Maldives surf camps are a relatively new phenomenon. It’s not that the islands lack any promise. Anyone who’s read a surf mag in the last 30 years will know that there’s plenty on offer across the atolls. It’s just that the tourism market here has been a paid-up member of the jet-setter clan for much of its history.
We’re pleased to say that’s changing and it’s changing fast. As we accelerate disconcertingly quickly through the 2020s, there seems to be a new surf camp in the Maldives popping up almost every year. Much of that is down to a law change that allowed private (AKA – non-mass-branded) hotels to operate on the islands. But it’s also because the sheer wealth of spots and the consistent swell, particularly in the Central and Male Atoll regions.
This guide to the best Maldives surf camps will run through a handful of what we think are the standout names right now. We’ll try to update it regularly to reflect new names and changing realities, so check back when you come to book. Let’s begin…
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This is just one part of our complete overall guide to surfing in the Maldives
Stay Mikado
- Location: Thimarafushi Island
- Price: 10 days/9 nights starting at $1,500 (£1,230) per person
There was a change in rules in 2009 that saw the Maldivian government allow local B&Bs operate across the atolls for the first time. It was fantastic for surf travel, because, let’s face it, five-star Ritz resorts are hardly the finest thing for folks more interested in point breaks than Swedish massages.
Anyhow, one of the local surf-adventure hotels that emerged after the law change was Stay Mikado. Sat on the western end of Thimarafushi Island (the eastern end is given over to an airstrip, making it relatively easy to get in from Male), it’s a mid-sized accom that’s tailored to folks looking to stay active.
They do a fully dedicated surf package that revolves around the twice-daily surf boat trips. They’ll take you around some of the best breaks of the Central Atolls, but, most of all, it’s about scoring the beautifully long walls at Inside Mikados, which work even when the strong S winds blow through.
The other thing we love about this one? The price, at around $1,500 per person, is hardly up there with what some places charge across these islands. Plus, they’ll help you explore to the full, with add-on options for dolphin watching, island hopping, and even snorkeling with whale sharks.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Bito’s Guest House
- Location: Himmafushi Island
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $630 (£520) per person
It’s hard not to fall in love with Bito’s Guest House. Strapped to the wave-rich southeastern edge fo the Male Atolls north of the Maldivian capital, it’s right on the doorstep of some of the country’s most epic waves – Sultans and Honky’s (arguably the most perfect left and right reef combo in the hemisphere) are just across the strait and Jailbreaks is within walking distance.
But the proximity of so many rides is just the beginning. Bito’s is also exceptionally highly rated for its vibes. The owners and staff are uber, uber welcoming. Guests enjoy clean and simple lodgings and a palm-shaded garden space that’s blanketed in tropical white sand. The onsite kitchen offers spice-scented curries and creative European pastas.
There’s loads and loads of surfing to be done. You can surf Jailbreaks whenever you like and you get a boat charter trip every single day. Plus, guests get free use of bikes to explore the island, two meals per day, and high-speed WiFi from the get go, just in case you have to answer an email or two.
The Horizon II
- Location: Yacht
- Price: 11 days/10 nights starting at $2,720 (£2,240) per person
No guide to the top Maldives surf camps could miss out on a boat charter option. If we’re being honest, they aren’t quite what they are in Indo. That’s not because the quality of the offering is any worse (it really isn’t!). It’s more that places like the Ments are just better suited to live-aboard. In the Maldives, we’d only pick them out as options in less-developed atoll regions (the Central and Southern Atolls) and for the most dedicated surfers who are less interested in the glorious beaches and rich culture of the place.
Anyway, that sets the scene. Here’s our top pick: The Horizon II. The boat itself is a mid-sized cruiser with a fantastic deck space where you’ll chill come the evening and watch sunsets over inaccessible parts of the atolls. Okay, it’s a touch dated inside, but the service is great, with meals of tuna sashimi, wasabi salads, and fried fish straight from the sea.
Most of all, you’ll get to surf arguably the most uncrowded breaks around. The program typically covers the Southern Atolls and the southern portion of the Central Atolls, which includes Gan and epic spots like Tiger Stripes.
Reveries Diving Village
- Location: Kadhdhoo, Laamu Atoll
- Price: 6 days/5 nights starting at $1,995 (£1,640) per person
As the name implies, the Reveries Diving Village started out by offering bespoke diving packages but it’s since branched out into surfing and no one can argue with what they’ve got. The upside here is the combo of high-quality accom and great surfing…
The first comes courtesy of the resort itself, which is a low-key pad on the edge of Gan islands in the Central Atolls. Guests enjoy rooms that open into a private swimming pool, a chilled bar in the garden under the shade of banana trees, and pretty darn spacious room with plush beds and modern styles. All that plus a gym and a spa area at your convenience.
The highlights of the area are Yin Yan and Mada’s, bit there’s more than 10 breaks in the immediate region that you’ll travel to and from by boat each day. The package is true full-board stuff in that it includes all your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, plus surfboard rental and guides. Only beers and whatnot are extra.
Adaaran Select Huduran Fushi
- Location: Lhohifushi Island
- Price: A week’s all-inclusive stays starting at $3,100 (£2,560) per couple
Last but most certainly not least, we thought we’d give you something a bit left of field. If cash isn’t an option and you really want to secure yourself a place in a (relatively) empty lineup on one of the Maldives’s best breaks, choose the Adaaran Select Huduran Fushi.
This is a classic lux resort; one of the ones that had a license long before the Maldivian government thought to let the locals open their own B&Bs. We’re talking overwater bungalows that have decks where you can leap off straight into the coral reefs. That sorta thing. AKA – the quality of the stay will not be in doubt!
The reason we mention the place is because it now has a monopoly over super-quality Lohis break, a hollowish reef that peels wonderfully off one side of the island. You’ll need to add $500/day for a surf pass for the spot, but that really manages the crowds. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to a wave pool experience in the open ocean.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
