03Islands & Atolls

The far south

Addu, the atoll beyond the equator

Addu Atoll—administratively Seenu—is the southernmost atoll in the Maldives. With Fuvahmulah, the country extends into the Southern Hemisphere. It lies about 540 kilometres south of Malé, and Addu City is one of the country’s four cities. Gan International Airport on Gan island opens an air gateway to the south without always relying solely on the Malé resort corridor. The coast here can look wider and greener in some images than the small northern rings; local tourism sources themselves note that the scene does not always match the northern postcard. Sunset and sunrise on an open, mountain-free horizon remind you that elevation is almost nil. Two to four days in Addu change the trip’s pace after the northern archipelago: a southern city, a regional airport, and an atoll linked by bridges in parts according to the city description. Do not confuse Addu with Fuvahmulah: the latter is a separate island-atoll about forty kilometres north of Addu.

0

Distance from Malé