Travel Guide Meedhoo

Meedhoo is the oldest inhabited island in the Addu Atoll (for about 2,500 years!). The island is also the first to have embraced Islam. Despite its small population (2,800 inhabitants) and its distance from the capital Malé, Meedhoo Island remains very influential in the Maldives business. With a rich history and background and a number of excellent historians, Meedhoo is known as the university town of the Maldives. The relatively large island is divided into two. Meedhoo in the north and Hulhudhoo in the south. In the past, the two parts were separated by a canal. Curiously, a rivalry between these two villages still exists and the inhabitants rarely cross the old canal. The island can be explored by scooter, in which case it takes about 2 hours of strolling through the coconut groves and aubergine and tomato plantations. The west of the island is still very wild with its mangrove and swamps. In the east of the island, you can still see the protective wall built by the British during the Second World War. But the site not to be missed is the lovely Muslim cemetery, some of whose graves are very old. This cemetery is the oldest in the Maldives and includes many tombs with carved stones reaching up to the sky, two wells and tiny, beautiful mosques. It is regularly visited by archaeologists who record the tombstones and their mysterious inscriptions. Meedhoo allows you to fully enjoy the local life, in a relaxed atmosphere with a postcard setting. The only restriction is that there is no "bikini beach" on this island, so the ladies must cover themselves for swimming (T-shirt and leggings or wetsuit).