About Dhiffushi

Dhiffushi is the easternmost inhabited island of Kaafu Atoll, about 37 kilometres north-east of Malé. Since guesthouses were allowed on local islands in 2009 it has become one of the best-known guesthouse islands in the Maldives, with a tourist beach, a long sandbank and surf breaks a short boat ride away.

The island

Around 1,300 people live on Dhiffushi. Fishing was the island's main livelihood for generations; today most families work in tourism, fishing or both. The island has a school, a health centre, a mosque, a football ground and a harbour shared by fishing vessels and tourist speedboats.

The council

Dhiffushi Council is elected for five years. It looks after the harbour, the beaches, land use, waste, roads and the services residents and businesses rely on, and works with the Women's Development Committee on community programmes.