Dhigurah island guide: whale sharks, the long beach and where to stay
In this article
Dhigurah is a long, narrow island in South Ari Atoll, about 97 kilometres south-west of Malé, on the edge of the South Ari Marine Protected Area, where whale sharks are seen all year. It has a bikini beach that runs much of the length of the island and a sandbank at its southern tip that stretches out into the lagoon.
It is a whale shark island first. Researchers from the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme study them in the protected area offshore, the boats leave from the harbour every morning, and the rest of the day is for the beach.
Dhigurah at a glance
Population and island life
The 2022 census counted 761 people on Dhigurah, up from 529 in 2014. The village sits at the northern end, and the southern part of the island is quieter and greener, with a shady path through the trees down to the sandbank. Like every inhabited island in the Maldives, Dhigurah is Muslim, and Dhivehi is the language at home.
The island sits at the north-eastern end of the South Ari Marine Protected Area, declared in 2009 to protect the whale sharks that gather along the outer reef. The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme, which has logged thousands of encounters with hundreds of individual sharks, most of them young males, studies them in the protected area.
Tourism has grown fast. The Ministry of Tourism register lists 43 guest houses with about 400 rooms, plus five home stays. Most are small, with fewer than twenty rooms.
How to get to Dhigurah from Malé airport
The scheduled speedboat
Scheduled speedboats run from Velana International Airport to Dhigurah, usually stopping at Dhangethi on the way. The crossing takes about an hour and three quarters to two and a half hours in open water. Departures are typically late morning and late afternoon, with different times on Fridays. The boats run to the timetable, not to your flight, and the afternoon boat is the last of the day, so if you land too late for it, plan a night in Malé or Hulhumalé. Each guest house confirms the departure that fits your flight.
Flight and boat
The faster option is a domestic flight of about 20 to 30 minutes to Maamigili, followed by a short taxi and a speedboat of about 20 minutes to Dhigurah. It costs more than the scheduled boat, but it saves time and a rough crossing in the wetter months. A seaplane to a nearby resort with a speedboat transfer is a third, more expensive, option.
The public ferry
The MTCC public ferry to South Ari runs a few days a week and takes most of a day. Since March 2026 atoll ferries have left from the Villingili and Hulhumalé terminals in Malé. Check the current timetable before relying on it.
Coming home
Speedboats back to the airport usually leave Dhigurah early in the morning and in the early afternoon. For an early-morning flight home, take the boat the day before and spend the night in Hulhumalé.
The short version. Dhigurah is far enough out that the transfer shapes the trip. Land in time for the day's last boat, or fly to Maamigili, and plan the last night near the airport in Hulhumalé if your flight home leaves early.
Island rules worth knowing
Alcohol. None is sold or served on Dhigurah. Nearby resorts serve alcohol on a day pass.
Dress and the beach. The bikini beach runs along much of the island's western side. In the village, cover shoulders and knees, men as well as women.
Money. Restaurants and shops often take cash only, and there is no currency exchange on the island, so bring US dollars or rufiyaa.
Fridays. Shops and cafés close around midday prayers, and boat timetables change.
Things to do on Dhigurah
Whale sharks
This is why most people come. Whale sharks are seen along the outer reef of South Ari in every month, and the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme has found no seasonal peak in sightings. The calmer seas between December and April make the trips easier to run. Snorkelling trips of two to three hours leave from the island. Encounters follow a code of conduct: keep your distance, do not touch, and give the shark space to swim.
The long beach and the sandbank
The bikini beach on the west side runs for much of the island's three kilometres. At the southern tip, a sandbar known as Dhigurashu Thun'di stretches out into the lagoon and changes shape with the tides and seasons. It takes about an hour to walk there from the village, so go in the cooler morning, and take water.
Turtle reef and snorkelling
About halfway along the western beach, a reef close to shore is known for turtles and small reef sharks. Snorkel only where the guest house says it is safe, and keep away from the boat channels.
Manta rays
Mantas visit cleaning stations in South Ari, mainly from about December to April, and many whale shark trips can be combined with a manta point.
Excursions from Dhigurah
Whale shark and manta snorkelling. The island's signature trips, run every day the weather allows.
Dolphin cruises. Sunset trips to look for spinner dolphins.
Resort day passes. Day passes at nearby resorts such as LUX* South Ari Atoll, Amaya Kuda Rah and Centara Grand Island, with the pool, the beach, lunch and a drink.
Dhangethi and Omadhoo. The neighbouring local islands, a short boat ride away. The Dhangethi guide and the Omadhoo guide, for the quieter village with a kilometre of house reef, cover them.
Dhiddhoo, Fenfushi and Mahibadhoo. Tiny Dhiddhoo and Fenfushi, with its coral-stone mosque, lie to the west along the southern rim, and Mahibadhoo, the atoll capital, is further north.
How long to stay. Four nights gives two chances at the whale sharks, which matters because weather and luck both play a part, plus a beach day at the sandbank and a resort day.
When to go
The dry northeast monsoon, roughly December to April, brings calm seas for the crossing, the clearest water, the easiest conditions for whale shark trips and the manta season. The southwest monsoon, roughly May to November, brings showers and rougher crossings, but quieter beaches and lower rates. Whale sharks are seen in both seasons.
Guest houses on Dhigurah
Dhigurah has 43 registered guest houses and five registered home stays. None is on this site yet, but any of them can be priced on request.
Every registered guest house on Dhigurah
The Ministry of Tourism register lists these guest houses and home stays on Dhigurah, with the number of rooms each is licensed for. Names link to the hotel's page on this site as they join, and the rest can still be priced on request.
- Akiri Dhigurah5 rooms
- Athiri Beach16 rooms
- Azul Retreat3 rooms
- BB Island House3 rooms
- Beach Hot Dhigurah15 rooms
- Beach Lily Dhigurah11 rooms
- Bliss Dhigurah16 rooms
- Boli Dhigurah4 rooms · home stay
- Boutique Beach Guest House6 rooms
- Dhigurah Beach Inn4 rooms
- Dhigurah Cottage ZamaaneeUfa12 rooms
- Dhigurah Dhonveli Boutique5 rooms
- Dhiguveli19 rooms
- Dhiguveli Breeze18 rooms
- Dhonfalhu Dhigurah7 rooms
- Finolhu Dhigurah5 rooms
- Haven Dhigurah5 rooms
- Horizon Dhigurah6 rooms
- Infinity Beach Dhigurah7 rooms
- Ithaa Dhigurah6 rooms
- Lagoon Dhigurah4 rooms · home stay
- Loft Maldives8 rooms
- Lofts by Bliss4 rooms
- Lonuhiri45 rooms
- Muraka Dhigurah4 rooms
- Naares Inn Dhigurah3 rooms
- Nikabliss9 rooms
- Oasis Dhigurah7 rooms
- Pearl Dhigurah5 rooms
- Raakani Dhigurah7 rooms
- Ranveli Dhigurah6 rooms
- Sands Grand12 rooms
- Seascape Retreats Dhigurah5 rooms
- Seaside Dhigurah6 rooms
- Serene Dhigurah6 rooms
- Sun Beach Dhigurah5 rooms
- Sunny Stay Dhigurah4 rooms
- Sunrise by White Sand Dhigurah13 rooms
- Sunwave Dhigurah8 rooms
- Tides Dhigurah4 rooms
- TME Retreats Dhigurah15 rooms
- TME Retreats Dhigurah Beach House5 rooms · home stay
- TME Retreats Dhigurah Beachside3 rooms · home stay
- TME Retreats Dhigurah Beachview5 rooms · home stay
- Unwind Dhigurah7 rooms
- The Wave Dhigurah3 rooms
- Whale Shark Beach23 rooms
- White Sand Dhigurah Guesthouse24 rooms
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Maldives, register of tourist guest houses and home stays, October 2026. Room counts are the licensed totals and change as properties expand.
Every guest house on this site, on Dhigurah and the other local islands, with live prices for your dates, is on the guest houses and city hotels page.
Who Dhigurah isn't for
Anyone on a short trip. With two hours or more each way, a two- or three-night stay spends too much of the holiday in transit.
Anyone who wants a drink, nightlife or a wide choice of restaurants. Dhigurah is small, dry and quiet after dark.
Anyone who suffers badly from seasickness and does not want to fly. The speedboat crosses open water, and in the wetter months it can be rough. The flight to Maamigili avoids most of it.
Comparing islands? The Maldives local islands guide sets every island guide on this site side by side, by transfer time from the airport and what each island does best.
Common questions
How do I get to Dhigurah from Malé airport?
By scheduled speedboat from Velana International Airport, about an hour and three quarters to two and a half hours, usually with late-morning and late-afternoon departures. The faster option is a domestic flight to Maamigili, about 20 to 30 minutes, then a short taxi and a 20-minute speedboat.
Can you see whale sharks from Dhigurah?
Yes. Dhigurah sits on the edge of the South Ari Marine Protected Area, where whale sharks are seen along the outer reef all year, with no seasonal peak. Snorkelling trips of two to three hours leave from the island.
Where is the bikini beach on Dhigurah?
Along much of the island's western side. At the southern tip is a long sandbar, Dhigurashu Thun'di, about an hour's walk from the village. In the village itself, cover shoulders and knees, men as well as women, and carry a cover-up for the walk back from the beach.
How many guest houses are there on Dhigurah?
The Ministry of Tourism register lists 43 guest houses on Dhigurah, with about 400 rooms between them, plus five home stays. Most are small, with fewer than twenty rooms. The full list is on this page, and any of them can be priced on request.
Dhigurah or Dhangethi?
Both are close to the whale sharks and share the same boat trips. Dhigurah has the long beach and the sandbank; Dhangethi is a slightly larger village. They are a short boat ride apart, so a stay on one can easily include a visit to the other.
Dhigurah sits beside South Ari's year-round whale sharks: a long, thin island with a beach down one side and a sandbank at the end. Make the long transfer count, stay four nights, and give yourself two mornings with the sharks. Every guest house on Dhigurah can be priced for your dates through the guest houses and city hotels page.
