Addu is about as far from the postcard image of a single tiny resort island as the Maldives gets: it's a connected chain of islands, linked by causeways, with its own regional airport (Gan International) and a noticeably different rhythm to the northern resort atolls.
A different climate, a different history
Sitting almost on the equator, Addu has a slightly cooler, more consistent climate than the central atolls. It also carries a layer of 20th-century history rarely mentioned in Maldives marketing: the British operated an air and naval staging base here during and after the Second World War, and some of that infrastructure and its legacy are still visible around Gan today.
What it's like to visit
- More of a "connected island" feel than an isolated resort — you can cycle or drive between several inhabited islands via causeway.
- A genuinely different diving profile, including wreck diving tied to its wartime and maritime history.
- Far fewer tourists than the central atolls, which is either the main draw or the main drawback depending on what you're after.
Getting there
Addu is reached via a domestic flight to Gan International, rather than a resort speedboat or seaplane transfer from Malé — see our getting around the atolls guide for how that connection works.