South Male Atoll is 36km long and 19km wide. There are 30 islands of which three are inhabited, 10 are uninhabited and 17 are resorts. The capital of the atoll is Maafushi.

The atoll is separated from North Male Atoll by the 4.5km wide Vaadhoo Kandu. Transfers from the airport to the resorts are mostly by speedboat but some of the closer ones still use engine dhoanis. Rough seas can sometimes be experienced in the Vaadhoo Kandu.