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This luxury overwater resort hotel occupies the crescent-shaped island of Makunufushi in the South Malé Atoll, its silhouette said to be modeled on the sails of traditional Maldivian dhoni boats. COMO Cocoa Island offers just 33 villas suspended above a lagoon of extraordinary clarity, each designed with the pared-back elegance the COMO brand is known for — natural timber, linen and open-air bathrooms that frame the Indian Ocean.

The atmosphere is intimate and unhurried, favoured by couples and honeymooners seeking privacy rather than spectacle. Days unfold around a private sandbank, a renowned dive centre exploring nearby reefs and channels, and a COMO Shambhala spa perched over the water. An underwater and overwater dining programme showcases fresh seafood and Asian-influenced cuisine, taken barefoot at the water’s edge.

Reachable by a scenic thirty-minute speedboat transfer from Malé, Cocoa Island distills the essence of a South Malé Atoll escape: coral gardens, sun-warmed sand, and a quiet, cultivated luxury that never feels ostentatious.