COMO Cocoa Island Review: 33 Overwater Villas, a Night-Time Speedboat and a Reef Off Your Steps

Visited by 360 Degree World in January 2017 · Updated October 2026

COMO Cocoa Island is a small island of 33 overwater villas in South Malé Atoll, 40 minutes by speedboat from the airport, and the boat runs day and night, so a late landing still reaches the island the same night. The house reef is a short swim from every villa's steps. The compromises are a single restaurant and building work on neighbouring islands that guests can see, and underwater can sometimes hear.

What stood out on the visit

The 360 Degree World team stayed at COMO Cocoa Island in mid-January 2017 and found it something special for anyone who wants genuine stillness.

Waking up in the dhoni-shaped villas, a dhoni being the traditional Maldivian boat, set the tone. So did walking barefoot onto the sandbar at low tide, a sandbar being a strip of bare sand in the lagoon, and watching baby reef sharks dart through impossibly clear shallows right off the deck. The house reef was genuinely alive.

The trade-off the team noted: nightlife is nonexistent. Their verdict was that the island is perfect for couples who value profound quiet, understated elegance, and diving over flashy scenes.

What the island is like

An atoll is a ring of coral reef with islands scattered around it. South Malé Atoll lies just south of the capital, and COMO Cocoa Island sits about 30 kilometres from Malé on an island known locally as Makunufushi.

There are no beach villas. All 33 villas stand over the lagoon, the shallow, sheltered water inside the reef, linked by planked walkways. They take their shape from the curving hulls of dhoni boats, with high rafters, teak floors, thatched roofs and floor-to-ceiling windows. The rest of the island holds the restaurant, the bar, a 25-metre infinity-edge pool and the spa.

The resort was refurbished over seven months and reopened in January 2020, when a gym, a Pilates studio and a new yoga space were added. Executive Chef Federico Tidu, who joined COMO in 2024, now leads the kitchen.

Arriving

COMO Cocoa Island is reached by the resort's own speedboat from Velana International Airport in Malé, a journey of about 40 minutes. There is no seaplane. Seaplanes in the Maldives fly in daylight only, which leaves late arrivals at many resorts waiting in Malé overnight. Here the boat runs day and night, so a late landing still reaches the island the same night, and the same boat takes you back for your flight home. A private boat can also be arranged.

The villas

There are six villa types, and all of them sit over the water.

The Dhoni Water Villa, about 75 square metres, is split-level and sleeps three, with a terrace for lounging and dining. The Dhoni Loft Water Villa, about 110 square metres, puts the main bedroom on a mezzanine above a larger living area and sleeps four. The Loft Water Villa, about 123 square metres, also has a mezzanine bedroom, with a private sundeck and direct access to the ocean, and sleeps four.

None of those three has a private pool. The One-Bedroom Water Villa with Pool, about 125 square metres at the eastern end of the island, adds a private pool to the sundeck and sleeps four.

For families and groups there is one of each of the two largest villas. The Two-Bedroom COMO Sunrise Villa covers about 300 square metres, with two bedrooms in separate wings, each with its own bathroom, joined by a shared living space and a pool above the ocean. The COMO Sunset Villa, about 590 square metres, is two standalone villas, one with one bedroom and one with two, linked by a wooden walkway, with two pools.

Eating and drinking

Ufaa is the restaurant, and the only one. It is an inside-outside space beside the pool and the beach, serving Indian and Mediterranean cooking built on local produce and sustainably caught seafood. Chef Federico Tidu, who grew up in Sardinia, also cooks a seven-course Sardinian tasting menu at Ufaa, adapting the dishes of his home island to Maldivian ingredients such as locally caught yellowfin tuna, jobfish and snapper.

COMO Shambhala Kitchen is the healthy menu that runs alongside, served at Ufaa and in the villas, with soups, salads, broths and dishes cooked in the tandoor.

Faru Bar is the poolside bar, with direct beach access, cocktails, mocktails, wine and light snacks. It also hosts the weekly marine biology talks.

Beyond those, meals move around the island: a picnic on the eastern sandbank with a butler serving, a tented dinner on the beach, a yakiniku dinner that guests grill themselves in their own villa, and in-villa dining.

The spa, sport and families

COMO Shambhala runs the spa. There are four massage pavilions, three of them for couples, with outdoor garden showers and tubs, alongside a hydrotherapy pool and a steam room. The building has two floors: a fully equipped gym below and an open-air yoga pavilion above, with daily group yoga for all levels. A Pilates studio has reformer equipment, and there is barefoot meditation on the sandbank.

On the water, the resort teaches sailing on small catamarans and windsurfing, and runs guided kayaking across the lagoon. The watersports centre has non-motorised equipment for guests to use, and snorkel gear is provided.

There is no kids' club. The resort welcomes families, and the activities for children centre on the sea: the Young Marine Explorers sessions with the marine biologist, coral planting, a sunset nature walk and open-air films under the stars.

The water

A house reef is the coral reef you can swim to from the resort itself. At COMO Cocoa Island you go down your own villa steps, cross a short stretch of lagoon and you are on the drop-off. There are three separate reef areas, suited to different levels of confidence. Turtles, blacktip reef sharks and rays are regulars. Nurse sharks are a Vaavu Atoll excursion. The guided reef snorkel with the marine biologist runs for about an hour and is worth booking a day ahead. The coral is recovering rather than pristine.

The dive centre runs PADI courses from a first try-dive up to Open Water, and the dive sites the resort names include Kandooma Caves and Cocoa Thila, known for its shark cleaning station. One recent diver reported eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse and sharks.

The excursions are built around marine life: a boat trip to Vaavu Atoll to snorkel with nurse sharks, a turtle snorkel about 20 minutes away, a reef-shark snorkel about 15 minutes away, a UV night snorkel on the house reef that makes the coral glow, a sunset cruise on which dolphins are sometimes seen, and sunset fishing.

From roughly March to October, surfers arrive. Surf trips to the nearby South Malé Atoll breaks, such as Kandooma Right, are run by an outside surf company rather than the resort.

Where the compromises are

The first is choice at mealtimes. Ufaa is the only restaurant, so on a long stay variety depends on the private dining options and the Sardinian tasting menu.

The second is the neighbourhood. COMO Cocoa Island sits close to Malé, and several 2026 guests mention construction on nearby islands and busy boat traffic. Building work has also been audible underwater on the reef.

The third is planning. The guided reef snorkel is worth booking a day ahead, so a short stay rewards a little forethought.

Who will love it, and who won't

COMO Cocoa Island suits couples who want a quiet overwater stay, a reef off the deck and a serious spa, and travellers whose international flights land late, since the speedboat removes the need for a night in Malé. Divers have Kandooma Caves and Cocoa Thila to explore, and surfers have breaks within reach in season. It suits anyone who wants a beach villa, nightlife or a long list of restaurants considerably less well.

Common questions

How do you get to COMO Cocoa Island?

By the resort's own speedboat from Velana International Airport in Malé, about 40 minutes. There is no seaplane, and the boat runs day and night, so late arrivals can still reach the island the same night. A private boat can also be arranged. Send the resort your flight details in advance.

Does COMO Cocoa Island have a good house reef?

Yes. Every villa has steps into the lagoon, and a short swim takes you to the drop-off. There are three reef areas for different abilities, with turtles, reef sharks and rays seen regularly. Nurse sharks are a Vaavu Atoll excursion. The coral is recovering rather than pristine, and the guided snorkel is worth booking.

Does COMO Cocoa Island have beach villas?

No. All 33 villas stand over the lagoon, in six types from the 75-square-metre Dhoni Water Villa to the 590-square-metre COMO Sunset Villa. Only the One-Bedroom Water Villa with Pool and the two largest villas have private pools. The beach and pool are shared by everyone.

What restaurants does COMO Cocoa Island have?

One: Ufaa, beside the pool and beach, serving modern Indian and Mediterranean cooking, plus the healthy COMO Shambhala Kitchen menu and a Sardinian tasting menu. Faru Bar covers drinks and snacks, and there are sandbank picnics, beach dinners and in-villa dining.

Is COMO Cocoa Island good for surfing?

It is close to several South Malé Atoll breaks, including Kandooma Right, and surfers come from roughly March to October. Surf trips are run by an outside surf company rather than the resort itself, so ask about them before you travel.