Where to stay in the Maldives: the best atolls and resorts

North Malé Atoll is where Maldivian tourism began, and it still has some of the country's most celebrated islands. The big advantage is time: most resorts are a 20- to 30-minute speedboat ride from the airport, so there's no waiting for a seaplane and no losing half a day to the transfer.

Close doesn't mean crowded. Baros is a boutique island of 75 villas set in its own turquoise lagoon; Gili Lankanfushi and One&Only Reethi Rah are about as polished as the Maldives gets. For families or groups, Kurumba is livelier, with a mix of restaurants and bars, live entertainment and half-board or all-inclusive options, and it's one of the closest resorts of all to the airport.

South Malé Atoll offers the far-flung feel of the outer atolls without the seaplane. Most resorts are 20 to 40 minutes by speedboat from the airport, and they lean romantic: think private lagoons, overwater villas with steps straight down into the sea, and spa pavilions built over the reef.

Anantara Veli is adults-only, with dozens of overwater bungalows and marine life gliding beneath the floorboards. Velassaru does minimalist barefoot luxury, the OZEN islands go all-in on inclusive indulgence, and Hard Rock brings a dose of music and fun, with family suites and overwater villas in Emboodhoo Lagoon.

Baa Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and you can tell the moment you put your face in the water. Its reefs are dense with life, and at Hanifaru Bay, in season, manta rays gather in their hundreds to feed on plankton, sometimes joined by whale sharks. It is the closest thing the Maldives has to a natural wonder of the world.

Getting here takes a 30- to 35-minute seaplane flight from Malé, and the resorts make it worth the journey. Four Seasons occupies the whole of Landaa Giraavaru; Anantara Kihavah sits on Hanifaru's doorstep with villas of extravagant size; Amilla is a big, lush island with only a limited number of villas; and Dusit Thani's lagoon is a postcard in its own right.

Raa Atoll is one of the deeper atolls, a 40-minute seaplane hop north of Malé, and it feels properly remote. Reefs are rich, snorkelling straight off the beach is often superb, and excursions run to Hanifaru Bay next door in Baa.

The resorts here are mostly newer, and several do all-inclusive particularly well. Heritance Aarah is premium all-inclusive, with dining and drinks wrapped into the price. Alila Kothaifaru is serene and design-led, the InterContinental courts honeymooners and families alike, and Dhigali, on a slender coral cay, is pure castaway.

South Ari Atoll is the Maldives' big-fish country, famed for manta rays and, above all, whale sharks, which cruise its outer reefs year round. Divers rate it among the best in the archipelago, and even snorkellers stand a real chance of swimming alongside the world's largest fish.

Resorts here are reached by seaplane, sometimes with a short speedboat hop to finish. NOVA is a modern all-inclusive island in South Ari, and Kuda Rah is a smaller, quieter retreat with plenty of dive sites nearby. Further afield, RIU Palace Maldivas puts a round-the-clock all-inclusive resort on its own private island, Kedhigandu.

Not every Maldives trip needs a private island. Since locals were allowed to open guesthouses on inhabited islands, a new kind of holiday has emerged: small hotels a short walk from the beach, cafés serving fresh fish curry, and boat trips to snorkel reefs and sandbanks for a fraction of resort prices.

Dhiffushi, about 45 minutes by speedboat from the airport, has white beaches, a kite beach on its eastern side and a handful of friendly guesthouses. Dhigurah, in South Ari Atoll, has a long sandbar and is a launch pad for whale shark trips.

Remember that these are local communities: alcohol isn't served, and swimwear belongs on the designated bikini beaches. Many visitors pair a few local-island nights with a resort splurge to finish.

Hulhumalé is a reclaimed island next to the international airport, with a long public beach, cafés and a growing number of good-value hotels. It is the place to sleep after a late landing, before an early seaplane or at the end of a trip, and a few hotels, like Club Blu, sit within a few minutes' walk of the sand.

Malé, the capital, is a short ride or ferry away: a dense, colourful city of mosques, markets and motorbikes, worth a few hours for a taste of everyday Maldivian life. The Barceló Nasandhura has sea views and sits about 120 metres from a ferry terminal.