Travel Guide Fuvahmulah

Fuvahmulah is the only island in the Gnaviyani Atoll. Long ago, Fuvahmulah was a small coral atoll with an open southern end and a saltwater lagoon in the interior of the island that formed a natural harbour. Then the channel connecting the lagoon with the ocean was closed by coral reefs. Thus the interior of the island was lower than the coast. Over time, the lagoon in the interior lost its salinity and all that remains today are two small lakes, wetlands and swampy fields. Fuvahmulah is the only volcano - extinct - in the Maldives. Its topology is unique and makes it more like an Indonesian island. The island's reef is completely submerged and does not rise to the surface of the water, unlike other islands in the country. The 10,000 inhabitants of Fuvahmulah live mainly from agriculture and fishing. The large island of 5.4 km² has all services: bank, hospital, school, airport. They started to open up to tourism in 2016, offering some bed and breakfast accommodation. As the island is quite large, you can go for bike rides, rest at the beach or by the two lakes. The island is also good for diving, especially for swimming with sharks, including hammerheads.