Baa, an atoll under UNESCO’s canopy

Low islands inside Baa Atoll’s lagoon, shallow reefs ringing the sand.

03Islands & Atolls

Biosphere reserve

Baa Atoll is an administrative division that includes separate natural atolls in the west-central archipelago, among them South Maalhosmadulu. The atoll has about 13,000 residents. In June 2011 Baa joined UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves; the reserve holds a large assemblage of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. That designation is not the World Heritage List—the country still has zero inscribed World Heritage sites—but it shapes the visit: islands inside a lagoon, resorts operating within a reserve frame, and reefs managed as a sensitive zone. Islands such as Landaa Giraavaru show dense vegetation on low sand. Hanifaru Bay appears in reserve sources as a locally known area inside the atoll. Three to five days here differ from North Malé: farther from the capital, and more clearly tied to reef protection. Book transfers ahead; the sea distance is longer than the hop to Maafushi.

2011
Reserve listing year: 0
Atoll population

Baa, an atoll under UNESCO’s canopy

Highlights