Gan island guide (Laamu): Buddhist ruins, the Link Road, surf and where to stay
In this article
Gan is the big island of Laamu Atoll, about 250 kilometres south of Malé: nearly eight kilometres long, joined by causeways to its neighbours, and home to the best-known Buddhist ruins in the Maldives. The way in is a domestic flight to Kadhdhoo, a short drive away along the Laamu Link Road.
It is a different kind of local island: roads, cars and bicycles, long empty beaches, and a town of nearly five thousand people. For travellers who want to see a less visited atoll, dive Laamu's channels or surf its breaks, it makes a practical base.
Gan at a glance
Population and island life
The 2022 census counted 4,815 people on Gan, up from 2,809 in 2014 and 2,502 in 2006. The island has three wards, Thundi in the north, Mathimaradhu in the middle and Mukurimagu in the south, and it is the most developed island in the atoll, with Gan Regional Hospital, schools, a police station and a Bank of Maldives branch and ATM. Much of this was rebuilt after the 2004 tsunami.
Gan is joined to Maandhoo in the south, and Maandhoo to Kadhdhoo, which has the atoll's airport, and on to Fonadhoo, the atoll capital. Together they make a chain of about 18 kilometres of road, the longest stretch of dry land in the Maldives. Cycling it is one of the pleasures of a stay.
The Ministry of Tourism register lists six guest houses on Gan with 91 rooms between them, plus one home stay. Long Beach Laamu, with 30 rooms, and Reveries Diving Village, with 23, are the largest.
How to get to Gan from Malé airport
Domestic flight
Flights from Velana to Kadhdhoo, Laamu's domestic airport, take about 35 to 50 minutes and run several times a day. From Kadhdhoo it is a short drive north over the causeway to Gan, and guest houses arrange the pick-up. Flights land in daylight, so an international arrival late in the day usually means a first night near Velana; the Hulhumalé guide covers where to stay.
By sea
There is no practical shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé. Laamu is too far for a day's crossing, and the flight is the way in.
The short version. Fly to Kadhdhoo and drive to Gan. Book the domestic flight with the guest house so it fits your international arrival, and give Laamu four nights or more.
Island rules worth knowing
Alcohol. None is sold or served on Gan, and it may not be brought onto the island. A resort day pass is the usual way to have a drink.
Dress and the beach. Swimwear is allowed only on designated bikini beaches and on excursion boats; ask the guest house where the nearest one is. In the village, cover shoulders and knees, men as well as women.
Fridays. Shops and cafés close around midday prayers, and flight times can change.
Things to do on Gan
The Buddhist ruins
Before the Maldives converted to Islam in the twelfth century, Gan was an important Buddhist site. Its largest mound, Gamu Haiytheli in Mukurimagu ward, is about 91 metres round and 7 metres high, and island tradition holds that it was the last Buddhist temple in the country. The archaeologist H. C. P. Bell excavated a stupa and monastery here in 1923. The sites are unprotected and much has been lost, so what survives is mostly mounds of coral stone, but they are worth seeing for the history.
Beaches and cycling
Gan has long, quiet beaches lined with palms, and on most days they are close to empty. Guest houses lend or rent bicycles, and the flat roads along the island and across the causeways to Maandhoo, Kadhdhoo and Fonadhoo make easy rides.
Diving and snorkelling
Laamu's channels are some of the least dived in the country. Dive centres work from Gan, among them Emperor Divers at Reveries Diving Village, with sites such as Fushi Kandu, a channel with manta cleaning stations and grey reef sharks, and drift dives through the atoll's passes. Whale sharks are sometimes seen, mainly on the western side. Snorkelling is possible from parts of the shore; ask locally about currents near the channels.
Surfing
Laamu has several reef breaks, the best known of them Yin Yang, reached by boat from the islands. The swell season runs roughly from March to October. The breaks suit experienced surfers, and guest houses and dive centres can arrange boats.
Excursions from Gan
Sandbanks. Half-day and full-day trips to the sandbanks of Laamu.
Fishing. Night fishing and big-game fishing, often ending with a beach barbecue.
Mangroves. Canoe and paddleboard trips through the atoll's mangroves.
Resort days. Day passes to a Laamu resort can sometimes be arranged through the guest houses.
The rest of Laamu. Fonadhoo, the atoll capital, and the other linked islands are a drive or cycle away. Laamu's beaches stood in for the planet Scarif in the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).
How long to stay. Four or five nights covers the ruins, a cycle along the Link Road, two days of diving or surf and a sandbank trip.
When to go
The dry northeast monsoon, roughly December to April, brings calm seas and the clearest water for diving. The southwest monsoon, roughly May to November, brings rain and wind, the surf season and, in some months, the best chances of mantas and whale sharks.
Guest houses on Gan
Gan has six registered guest houses and one registered home stay. None is on this site yet, but any of them can be priced on request.
Every registered guest house on Gan
The Ministry of Tourism register lists these guest houses and home stays on Gan in Laamu, 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.
- Calm Beach Inn5 rooms · home stay
- Clouds Beach Retreat8 rooms
- Garden Beach Laamu10 rooms
- Long Beach Laamu30 rooms
- Nazaki Residences16 rooms
- Reveries Diving Village23 rooms
- Sunsetvilla4 rooms
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Maldives, register of tourist guest houses and home stays (L. Gan), October 2026. Room counts are the licensed totals and change as properties expand.
Every guest house on this site, on Gan and the other local islands, with live prices for your dates, is on the guest houses and city hotels page.
Who Gan isn't for
Anyone on a short trip or a tight budget for transfers. Laamu is reached only by domestic flight; Maafushi and Gulhi are a short speedboat ride from the airport.
Anyone who wants a compact village with cafés on every corner. Gan is large and spread out, and a bicycle or a taxi helps.
Anyone who wants nightlife, a drink with dinner or an over-water villa. The trade-off is set out in local island or resort island.
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 Gan in Laamu from Malé airport?
By domestic flight from Velana to Kadhdhoo, about 35 to 50 minutes, then a short drive north over the causeway to Gan. Flights run several times a day and the guest house arranges the pick-up. There is no practical shared speedboat or ferry from Malé.
Is Gan the largest island in the Maldives?
It is one of the largest, about 7.8 kilometres long. With Maandhoo, Kadhdhoo and Fonadhoo it forms a chain of about 18 kilometres joined by causeways, the longest stretch of dry land in the country. This is Gan in Laamu, not the Gan in Addu Atoll with the international airport.
What are the Buddhist ruins on Gan?
Gan has the remains of stupas and a monastery from before the Maldives converted to Islam in the twelfth century. The largest mound, Gamu Haiytheli, is said to have been the country's last Buddhist temple. H. C. P. Bell excavated here in 1923; today the sites are mostly coral-stone mounds.
Can you surf from Gan?
Yes. Laamu has several reef breaks, the best known being Yin Yang, reached by boat. The swell season runs roughly from March to October, and the waves suit experienced surfers. Guest houses and dive centres on Gan can arrange boats to the breaks.
How many guest houses are there on Gan?
The Ministry of Tourism register lists six guest houses on Gan in Laamu, with 91 rooms between them, plus one home stay. Long Beach Laamu is the largest with 30 rooms. The full list is on this page, and any of them can be priced on request.
Gan is the local island for Laamu: a long, quiet island of roads, beaches and old Buddhist mounds, a short flight from Malé and close to some of the least crowded channels in the country. Fly to Kadhdhoo, give it four nights or more, and every guest house on Gan can be priced for your dates through the guest houses and city hotels page.
