Cora Cora Maldives, the five-star resort in Raa Atoll, has unveiled its festive programme for the 2026-27 season, and this year the theme is sunken civilisations. Running from 19 December 2026 to 7 January 2027, 'The Enchanted Tide: A Festive Journey to Ocean Magic' turns the island into a playful Atlantis-in-the-Indian-Ocean, anchored by a glowing 'Coral Tree' that lights up at the season-opening ceremony, The First Spark of Atlantis.

The highlight dates are the ones you'd expect. Christmas Eve brings the Pearl Palace Banquet, an ocean-inspired dinner with live music, followed on Christmas Day by Santa's Magical Arrival. New Year's Eve starts with The Sapphire Sundown drinks, rolls into the Great Atlantis Countdown with fireworks over the lagoon, then keeps going with a Sunken Kingdom After Party until the early hours of 2027.

Families are well covered. The CoRa Kids Club runs a SpongeBob-inspired programme called Mermaids of the Bikini Bottom, with daily activities including the Bubble Olympics, a Mermaid Treasure Quest, Patrick's Scavenger Hunt, beach games, movie nights and a kids-only camping and bonfire evening. It's structured enough that parents can hand over the small ones and enjoy the adult half of the calendar.

Adults who want a quieter reset between parties get one too. The MOKSHA Spa and Wellbeing Centre is running a festive wellness schedule of daily activities, alternative therapies and workshops, including a three-day 'Re-Set Space' programme built around release, restore and regain — a sensible counterweight to the karaoke and beer pong on the recreation schedule, which also features aqua zumba, water polo, beach volleyball and Coral Kingdom Karaoke.

If you're weighing up a Maldives festive trip for next season, this is the kind of programme that rewards booking early: resorts in the atolls typically fill up over Christmas and New Year, and themed events like these are included for in-house guests rather than sold separately. Cora Cora positions itself as a 'freedom' resort — less formal than some of its neighbours — so the vibe here is barefoot parties and lagoon-side countdowns rather than black-tie galas. Full details and bookings are on the resort's website.

Also in Maldives news worth knowing: Kuda Villingili Resort in North Malé Atoll has been added to the MICHELIN Guide's 2026 hotel selection, a nod to its 75 pool villas, eight restaurants, 150-metre pool and surf access at Chickens Break. And Barceló Nasandhura Malé is hosting a two-night pop-up with Ministry of Crab founder Dharshan Munidasa on 13-14 November 2026, bringing his Garlic Chili Crab and Pepper Crab to the capital's rooftop dining scene.