Excursion to Little French Key in Roatan, Honduras

On my family’s recent cruise on Icon of the Seas, we visited Roatan for the day. This was my second time in Roatan, and I would have been happy to return to the fabulous overwater bungalow at Turquoise Bay Dive Resort. But, the price was triple what we paid in 2023. So, based on advice from other cruisers, I decided to book an excursion to Little French Key private island.

Getting to Little French Key

This excursion was not offered by Royal Caribbean. We booked this on our own. For that reason, we had to exit the gates of the port to meet up with a representative from Little French Key. It was easy to spot the staff because they were wearing company shirts.

We boarded a van and drove approximately 20 minutes to a small desk and dock. I paid our admission, and we received wrist bands and food/drink tickets.

We then boarded a small boat.

It only took a few minutes to get to the tiny island. It’s actually two small islands separated by a small body of water, with Little French Key on the left and Big French Key on the right. Big French Key is bookable through the cruise lines, but the properties have different owners.

Little French Key boat dock:

 

Our Experience at Little French Key

When we arrived on the island, a staff member gave us a tour. There were lots of peacocks roaming around:

The staff member showed us the “animal sanctuary”, which was a lion, cougar and monkeys in cages. He showed us different beaches on the island as well as restrooms and bars. There are several instagrammable locations:

We decided to lounge in the shade on this dock:

We saw several large conch shells in the water off the dock:

The island has several different beach areas with lounge chairs and clear water:

My kids enjoyed the overwater swings that were scattered about the island in different places:

There was also a rope swing over the water:

Even with two cruise ships docked in Roatan, Little French Key was not very crowded.

Food and Drinks 

The food and drinks at Little French Key were a little disappointing. We purchased the “Full Island Package” which included lunch and 2 drinks per person. We were bummed to discover that frozen drinks were not included, even though they make them on the island for an extra charge.

The food plate had rice, beans, beef, shrimp, coleslaw, pico and literally 4 chips. My 17-year-old son, who has a tremendous appetite, thought he would starve. I wound up giving him some of my plate. Of course, he wouldn’t starve, as we would be back on the cruise ship in a few hours with unlimited food.

Swimming with Mini Pigs

We decided to add on an interaction with mini pigs for $30/person. Some of us did this in the Bahamas a few years ago, and it was memorable. It was just the 5 of us with the pig handler.

The first pig was a big pink pig named Barbie. She seemed to love swimming in the ocean.

Next, we met the 7-month-old pig named Olivia.

We fed both pigs and had the opportunity to ask their handler questions. It was a fun, laid-back experience.

Overall Thoughts

I have mixed feelings about Little French Key. It certainly is a pretty island with great beaches and gorgeous views. However, I thought the price was a bit high considering the limited food and drinks. Our Full Island Package was $98 a person, plus an added 15% service charge for cash payment or 19% service charge for credit card payment. For my family of 5, we spent over $700.

I’m glad we went. But, if we return to Roatan for a 3rd time, I’d probably explore other options.

Have you been to Little French Key? Or what do you recommend in Roatan?