Want spare-no-expense luxury — and an eco-conscience? A gorgeous new Maldives resort promises both

Seemingly a world away from everything (but in fact, only about a 45-minute speedboat ride from the Maldives’ Velana International Airport), you’ll find the Fari Islands. The new, human-made archipelago in the Indian Ocean is home to Patina Maldives, a luxury resort that started welcoming guests last month.

Designed with sustainability in mind, the getaway is the first of three spare-no-expense retreats set to debut on the cluster of four islands in the North Malé Atoll. (The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, will follow later this year, and Capella Maldives in 2023.)

The hotel’s ecoconscious mission is reflected in the vision from acclaimed Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, who conceptualized a biophilic design, an approach that aims to connect people and nature. Here, the result blends indoor and outdoor spaces, with clean lines fading into the landscape, and interiors adorned with earthy colours and materials like wood, rattan and stone.

Choose from 90 chic one- to three-bedroom villas (from $2,356), set on the beach or floating over the azure waters. Each offers floor-to-ceiling windows that slide open to an inviting hammock, positioned for prime views of the sunrise or sunset. The curated decor includes twin vanities made from striking Nero Marquina marble, and custom millwork furniture by Kogan’s Studio MK27, like bed frames with hidden charging ports.

For a more social experience, 20 one-bedroom studios are also sprinkled along the Fari Marina Village, a hub to be shared between the three retreats. Design cues in the studios are similar to the villas, but the former offers quicker access to Patina Maldives’ public spaces, like the art gallery.

Also in the Fari Marina Village, you’ll find most of the destination’s 12 restaurants. Stop by Kōen for intriguing Japanese-Nordic fusion, or Farine for artisan coffee and pastries. Fine dining awaits at Fari Beach Club, headed by chef/DJ Nick Bril, known for his culinary talent at Belgium’s trendy, two-Michelin-starred restaurant The Jane.

Sustainability comes back to the forefront at the signature restaurant, Roots, which serves vegan fare with ingredients from its own organic garden. Drinking water is sustainably sourced and bottled in glass or crystal at an on-island plant; the entire resort is plastic-free.

It’s impossible to vacation in the Maldives without marvelling at the natural beauty — and contemplating the peril posed by climate change. Indeed, the low-lying atoll nation recently announced plans to build a floating city on a flexible grid, in response to rising sea levels that could wipe it off the map.

Environmental action has an urgency here, and the measures being taken by Patina Maldives include implementing a coral propagation project, organizing efforts to collect and repurpose ocean plastic on beaches here and on nearby islands, and incorporating solar energy (which already powers Footprints, the retreat’s centre for kids). For anyone who dreams of seeing this wondrous part of the world someday, sustainability will be top of mind, too.

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