Beach at Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep. The southernmost island in the group, Minicoy is closer to Maldives than to the rest of Lakshadweep. Get more on these islands here

About Minicoy Tourism

Minicoy, also known as Maliku, was formerly a part of the Maldives islands and is now a census town in the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep. It is the second largest as well as the southern most island in Lakshadweep and measures 10 kilometres from its northern end to southern most point. It is a long island completely covered with coconut trees.

One of the significant attractions of Minicoy is a tall lighthouse, which is one of the oldest, built in 1885 by the British. The island has derived its name from an Arab trade terminology, Jazirat-al-Maliku. It is said that Minicoy was once inhabited by cannibals, which was the name of a combined group of the residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The island is said to contain ancient remains belonging to its Buddhist past that happens to be around 800 years old. These remains were brought to light in the 1980s archaeological survey held here. The main contents of these remains contained a Buddhist Stupa and some other similar structures. These ancient remains are also referred by the name ‘Salliballu.’

The culture of Minicoy Island is somehow different from the cultural traits of other islands of Lakshadweep. The mannerisms and customs of the residents of Minicoy are more similar to the people of Maldives. The main language of the island is Dhivehi and its social structure matches those of matrilineal Muslims, in which a man has to live in his wife or mother’s house. This is the reason that the island is also referred to as the ‘female island.’



The customs and traditions of the villages of Minicoy are the main attraction. Every village of this island has a male and female mayor called the Bodukaaka and Bodudhata, who are responsible for the complete conduct of the village. These villages hold a big feast and celebrations when a new baby boy is born in any house, which usually lasts for a week.

The best time to visit Minicoy Island is between the months of October and April, when several colourful activities and programmes are held here, by the local folks. The traditional Laval Dance is the main attraction of these festivities.



Although, the island is a part of the Laccadive Islands, direct travelling between the two islands is forbidden by the government. The nearest airport to the destination is at Agatti and Bangaram. Moreover, it is also well connected with Lakshadweep through seaways.