Visiting Male by yacht

Climate by month, the approaches to Male port and how to get here.

Picture made with AI. It shows the place but is not a photograph.

Seasons

When to come

Season	Months	Daily high	Monthly rain
Peak	January to April	30.6 to 31.9 °C	38 to 127 mm
Shoulder	May, November, December	30.4 to 31.5 °C	212 to 238 mm
Off season	June to October	30.5 to 31.1 °C	146 to 245 mm

WMO normals 1991 to 2020, Hulhule station. Season bands are our own estimate. A Maldives yacht agent gives the visiting period as November to May (Islander, December 2025).

At anchor

Approaches to Male port

Maldives Ports Limited describes these approaches to Male anchorage. The page is not a chart.

Pilot boarding ground

Bodukalhi, at 04° 16.0 N, 073° 34.0 E. Vessels call Harbour Control on VHF 10 two hours before arrival.

Bodukalhi Passage

Described as the best and widest entrance to the lagoon of Male atoll. About 50 m deep in the deepest part of the fairway.

Male Viligili passage

Another passage into Male anchorage, for vessels of draft less than 3.5 m. A shoal of 5.0 m lies in the centre of the channel.

Giraavaru East Channel

Least depth 46 m in the middle of the fairway. Used in daylight, with no navigational light beacons.

Maldives Ports Limited, Male Commercial Harbour page.

Getting here

Velana International Airport has a 3,400 m runway. Ferries, buses and taxis run to Male. The 2.1 km Sinamalé Bridge links Male to Hulhulé and Hulhumalé.

Ashore

A Maldives yacht agent says many resorts welcome yachts but charge entrance or day-use fees. It says the agent supplies a file of the protected areas. (Islander, December 2025.)

Visitor numbers

The same agent says the Maldives has more than 50 visiting superyachts a year, and that yachts stay 45 to 60 days on average. This is an agent view, not an official count. (Islander, December 2025.)

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