26 natural atolls 1,192 coral islands, about 200 inhabited Visa on arrival Free 30 days, most nationalities Green tax $12/night resorts · $6/night small guesthouses Best diving visibility Dry season, roughly Dec–Apr One island, one resort The concept that shaped Maldives tourism Guesthouses on local islands Legal since 2009 — a genuine budget route 26 natural atolls 1,192 coral islands, about 200 inhabited Visa on arrival Free 30 days, most nationalities Green tax $12/night resorts · $6/night small guesthouses Best diving visibility Dry season, roughly Dec–Apr One island, one resort The concept that shaped Maldives tourism Guesthouses on local islands Legal since 2009 — a genuine budget route
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Atoll code · GA

Gaafu Alifu Atoll

Gaafu Alifu is part of the southern Maldives, geographically and culturally closer to Addu Atoll's region (see our Addu Atoll guide) than to the central, resort-dense atolls further north.

What's there

Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort (see our Mercure Kooddoo profile) sits directly on Kooddoo Airport's island, making it one of the more straightforward far-southern resorts to reach — guests can walk from the domestic terminal to the resort rather than needing a separate onward boat transfer.

What to expect

Beyond that one resort, tourism infrastructure here remains limited compared to the centre — travel tends to mean local-island life and, for divers specifically, access to the less-visited southern atolls' reefs rather than a bundled resort package.