At Landaa Diraavaru, discover a castaway retreat where Riviera-style discretion meets marine adventure, Michelin-level cooking and Four Seasons polish.
Turquoise lagoon meets swaying palms villa at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru – a former coconut plantation turned castaway luxury resort where you can live in harmony with nature, without sacrificing high-end refinement.
For travellers accustomed to the Riviera’s glamour and Monaco’s discreet elegance, the resort offers a similar code of luxury – privacy without pretension, flawless service without spectacle, and an international jet-set ambiance balanced by intelligent sustainability. The arrival by seaplane offers the same thrilling theatre as landing by helicopter on Cap-Ferrat’s clifftops, yet here, the drama is the ocean itself. Infinite sky mirrors an endless sea, punctuated only by atolls and coral reefs.
Grandeur in every moment
The adventure begins by seaplane, Four Seasons have the most distinctive aircraft in the country – decorated either yellow and black, in honour of the vibrant resident boxfish, or multi-coloured like the fanciful Picasso triggerfish. After a pinch yourself scenic flight, you touch down into gin-coloured waters and disembark on a floating jetty, before a short boat ride to the paradise isle. Villas are architectural marvels, inspired by tradition and innovation. The jewel among them is a palatial 30,000 sq ft four-bedroom estate with soaring vaulted ceilings and virginal teak interiors, drawing on Maldivian craftsmanship. Oversized glass walls frame panoramic ocean views and a sprawling shimmering infinity pool. Guests at the villa are served by butler throughout the stay.
Overwater villas, elevated on stilts above crystalline water, meanwhile, whisper exclusivity. Each has a private plunge pool, sundecks, and direct ocean access, inviting you to slip between room and coral garden.
Culinary illumination
The resort’s culinary philosophy leans into locally sourced, island-grown produce, coconuts, herbs, vegetables, and just-caught line fish. Michelin-starred talent, notably from Italy, takes over the kitchens in rotating stints, weaving European flavour into laid-back Maldivian life. Seafood is the centrepiece. Succulent tuna, buttery lobster, and delicate reef fish are treated with respect and precision, served in open-air pavilions with views of turquoise seas or a carpet of stars. For an exceptional setting, arrange a floating pavilion or a Dinner in the Trees experience, framed by the lagoon’s luminescent coral gardens or a garden of twinkling lights, and dishes paired with rare wines.
Rare encounters and immersive discovery
What sets Landaa Giraavaru apart from other Maldives luxury offerings is its connection to the natural world, it’s a living laboratory for guests to explore and observe, with resident marine biologists and dive masters guiding guests among coral reefs, with the chance to encounter whale sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles.
The big-ticket marine creatures in the Baa Atoll are giant manta rays, more than 1600 have been identified here. Guests are offered a manta phone during their stay. When signings happen, the phone rings and excitement builds as guest hurry to the spot to see these creatures (up to 30ft in size) gliding gracefully. On the rarest occasions, whale sharks – nature’s gentle giants – make an apparition.
For those who prefer less immersive, but no less transcendent, experiences, there are sunset cruises aboard private yachts, dolphin-spotting voyages, and even marine-photography safaris. Every expedition goes in pursuit of something extraordinary.
Sumptuous spa
Landaa Giraavaru’s spa is one of the Maldives’ finest, with each private treatment room in a stilted over-water room. Therapies use indigenous ingredients, sea salt, coconut oil, and native flora. Yoga, meditation, and wellness sessions are conducted in open pavilions, with the sound of the ocean as your soundtrack. Try the PraMā wellness screening for in-depth biomarker diagnostics, postural and metabolic evaluations, pulse readings, muscle status.
Go full luxury castaway
A short yacht journey away, sister property Four Seasons Private Island at Voavah is bookable by only one guest at a time. Voavah is an exclusive six-bedroom villa that occupies an entire island. The villa has private infinity pool, spa, dive centre, and its own immaculate house reef, for private snorkelling steps from the door. There’s a panoramic beach house, a relaxation pavilion, and a dining area where chefs cater exclusively to your group.
