As a surfer, it’s hard to imagine the Maldives and not dream of diving off from your private overwater suite into the crystal clear waters and paddling over to the surf.
Each of the resorts listed below air to the side of luxury while also being conveniently located close to some of the most dreamy waves on the planet (and no, we’re not joking).
Cinnamon Dhonveli
Having the exclusive rights to arguably the Maldives’ best wave is a pretty big deal, and Cinnamon Dhonveli is that resort. Located on a private island with the perfectly peeling left-hand reef break “Pasta Point ” right out front, this resort lives, and breathes exclusivity.
Not only can no charter boats slide into the channel and unleash their surfers onto Pasta Point, but the resort caps their surf package at just 30 surfers at a time.
Surfing the waves of your dreams with just a handful of guys in the water? Yeh, you could say that a stay at Cinnamon Dhonveli is what the Maldives is all about.
Accommodation/ Services
At Cinnamon Dhonveli you have a choice between checking into lavish overwater suites or a selection of elegantly designed beach and garden villas.
If you’re really looking to splash some cash, then there are even a select few two-story beachside villas, each with their own private pool to take a dip in whenever you very well please.
The resort also has a number of beachside bars, restaurants, and take-it-easy spots for you to eat, drink and recline in a relaxed setting while soaking it all in.
If you enjoy cutting some shapes and dancing the night away while on holiday, the resort is also known to host contemporary DJs from across the world, and put on weekly soirées, don’t mind if you do!
Cinnamon Dhonveli is the kind of resort that caters to thrill-seekers, just as much as it lends itself to oceanic tranquility.
Jet ski adventures, diving explorations, private dolphin sightings, snorkeling with manta rays, the tropical waters off Cinnamon Dhonveli are there for your pleasure.
Or, if you want to escape, find a quiet slice of the island to stake us your own and do sweet nothing with the one you love, you can do that too.
Surfing
As we previously mentioned, surfing at Cinnamon Dhonveli is all about scoring Pasta Point in all its ruler-edged perfection and glory.
Termed the “wave machine” by whoever surfs it, this mechanical lefthander delivers 300+ yard rides to the exclusivity of resort guests only.
If you get tired of surfing a perfect lefthander all day (we know, first world problems right?) and fancy something different, Cinnamon Dhonveli is conveniently located just a 5-minute speedboat ride from a bunch of the Maldives other best waves.
Cokes, Jailbreaks, Sultans, Honkeys, all these world-class waves are within a stone’s throw of Pasta Point. The beauty of this is that you can go and surf these open-season waves, but nobody can come over to your island and surf your perfect, but private wave.
Seems a little unfair right? But that’s just the way the cookie crumbles in the Maldives, and at least it’s crumbling in your favor at Cinnamon Dhonveli.
Four Seasons Kuda Huraa
The Four Seasons is an international brand with a reputation that can only precedes itself. Their Kuda Huraa resort is one of the most splendid in all of the Maldives, offering surfers and their partners a real slice of luxury.
Cinnamon Dhonveli may have the exclusivity of Pasta Point to parade and show-off but as a luxury resort it pales in comparison to the Four Seasons.
For the surfer who can afford it, this captivating enclave of tropical island living is ready to serve you the most unforgettable holiday of your life.
Accommodation/ Services
At Kuda Huraa, the idea to keep guest numbers low is what makes the resort such a special place to stay.
Across the entire island paradise of Kuda Huraa, there are only nine bungalows and five specialty suites, hinting at the fact that if you want a slice of this luxurious pie, you better plan ahead and prime that wallet/ purse.
Each on-land bungalow and suite has been purposefully enveloped by a skyline of coconut-clad palm trees, with privacy at the forefront of design.
The stylish water villas come with their own effortless infinity pool to give you a hard time figuring out where the pool ends, the ocean starts and the sky hangs.
Each spacious room has been designed contemporary while managing to retain a traditional feel through an abundance of warm-colored wood.
As far as activities and services go, this is the Four Seasons baby, and the sky, ocean, and world are yours for the taking. When you aren’t feasting on the world-class waves nearby, kick back in the resort spa, sail a catamaran, or even take flight on a private seaplane for a sightseeing tour you likely won’t forget in a hurry.
Wellness retreat, tennis courts, dolphin cruises, baby turtle feeding, diving, snorkeling, childminding, 5-star restaurants, and bars – this is the Four Seasons, this is the Maldives, and this is heaven.
Surfing
We know, it’s hard to believe that such an extravagant resort is within striking distance of world-class waves, but it’s true, a surfer’s paradise does exist, and it can be found here at Kuda Huraa.
The resort’s closest wave at just a 5-minute boat ride, Sultans is known to dish up some of the most rippable rights on the planet, with a tasty, easy-to-make barrel on the end section.
The resort has a number of experienced guides that are ready to whisk surfers away, in all directions, to the other perfect waves of the area.
If you’re looking for something that is both unique and grand on an equal scale, then their seaplane surf guiding experience is a must. Surfing multiple breaks across a number of Maldivian Atolls in one day, by plane – if there was ever an experience that encapsulated the luxury of the Maldives, this is it.
Anantara Dhigu
Anantara Dhigu is another fabulous 5-star resort that just so happens to be located near a string of fun to epic reef breaks.
The waves around Anantara Dhigu in the South Malé Atoll are less frequented by chartered surf boats when compared to the first two resorts, which means scoring empty sessions is pretty much a given.
However, it is still only a 30-minute speedboat ride from Malé International Airport, giving rise to where two worlds collide – convenience and seclusion.
Accomodation/ Services
Not quite as exclusive as the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, the wide-sweeping resort of Anantara Dhigu features a mixture of 110 beach villas and overwater suites. Although the resort’s scale is rather large, Anantara still feels very private, as every villa has its own beach access.
The delightfully designed beachside villas each feature a white sand outdoor space that comes complete with its own swaying from palm trees hammock.
Accessed by a meandering boardwalk across the island lagoon, Anantara’s overwater suites is where the true luxury hides. Each suite is large enough to fit a family of four, or a couple looking to live lavishly and dive into their wildest dreams.
There is also the choice between a sunrise or sunset view for the suites. With a possible upgrade to an infinity pool at your fingertips, the scene is set for the most envy-inducing holiday photos you’ve ever snapped.
Making the most of the sea-fairing experiences that Anantara offers is the best way to truly get a feeling for the Maldives’ unmatched beauty, and their list of activities is one of the more extensive ones.
Get ready to dive, fish, surf, or hop onboard their glass-bottomed boat to discover the ocean’s beauty from a high and dry vantage point.
One of the resort’s more unique experiences is to get down below the ocean surface with wild and majestic grey nurse sharks. Before your mind starts to picture the worst, no, these beautiful beasts are not the man-eating kind, and being in their presence is bound to leave a lasting impression on you.
Surfing
One of the cool things about surfing around Anantara is that the waves cater to a wider variety of surfers when compared to the more well-known and heavier breaks of the Sultan’s stretch.
The resort provides surf lessons for total beginners at a number of mellow waves that are close by to the island. The super fun and playful righthander of Nonya’s is also just a 5-minute speedboat ride, and, depending on the swell size, is suited to all levels of surfer.
For experienced surfers looking for something a little livelier than what Nonya’s offers, there are three more epic waves in the area that often serve up picture-perfect barrels.
Boatyards, Riptides, and Natives are the waves we’re talking about, and Anantara has ready-to-ride surf guides who know the area well, and love scoring perfect waves just as much as you do.
Niyama Private Islands
Found in the southern atoll of Dhaalu, Niyama Private Islands is another one of the Maldives’ most exclusive resorts. Too far south to practically reach by boat, Niyama has a private seaplane pick their guests up from Malé International.
Flying them down to the resort in an unforgettable 40-minute journey over a string of empty tropical islands and reefs.
Niyama knows that couples desire a different style of holiday to families, which is why they run a couples-only, and family-friendly resort across two neighboring islands simultaneously. Sounds confusing, but this is all in a day’s work for Niyama, and the idea is pure genius.
Accomodation/ Services
Between the two islands, Niyama hosts an extensive selection of accommodation types to cater to families, couples, and the uber-exclusive. Whether you would prefer to have your own slice of private beach or plunge straight into the ocean from your room, Niyama is ready for you.
Their rooms start at a nice and considered studio size, and grow to lavish suite and pavilion sizes.
Pavilions are the most extravagant style of accommodation on Niyama, and their price point is, unsurprisingly, very high. One, two, three bedrooms, your accommodation needs have already been met on these high-flying tropical islands.
At Niyama, there has been a lot of time, effort, and money that’s been invested into the way its guests get to drink and dine, and let us tell you, it doesn’t disappoint. Niyama is the only resort in the Maldives that offers beachfront, treetop, rooftop, overwater, and underwater dining venues.
Yes, you read correctly, there’s even an underwater restaurant that, when dining, makes you feel as if you’re part of the reef’s ecosystem, because you pretty much are.
After breakfast, Niyama runs a bunch of first-class programs out of their diving, surfing, and watersport centers that help you to work up an adequate appetite to feast in the evening.
The kids’ explorer club employs trained professionals and is an interactive, play-focused facility that does a good job of tiring the kids out while you partake in your daily program. A state-of-the-art gym and wellness spa are also ready to be taken advantage of at Niyama to help you look, and feel your best.
Surfing
Niyama is one of the only resorts in the Maldives with a private wave that you can paddle out to right off from the beach yourself, in your own time. Vodi is a left reef break that is fairly playful on small days, and not quite as playful on bigger days.
When the swell is firing, the best surfers in the world love coming to Niyama to score Vodi’s super rippable walls and get shacked all day long.
If Vodi isn’t doing its thing, Niyama has guiding packages that take surfers to a variety of perfect waves in the area like Kasabu, Hocus Pocus, Tio, Van Damme, and Swirl.
If you’re just finding your feet in this weird and wonderful surfing thing, then Niyama is a great place to start as they offer beginner lagoon and coaching sessions to avid learner surfers.
Come for the exclusivity, and stay for the waves, if you can afford it, Niyama is paradise on earth and water.
Six Senses Laamu
Being the only resort island in the Laamu Atoll means that a stay at Six Senses is in a world of its own.
Because of the resort’s remoteness, and the untouched natural beauty that surrounds it, Six Senses set out to marry luxury and sustainability, and that’s exactly what they have achieved.
This unique and inspiring resort is also more geared toward surfers than some of the other luxury resorts on the list and throughout the Maldives, which means they know what you want.
Due to its remote location, Six Senses requires an hour’s seaplane, and a 15-minute speedboat to access, but the surf, nature, and resort’s spoils are more than worth the extra travel time.
Accommodation/ Services
Six Senses has 97 beachfront and overwater villas that have been thoughtfully designed to blend in with the island’s unique natural beauty.
In line with the Six Senses ethos, each of the villas has been constructed using locally sourced, and sustainable materials, with an emphasis on interior coziness.
Infinity pools, private jetties, panoramic balconies, there’s no need to question the credentials of Six Senses as they can do luxury with the best of them.
As far as once-in-a-lifetime experiences go, Six Senses tirelessly strive to create the most unforgettable memories for their guests. They do this by not just showing, but allowing them to become one, and reconnect with nature.
Deserted island picnics, sandbank sunbathing, traditional sailboat cruises, snorkeling trips, diving adventures, holistic rituals, connecting with local people and tribes – staying true to its name, Six Senses is purpose-built to put your senses in overdrive.
Surfing
TropicSurf is the team behind the surf program at Six Senses resort, and they see it as a privilege and honor to host surfers from all over the world at one of the most wave-rich and uncrowded atolls in all of the Maldives.
Whether you’re a total beginner or a bona fide wave-shredder, TropicSurf will put you in the spot for the waves of your life.
Accessed just off the island beach, Shoulders is one of the most playful left-handers in all of the Maldives, and on small days it can convincingly be surfed by total novices.
Turtles is another super fun and soft right hand wave in the Laamu Atoll that reels off perfectly and is ideal for beginner and intermediate surfers.
Jetty C, Machines, and the three-wave bundle at Ying Yangs look as if they’ve been ripped right out of a center-page spread in a surf magazine. For experienced surfers, these waves offer long barrels and perfect walls that can be carved as hard as any.
Six Senses is a sustainable surf resort of the now, with its morals geared toward the future. And with a bunch of perfect and uncrowded waves on its doorstep, is our pick of the litter.
Summary
The Maldives is the best place on earth to score pumping waves and live out your wildest and most luxurious dream holiday in unison.
Whether you’re looking to dazzle your partner, book on with a bunch of surf-hungry buddies, or splash out on an unforgettable family holiday, the resorts listed above are designed for surfers, and their company to have just as good a time.
Yes, they may be expensive, but can you really put a price on diving straight off from your villa into the big blue and paddling over to an exclusive lineup of perfect waves? We didn’t think so…