Huraa island guide: the royal island, mangroves, surf and where to stay
In this article
Huraa is the royal island of North Malé Atoll: home of the Huraa dynasty, the last royal house to rule the Maldives, and today a busy guest-house island about 20 kilometres north-east of Malé, a speedboat ride of 20 to 35 minutes from Velana International Airport. It has a bikini beach on the north side, a protected mangrove reserve and the surf breaks of North Malé within a short boat ride.
The Four Seasons resort at Kuda Huraa sits on the next island across the lagoon. For a first local-island stay that keeps the transfer short and still has surf, snorkelling and sandbank trips on the doorstep, Huraa is one of the easiest picks.
Huraa at a glance
Population and island life
The 2022 census counted 1,654 people on Huraa, including foreign workers, up from 1,014 in 2014. It is a small island, about 850 metres long and 300 metres wide, with no cars; a walk around the whole shore takes well under two hours, and many guest houses lend bicycles. Fishing and tourism are the main work.
Huraa's place in Maldivian history is out of proportion to its size. Sultan al-Ghazi Hasan 'Izz ud-din, from a Huraa family, founded the Huraa dynasty in 1757, and it was the last royal line to rule the Maldives. Kings, prime ministers and senior officials have come from the island since.
The village has a health centre for minor problems, a pharmacy, mini markets, souvenir shops and a good spread of small cafés, among them the Hangover Cafe near the bikini beach and the Sea Salt Cafe by the harbour. A Bank of Maldives ATM was installed in 2025, but cafés and small shops still prefer cash.
The Ministry of Tourism register lists seventeen guest houses with 176 rooms between them. Pearl Sands at Huraa, with 32 rooms, and Atollios Skyview, with 31, are the largest; most of the others have between four and thirteen.
How to get to Huraa from Malé airport
Shared speedboat
Shared speedboats run daily from Velana and Malé, and the crossing takes about 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the boat and the stops. Guest houses book the seat and meet you at the airport. With such a short crossing, most international arrivals can reach the island the same day, but check the last boat time before booking a late flight.
The public ferry
A government ferry runs between Malé and Huraa once a day in each direction, leaving Malé in the mid-afternoon and Huraa early in the morning, and takes about an hour and a half. It does not run on Fridays, and tickets are sold at the terminal on the day. It suits travellers with time, light bags and a morning landing.
Private speedboat
Private speedboats take about half an hour and can be booked for any time of day through your guest house, which is the answer to a night arrival.
The short version. Take the shared speedboat, about half an hour from the airport. Huraa is one of the few guest-house islands where a three-night stay works, and it is easy to pair with a resort at the end. The resorts nearby, each reached by its own boat from the airport, are compared in North Malé resorts reached by boat.
Island rules worth knowing
Alcohol. None is sold or served on Huraa, and it may not be brought onto the island. A licensed bar boat has been moored offshore, and resort day passes are the other way to have a drink.
Dress and the beach. Swimwear is allowed only on the bikini beach and on excursion boats. In the village, cover shoulders and knees, men as well as women, and remove shoes before entering a mosque.
The mangrove reserve. The mangroves are a protected area. Keep to the paths, and leave the birds and crabs undisturbed.
Fridays. Shops and cafés close around midday prayers, and the public ferry does not run.
Things to do on Huraa
The bikini beach
The bikini beach is on the northern side of the island, next to the Pearl Sands hotel, a stretch of soft white sand facing the lagoon. Pearl Sands also has its own beach area, open to non-guests for a fee. The walk there from the village is short but has little shade at midday.
The mangrove reserve
The north of the island is a protected mangrove swamp, a nature reserve where protected birds rest; an IUCN survey counted ten kinds of mangrove and mangrove-associated trees there. It is unusual for a local island, and worth an early morning or late afternoon walk, or a paddle around its edges by kayak. Fruit bats come out over the island at dusk.
Snorkelling
The reef close to the bikini beach is shallow and calm, with reef fish and the occasional turtle, and there are more reefs a short boat ride off the island. Guest houses run snorkel trips to look for turtles, stingrays and reef sharks, and sunset cruises go looking for spinner dolphins.
Surfing
There is no surf break off Huraa itself, but the island sits among the breaks of North Malé Atoll, and boats run surfers out to Sultans, Honkeys, Jailbreaks, Chickens and Cokes. The surf season runs from about March to October, with the biggest swell in the middle of the year. For waves on the doorstep instead, Himmafushi and Thulusdhoo have breaks a walk from the guest houses.
Diving
Dive centres on and around Huraa run trips to the North Malé sites, among them Manta Point at Lankan, where mantas visit a cleaning station mostly in the southwest monsoon, roughly May to November, and Banana Reef, one of the best-known reefs in the country.
Excursions from Huraa
Sandbanks. Picnic and sunset trips to the sandbanks of North Malé Atoll are the classic Huraa day out, and some include an overnight stay in tents.
Resort days. Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, on the neighbouring island, and other North Malé resorts offer day passes, the usual way to spend a day by a pool with a drink.
Fishing. Night and sunset fishing with hand lines, often with the catch grilled afterwards, can be arranged through the guest houses.
How long to stay. Three nights is enough for the beach, the mangroves and a sandbank or snorkel trip. Surfers and divers usually stay a week. Huraa also works well as the first or last stop before or after a resort.
When to go
For calm seas, clear water and the driest weather, the northeast monsoon, roughly December to April, is the time, and the best for snorkelling. The southwest monsoon, roughly May to November, brings the swell for surfers and the plankton that draws manta rays to the Manta Point cleaning station at Lankan, along with more rain and wind, quieter islands and lower rates.
Guest houses on Huraa
Huraa has seventeen registered guest houses. None is on this site yet, but any of them can be priced on request.
Every registered guest house on Huraa
The Ministry of Tourism register lists these guest houses on Huraa, 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.
- Atollios Skyview31 rooms
- Courtyard12 rooms
- Golden Turtle4 rooms
- Green Villa Guest House Maldives12 rooms
- Kanbulo House Maldives6 rooms
- Lukinn4 rooms
- Pearl Sands at Huraa32 rooms
- Sandy Stay7 rooms
- Sea Breeze View6 rooms
- Seaside Drift Maldives4 rooms
- Serenity Stay5 rooms
- Silver Oasis12 rooms
- The Bilimbi6 rooms
- The R 1 Huraa13 rooms
- The Sunrise Huraa4 rooms
- Valhali Guesthouse5 rooms
- Wish Guesthouse13 rooms
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Maldives, register of tourist guest houses, October 2026. Room counts are the licensed totals and change as properties expand.
Every guest house on this site, on Huraa and the other local islands, with live prices for your dates, is on the guest houses and city hotels page.
Who Huraa isn't for
Anyone who wants an empty beach or the big animals. Huraa is a lively island with a shared bikini beach; Fulidhoo has the stingrays and the quiet, and Dhigurah the whale sharks.
Surfers who want to walk to the break. Huraa's waves are all a boat ride away; Thulusdhoo and Himmafushi are the walk-out surf islands.
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 Huraa from Malé airport?
By shared speedboat, about 20 to 35 minutes from Velana; your guest house books the seat. A government ferry also runs from Malé once a day, in the mid-afternoon, taking about an hour and a half, except on Fridays. Private speedboats cover late arrivals.
Does Huraa have a bikini beach?
Yes. The bikini beach is on the northern side of the island, next to the Pearl Sands hotel, a short walk from the village. Swimwear is allowed only there and on boats; in the village, cover shoulders and knees. The reef near the beach is shallow and calm enough for beginners.
Is Huraa good for surfing?
It is a good base, but not a walk-out surf island. Boats take surfers from Huraa to North Malé breaks such as Sultans, Honkeys, Jailbreaks, Chickens and Cokes, mostly from about March to October. Thulusdhoo and Himmafushi have breaks within walking distance of the guest houses.
What is Huraa known for?
Huraa is the home island of the Huraa dynasty, founded in 1757 and the last royal line to rule the Maldives. Today it is known for its protected mangrove reserve, a bikini beach on the north side, nearby surf breaks and its neighbour, the Four Seasons resort at Kuda Huraa.
How many guest houses are there on Huraa?
The Ministry of Tourism register lists seventeen guest houses on Huraa, with 176 rooms between them. Pearl Sands at Huraa, with 32 rooms, and Atollios Skyview, with 31, are the largest. The full list is on this page, and any of them can be priced on request.
Huraa is the short-transfer local island with a story: half an hour from the airport, the home of the last royal dynasty, a mangrove reserve, a bikini beach and North Malé's surf and sandbanks by boat. Give it three nights or more, and every guest house on Huraa can be priced for your dates through the guest houses and city hotels page.
