Over 1,000 islands make up the Maldives, a small country spread across the stunning turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. This tropical paradise houses soft white-sand beaches, lush green landscapes, rich culture and history and a spectacular underwater world featuring miles of colorful coral reef, more than 2,000 species of fish and other marine life like manta rays, sea turtles and dolphins. The Maldives islands are grouped into 26 natural atolls. An atoll is a group of islands with a reef that nearly or entirely encloses a ring-shaped lagoon. Only 200 of the Maldives islands are inhabited and many are home to luxury resorts, boutique villas and off-the-beaten-path getaways. You might surf at Chickens Break, dive at Brocken Rock, watch for dolphins at Muli Channel, visit 17th-century Old Friday Mosque or explore the local fish market. Most visitors to the Maldives will arrive at the international airport in Male, the country’s capital. Transfers to resorts around the airport are typically by speedboat and transfers to resorts and islands further out are often by seaplane.