About Little French Cay
Little French Cay, also known as Little French Key, is a renowned private island retreat situated in French Harbour, on the southern side of Roatan, Honduras. It is considered one of the Bay Islands' 53 cays and has gained global recognition, notably cited by Spa Seekers and Travel + Leisure for its exceptional tranquility and pristine beaches. The island’s name is derived from its early settlement by a French pirate, originally called "Frenchman Cay." Little French Cay offers a comprehensive destination for both day visitors, including cruise ship guests, and those seeking longer stays. The surrounding waters feature a vibrant coral reef ideal for snorkeling and diving. While the sources primarily highlight it as a resort island with various activities, including an underwater museum, scuba diving is offered as part of its packages. One notable package, the Reef and Key, allows guests to experience diving and then return to the island for relaxation. Marine life encounters at Little French Cay include the opportunity to explore coral reefs. The Roatan region, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, is known for attracting diverse marine animals, offering healthy populations of fish and other marine creatures, and spectacular corals. Diving from the cay can include excursions to other famous sites like Mary's Place. Little French Cay focuses on a resort experience, offering diving as an integrated activity. Transportation to the cay involves a short boat ride from Frenchy's 44 dock. While specific dive logistics for Little French Cay itself are not detailed, Roatan diving generally accommodates various skill levels.
Highlights
Pristine beachesCrystal-clear turquoise watersRelaxing private island experienceCoral reef snorkelingUnderwater museum (Mayatlantis)Access to Mary's Place dive site
Season calendar
Best months to dive here
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Excellent
Good
Off-Season
Mar – May & Dec
Best visibility, calm seas, whale shark season begins
Jan – Feb
Good conditions with warm water and decent visibility
Jun – Nov
Rainy season with reduced visibility but second whale shark peak Sep-Dec
Dive site facts: Little French Cay
- Depth
- 8–9 m
- Current
- Moderate
- Entry
- Liveaboard only
- Level
- Beginner
- Dive type
- Reef, Reef
- Region / port
- Honduras
- Coordinates
- 16.3060° N, 86.5030° W
Conditions & Currents
Moderate currents can run here, so plan drift entries and stay close to the group. Dive profiles here run between roughly 8 and 9 metres, so plan your gas and no-decompression limits around the deeper part of the site. It is usually briefed as a dive for beginner divers. The site is reached by liveaboard, so entries are run from the tender or straight off the back deck. Tide, wind and season all shift the picture from day to day, so the crew's briefing on the boat always overrides any general description.
Why dive Little French Cay from a liveaboard?
Little French Cay is one of Honduras's signature dive sites. A liveaboard sleeps you on the water and puts you in the water for three to four guided dives per day, including dawn and night dives that day-boat operators rarely offer. You skip the daily commute back to port and reach quieter, less-crowded sites in the same region on a single trip.
Below are the liveaboards that include Little French Cay on their Honduras itineraries.
Liveaboards diving Little French Cay
These liveaboards may visit Little French Cay on selected itineraries — the exact dive sites depend on departure, weather and conditions.
Roatan Aggressor
Honduras
18 guests31.1 m
$287/day
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© Esri — Maxar, Earthstar, GIS
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North Wall
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Lighthouse Reef
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Lighthouse Reef, situated near the West End dock of Cayman Brac, provides a distinctive shallow reef diving experience.
- Suitable for
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Long Caye Ridge
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Long Caye Ridge is a highly-rated dive site situated within Belize's Lighthouse Reef Atoll, an area renowned for its pristine conditions due to its distance from the mainland.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- No current
- Access
- Liveaboard only
- Depth
- 21–21 m
- Theme
- Reef
Roatán, part of the Bay Islands of Honduras, offers a diverse underwater landscape situated along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second largest barrier reef globally.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
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- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
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- Theme
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