Overwater villas on a sunny day with puffy white clouds on the left. On the right, a peek at a boy playing on the beach by beach chairs. There are green plants bordering the photo of the boy.

OVERWATER VILLA vs BEACH VILLA – Which to Stay in on Your Family Trip to the Maldives

Are you trying to decide which type of villa to stay at an island resort in the Maldives?

We recently vacationed in the Maldives with our kids, and after researching our options, we chose a beach villa.

Most resorts offer both options, although many resorts limit families to stays in beach villas. Some resorts, like Soneva Jani, Centara Grand Island, and Siyam World offer families the opportunity to stay in an overwater villa. But, even if you have the option, you need to decide if an overwater villa is right for you.

Below I’ll walk you throug:

  • the basics of overwater and beach villas in the Maldives
  • the advantages and disadvantages of both from a family perspective
  • why we ended up choosing a beach villa
  • tips for booking an overwater or beach villa for your family trip to the Maldives

Overwater Villas in the Maldives

Turquoise water below overwater villas in the Maldives on a sunny day.
One of the groups of overwater villas at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi

Overwater villas are structures that are built over the clear, turquoise water of the Maldives. They typically branch off from a wooden jetty that leads from an island resort. However, some overwater villas (especially at ultra-luxurious resorts) have extra private overwater villas that have their own jetties or are reached by boat or private path.

Overwater villas can be simple wooden structures with a bedroom, bathroom and basic amenities. Or, they can be elaborate villas with multiple rooms, private swimming pools, large decks, overwater hammocks, deluxe spa bathrooms, and glass-bottom floors.

For many visitors to the Maldives, an overwater villa is a ‘must,’ even if traveling with children.

Let’s take a look at the pluses and minuses of overwater villas in the Maldives:

Positives:

  • They’re on the water!
  • Overwater villas are unique accommodations. There are few places in the world with such stunning on-the-water villas.
  • Your family can see marine life from the comfort of your room and deck! Some overwater villas have parts of the floor that have plastic or glass panels so you can watch sharks, rays and fish swim by.
  • It’s often easy to snorkel directly from your deck.
  • Some overwater villas have waterslides!

Things to Be Aware Of:

  • It can be stressful staying in an overwater villa with small children. If your kids don’t know how to swim (or even if they do), you may find yourself stressed about having water just outside your door. Some resorts do have special ‘kid-safe’ overwater villas that have safety features like deck railings and gates.
  • Sometimes overwater villas are close together. This means you may not have the privacy you desire, and you may feel like you have to ‘shush’ your kids often so you don’t disturb your neighbors.
  • You’ll most likely be required to sign a liability waiver. Most resorts recognize that having kids in an overwater villa is a risky endeavor, so you’ll be required to sign a release form (usually for kids under 12 years old).
  • The wooden jetties don’t have railings. So, when you’re walking to and from your overwater villa, you need to make sure your little ones don’t fall off of the jetty.
  • If your kids are active (and love to run around like mine do), you may need more space for them to play. Overwater villas have limited space to run around, so you may want to stay in a beach villa where you have access to… the beach.
  • If you head to the beach to play with your kids, you need to bring everything with you. For example, you’ll need to pack your sunscreen, water, snacks, etc. If you stay at a beach villa, you can just walk the few steps back to your room if you need something, or if one of your kids needs to use the bathroom.

Beach Villas in the Maldives

Beach villas in the Maldives are directly on the beach or may be a few steps or a short path away. Beach villas may have amenities like a private swimming pool, cabana, outdoor seating area.

Like overwater villas, beach villas range from simple structures to elaborate multi-room and multi-story villas with spa bathrooms and luxurious amenities like outdoor bathrooms and private gardens.

Let’s go through the pluses and minuses of beach villas in the Maldives:

Positives:

  • You’ve got direct beach access. It was magical to wake the family up and walk steps to the beach in the morning. Or, to walk out at night to look at the stars.
  • Kids love playing in the sand. Yes, an overwater villa is unique, but kids love playing in the sand and shallow water. This was the main reason I never seriously considered an overwater villa for our family trip to the Maldives.
  • You have access to the shore and shallow water. My kids feel more comfortable entering the water from the shore, so the beach villa works best for us. However, if you have older kids who love jumping into the water or using a waterslide to enter the water, an overwater villa could be fun!

Things to Be Aware Of:

  • You’re still near water, whether it’s the beach or your villa’s private swimming pool. I was nervous about this with our almost three-year-old, but my nerves were calmed with the locks on the doors to the villa – they were above his reach, so I didn’t worry about him getting outside during the night or early in the morning. I did have to be extra aware of where he was during the day – I didn’t want him jumping in the pool without an adult watching.
  • Your villa can get sandy. Like any beach vacation with kids, you’re bound to get some sand in your room. Our resort had small showers and foot showers next to the door, so we were able to rinse off before going inside. And, I found the Maldives sand to be less ‘sticky’ than the sand we’re used to in Italy.

Why We Chose a Beach Villa For Our Family

Three boys swimming in shallow water in the Maldives. You can see the white sand beach on the left and water villas in the background.
My boys playing in the water in front of our beach villa. You can see the overwater villas in the background.

We recently traveled with our (almost) 3, 6, and 9 year olds and after doing the research, I decided on a beach villa with a private pool. My husband didn’t think we needed the pool, but our boys loved it and ended up using it quite a bit – especially in the evenings when they still wanted to play but were happy to take a little break from the beach.

We looked at the overwater villas, and while they look lovely, I know we would’ve missed being able to play in the sand and walk in the shallow water.

We will stay in a beach villa on future family trips, and I’d even book a beach villa for trips to the Maldives without kids. Our entire family loved having easy beach access.

Choosing Your Family’s Accommodation in the Maldives – More Tips

  • If you can’t decide between the two options, check the rates for each. I’ve found that the more expensive option depends on the resort and level of the villa. Sometimes overwater villas are more expensive than beach villas, and vice versa.
  • If your kids are old enough, ask them which type of accommodation they’d like to stay in. It may help you decide.
  • You could also split your time between the two types of accommodation. For example, stay in a beach villa for most of your trip and spend the last two nights in an overwater villa.
  • Be sure to read villa descriptions carefully. Sometimes ‘water villas’ have stairs that lead to the water but are not entirely over the water.
  • Check with your resort about child safety in all types of accommodations. For example, if your beach villa’s pool isn’t fenced, make sure you’re able to restrict access to the pool. At our beach villa, the locks inside the villa were high enough that my littlest son couldn’t reach them.
  • If you decide to stay in a beach villa but your kids really wanted to stay in an overwater villa with a slide, make sure you take advantage of any waterslides your resort has! Ours had a slide from a jetty into the water that satisfied our waterslide cravings.

I hope this has helped you decide if a beach villa or an overwater villa is best for your family.

Be sure to check out all of our Maldives with Kids posts:
Maldives with Kids – How to Plan the Perfect Trip
7 Reasons to Book a Family Trip to the Maldives
6 Helpful Tips for Your First Visit to the Maldives with Kids

30+ Maldives Family-Friendly Resorts – Compared by a Mom (Includes Table & Notes)
How Many Days to Spend in the Maldives
Family Packing List for the Maldives
Maldives with a Baby – Yes or No?
Maldives with Teens
Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Review – Family Paradise in the Maldives
Overwater Villa or Beach Villa – Choosing One for Your Maldives Family Trip
Family-Specific Questions to Ask Your Maldives Resort – Before You Book
Taking a Seaplane in the Maldives
Tips for Taking a Seaplane with Kids
Maldives Regrets – From Resort Choices to Packing Mistakes

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