadan: don’t eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight.
• Money: carry some rufiyaa for small shops and boats. Check whether your island has an ATM that takes foreign cards before you arrive.
• Health: island health facilities handle minor problems; serious cases go to Malé. Get insurance that covers evacuation.

Our local islands guide covers etiquette and guesthouse stays.