Overwater villas.
Lagoon, ocean or with a pool, and which one suits you.
Photo © RAAYA by Atmosphere
The stay
Your own deck over the lagoon, and the water a few steps down.
An overwater villa stands on stilts over the lagoon, joined to the island by a walkway, with a deck and often steps down into the water. They differ more than the photographs suggest: which way they face, what lies under the deck, and how far they are from the beach and the restaurants.
Plan your stayChoosing the villa
What sets one water villa apart from another.
Two villas with the same name can be very different. These are the things worth comparing.
Lagoon or ocean side
Villas on the lagoon side look over calm, shallow water; on the ocean side the view runs out to the open sea.
Sunset or sunrise
Villas on one side of an island face the sunset, and on the other the sunrise.
A pool of your own
Some water villas have a private pool on the deck, which adds to the price.
Steps into the water
Steps from the deck down into the lagoon, and whether the water there is deep enough to swim.
The walk
How far it is to the beach, the restaurants and the spa: on some islands a short stroll, on others a buggy ride.
Privacy
How close the next villa is, and whether the decks face each other or the sea.
What we arrange
The right villa, not just the right island.
The villa
We suggest the villa as well as the island, and explain how the categories differ.
Beach and water
A few nights on the beach and a few over the water, if you would like both.
Transfers
Seaplane, speedboat or domestic flight, timed around your international flights.
One contact
One contact from your first message until you fly home.
A sample week
Five nights over the water.
One way five nights can run. Every island is different, and nothing here is fixed.
- Day 1
Arrive
Land at Velana International Airport, transfer to the island, and a first swim from the deck.
- Day 2
The deck
Breakfast on the deck, and the lagoon below whenever you like.
- Day 3
The reef
Snorkel the house reef, or a boat trip to a reef further out.
- Day 4
The spa
A treatment in the afternoon, then dinner on the island.
- Day 5
Sunset
Sunset from your deck, or from the beach if your villa faces the sunrise.
- Day 6
Home
A late breakfast, and a transfer timed to your flight.
Questions
Asked about water villas.
Anything not answered here, ask the reservations team on WhatsApp or by email, every day from 8am to 10pm Maldives time.
Contact usAlso worth a look
More ways to plan it.
Tell us about the trip. We reply within one working day.
Who is travelling, when, and what matters most. It takes about two minutes and goes straight to the reservations team.