Male: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Male is the capital of Maldives (Kaafu Atoll), 8 m (26 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Velana International Airport (MLE), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Male runs from about 11 h 55 min a day in late December to 12 h 24 min in late June (computed for 4.18° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Male is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Velana International Airport (MLE), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre, whose 11,155-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft.
Flights to Male: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Male · Driving and car hire
Twin towns and sister cities: Colombo, Kaohsiung, Djibouti.
Common questions
Which airport serves Male?
Velana International Airport (MLE), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre.
How big is Male?
About 103,693 people live in Male, across 6 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Male in?
Indian/Maldives, currently UTC+5.
What currency is used in Male?
The Rufiyaa (MVR). Traffic drives on the left.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.