Maafushi is the most touristy island in the Maldives. It is not the typical, idyllic island you picture when you think of the Maldives. Don’t let that stop you from visiting it because there are some great activities to do on Maafushi. Below we answer the question “what to do in Maafushi?” and share some helpful tips.
Content of this blog:
Why should you visit Maafushi in the Maldives?
Maafushi is not an idyllic island like you know the Maldives from pictures, but it is still very beautiful. The water is clear and blue and there is a nice beach. The real reason you want to visit Maafushi is because you can do do dozens of fun activities from here. Think water sports activities, but also scuba diving and the most amazing snorkeling tours are best booked from Maafushi.
Maafushi is a budget-friendly island in the Maldives. We visited the Maldives on a smaller budget and Maafushi was our main base. The (snorkeling) tours from Maafushi are also the cheapest. In addition, Maafushi is also a cozy island. In the evening you will find nice little tents, live music and sometimes a small party with a DJ at Arena. Besides Maafushi, we also visited the local islands of Fulidhoo and Dhigurah, but there was nothing to do in the evening. Fun and conviviality at night can be found on Maafushi.
Water sports activities on Maafushi
For the adrenaline junkies, there are plenty of fun activities in Maafushi on the water. Below we list them all, including prices.
We visited Maafushi in 2025. You may find that the prices are now different from what we list below. This is more for indicative purposes.
1. Parasailing
Flying above the amazing blue sea of the Maldives while attached to a large parachute, that sounds fantastic, right? Parasailing from Maafushi is easy to book and fantastic to experience. Especially at sunset, it is very rewarding. The organization makes cool videos of you with the drone, so you can prove that you really did it 😉
The cost for parasailing is $70 for 1 person and $95 for 2 people. It is relatively a lot cheaper to choose a fun package, which includes parasailing. Learn more about the fun package at point number 5.
2. Jet Skiing Maafushi
Riding around on the jet ski overlooking Maafushi is great. Be careful when renting the jet ski though, that there are extra charges if the jet ski falls over, and if you have damage. You also have to fill out a form for this. The alternative is that you sit on the back with the instructor, which is also a lot of fun because they really know how to ride them. Fifteen minutes on the jet ski costs $35.
3. Funboat
The fun boat involves sitting on a kind of large swimming band and being pulled behind a jet ski. Especially through when they change direction you go very fast and when the sea is wild you bounce up and down a lot.
4. Supping and canoeing
Supping has become very popular in recent years and – especially when you are with 2 people on a board – hilarious to do. Like canoeing, it’s nice and quiet and you can enjoy the beautiful views and clear water to the fullest. Be sure to put on sunscreen, though, because with the bright sun you burn quickly. Renting a sup or canoe costs $10 per hour.
5. Book a fun package
The 4 activities we listed above on Maafushi are also offered in a fun package. You can then do all 4 activities for $120 for 2 persons. So this is $60 per person and a lot cheaper than if you would do all the activities separately. You can spread the activities over more days, like we did. You can book everything shortly in advance and you don’t have to make reservations, except for parasailing.
| Parasailing | $95 for 2 people |
| 15 minutes of jet skiing | $35 |
| Banana Boat | $20 per person |
| Funboat | $20 per person |
| 1 hour of supping or canoeing | $15 |
| Fun package (parasailing, jet skiing, funboat and supping/canoeing) | $120 for 2 people (so relatively a lot cheaper) |
| 30 minutes of flyboarding | $65 |
6. Jet car
Have you always wanted to drive a Lamborghini? Then this is your chance. Indeed, in Maafushi you can take a jet car ride, where you drive / sail on the water in a luxury car. It looks especially hilarious and does well with children.
Tip: read our 11 tips for the Maldives: things you need to know before visiting!
Snorkeling tours from Maafushi
From Maafushi you can book several snorkeling tours. For example, you can go to the nurse sharks near Fulidhoo, spot large schools of fish at the coral gardens or even see whale sharks and manta rays near Dhigurah. In addition, you can go to a fishtank to swim with stingrays, tours to spot dolphins and you can take a tour in a submarine. In conclusion, more than enough to discover the beautiful underwater world of the Maldives.
The underwater world of the Maldives is insanely beautiful and when you go here you must go on a snorkeling tour at least once. All organizations include snorkel rental, flippers and lunch. We went snorkeling several times with the Shadow Palm organization from Maafushi and found this a very nice organization.
For most snorkeling tours, you pay between $35 and $55 for a half day (09:00 – 14:00). Only the whale shark tour in the Maldives is a lot more expensive. Here you pay $100, because it is a 2-hour boat ride to the place where the whale sharks are often. You can also spot manta rays here. A great experience and 100% worth the money!
Overview of snorkeling tours in Maafushi:
| Tour | Price | Where to book? |
| Fish tank and coral garden snorkeling tour | $ 35 | Triton Tours |
| Nursing shark, stingray and sandbank tour | $ 65 | Shadow Palm |
| Whale shark tour + Manta rays | $ 100 | Shadow Palm |
| Manta Point at Maafushi | $ 25 | Triton Tours |
| Shipwreck snorkel tour | $ 115 | Shadow Palm |
| Submarine tour | $ 50 | On Maafushi |
Resort island visits in the Maldives
From Maafushi, you can also choose to take a day tour to a resort island in the Maldives. The resort islands are of course super expensive to stay on, but with a day tour you will be pampered for the whole day and can also enjoy the luxury experience. We ourselves went to the resort island of Sun Siyam Olhuveli, which was fantastic. We paid $125 per person, which includes lunch and unlimited (alcoholic) drinks throughout the day.
Tip: do you want to know how much it costs to spend the night in a resort island? Read our overview on the 8 cheap resort in The Maldives!
Diving in the Maldives from Maafushi
On Maafushi you will also find several diving schools offering diving trips in the area. Always ask beforehand which place you are going to dive to and do some research on this. Not every place is equally beautiful to visit. In addition, always look up reviews of the diving school on Google to make sure it is a good one. For 2 dives from Maafushi you pay an average of $95.
Relaxing on Bikini Beach Maafushi
The Maldives is an Islamic country, where you are not allowed to walk around in swimwear. Therefore, there are special beaches for tourists where you are allowed to sunbathe and swim in swimwear: bikini beach. On Maafushi you will find the bikini beach on the northwest side of the island, near Hotel Arena. When you buy a drink, you may use the beach beds at bikini beach for free.
Running on Maafushi
Running is probably not the first thing you think of in the Maldives, but we ourselves have run laps on Maafushi several times and loved it. It is still nice and quiet early in the morning, the sun is slowly rising and of course you have beautiful views of the sea everywhere. Do put on a t-shirt though, because even here it is not desirable to run bare-chested.
