A long, green island at the southern tip of the Maldives with 271 wooden beach villas, low prices and diving with mantas and tiger sharks.
Canareef sits on Herathera, a 4.5-kilometre island in Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll of the Maldives, just south of the equator. Getting there takes a domestic flight of 75 to 95 minutes to Gan, crossing the equator with a certificate from the captain, then a 10-minute speedboat ride. A bridge joins the island to the inhabited island of Hulhumeedhoo.
All 271 villas are detached wooden bungalows with private beach access, an enclosed backyard, a terrace with dining furniture and a partly open-air bathroom. There are 80 Sunrise Villas (76 m²) on the eastern side, 71 Sunset Beach Villas (76 m²) on the western side facing the lagoon, and 120 Premium Beach Villas with Whirlpool (97 m²), with a four-poster bed and a whirlpool for two in an enclosed outdoor area.
Kilhi Restaurant serves buffets of international, Maldivian and Sri Lankan food; Meera Bar by the pool is open around the clock, Dhoni Bar has a DJ, boduberu drumming and crab races in the evenings, and the Beach Bar opens by day. Divers have more than 25 sites in the atoll, including a manta cleaning station, tiger sharks and the WWII wreck of the British Loyalty, with a Werner Lau dive centre on the island. There's the Canareef Spa in the gardens, an Olympic-size pool, tennis, a kids' club for ages 5 to 12, dolphin cruises and tours of Addu.
This is a big resort: 271 villas along a 4.5 km island, so bicycles are the way to get around. There are no overwater villas, and the island is linked by a bridge to an inhabited local island.
On the island's eastern side, facing the open ocean, with a private enclosed backyard, a terrace with sun loungers and a partly open-air bathroom; up to three adults, or two adults and a child.
King bed
On the western side, looking over the lagoon and beach, with a private enclosed backyard, a front deck and a partly open-air bathroom; up to three adults, or two adults and a child.
King bed
A four-poster bed, a private enclosed outdoor area with a whirlpool for two, a sundeck with sun loungers and a partly open-air bathroom, on the western side; up to four adults, or two adults and two children.
Four-poster king bed
The same resort and the same villa, booked through people who live here.
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Buffets of international, French, Maldivian and Sri Lankan dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Cocktails, wines and fresh seafood, open 24 hours
Drinks and snacks from 10am to 11pm, with a DJ, boduberu drumming and crab races in the evening
Tropical drinks and snacks, 9am to 6pm
Detoxifying massages and scrubs, with private suites for singles and couples
Games, educational activities and beach fun for ages 5 to 12, with an attendant
Werner Lau dive centre: courses for beginners and dives at more than 25 sites in Addu Atoll
Water sports and canoeing in the lagoon
Dolphin and sunset cruises, fishing, and tours of Addu City and Hulhumeedhoo
An Olympic-size pool, tennis, volleyball, table tennis and bicycles
The shape comes from OpenStreetMap, simplified: a guide to the layout, not a survey. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A 75–95 minute domestic flight from Malé to Gan, crossing the equator, then a 10-minute speedboat ride. The resort's host meets you at Malé and the Moonimaa Lounge at the domestic terminal is included on arrival. Sri Lankan Airlines also flies direct from Colombo to Gan.
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