Little French Key, Big French Key or Brady's Cay? The Honest Comparison of the French Keys
If you’re searching “Little French Key”, chances are you’re planning your Roatán beach day and comparing options. Before you go further, there’s one thing almost no tourism site tells you upfront.
1. Little French Key: the truth about the entry fee
Little French Key is beautiful: white sand, turquoise water, swimming pigs, geese, peacocks and an animal sanctuary, on its own small island. But entry is collected on arrival, at the club gate. That fee is almost never included in the packages sold online, it gets added after the fact, or buried in fine print.
Bottom line: if a guide offers you an “all-inclusive” Little French Key excursion, ask one question: is the entry fee included? That is what separates a firm price from a surprise at the gate.
2. The French Keys: two islands, three beach clubs
The French Keys are two neighbouring private islands: Little French Key and Big French Key. They are private in the literal sense, meaning you pay to get in. And there are three businesses, not two: Little French Key on the first one, then Big French Key and Brady’s Cay, two separate beach clubs on the second. Almost no site makes that distinction, and it changes your day.
3. The three beach clubs, side by side
| Little French Key | Big French Key | Brady’s Cay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The island | Little French Key | Big French Key | Big French Key, the other beach club |
| Club entry | Included in my price | Included in my price | Included in my price |
| What you find there | Swimming pigs, geese, peacocks, animal sanctuary | Large white sand beach | Private beach club, shore snorkelling |
| Crowds | High, the best known of the three | Medium | Low, few tourists |
| How I get you there | Dedicated day excursion | Island Brewery Tour, with 2 other stops | Island Brewery Tour, with 2 other stops |
| Price / person with me | $165 USD, entry included | $95 USD, entry included | $95 USD, entry included |
What about Maya Key?
There is a third private island in Roatán, and you may well be offered it: Maya Key. Beach, reef snorkelling, a pool, cabanas, plus a Capuchin monkey rescue centre and a Mayan section with a plaza and a ball court. It is the most cultural of the three, and the only one closed on Fridays. I can take you there if you want it, but it is not what I offer first: for a pure beach day, the two islands above do it better.
4. Two ways to do your day with me
Option 1: you really want to see Little French Key. I have a dedicated excursion at $165 USD per person, transport, private guide and entry included. I pay the beach club on arrival, so you have nothing to pull out at the gate.
Option 2, You want the same paradise-beach vibe, without the add-on. My Island Brewery Tour takes you to Brady’s Cay and gives you 3 more stops (Sol y Mar beach, lunch at Roatan Island Brewery, meeting the sloths), all for $95 USD per person, club entry included and settled by me.
My honest advice
If your goal is really to check “Little French Key” off your list, go for it, it’s a beautiful spot, and I can get you there. But if your goal is a beautiful private beach plus a full, varied day, Brady’s Cay via the Island Brewery Tour gives you 90% of the experience for a predictable budget, with no surprise at the gate.
Questions about either option? Contact me directly, I’ll tell you exactly what to budget for, before you book anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Little French Key entry fee included in your tours?
Yes, on both of my excursions. All three beach clubs in the French Keys charge an entry fee, and in both cases I settle it on arrival, so it is included in my price. Be wary of tours that quote a price without saying whether entry is in it, because that fee is collected at the gate and plenty of travellers only find out when they get there.
What's the difference between Little French Key and Brady's Cay?
Little French Key is the better-known, busier of the two: more facilities and more crowds. Brady's Cay is quieter, far less touristy, with the same turquoise water and white sand, and I already include it in my Island Brewery Tour with no separate entry charge.
Why does your Island Brewery Tour go to Brady's Cay instead of Little French Key?
Honest pricing. My Island Brewery Tour at $95 USD already includes 4 stops (Sol y Mar, the brewery, the Eco Park, and a private beach club near Brady's Cay). Little French Key needs a dedicated excursion, at $165 USD per person, entry included as well. Brady's Cay delivers a very similar experience, included, with no add-on fee.
Are there still big cats at Little French Key?
No, they went to the United States. [Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge](https://www.turpentinecreek.org/international-rescues/), a sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, states on its own site that it took in **three lions** from Little French Key: **Cyrus, Juancito and Zephora**. It says the family running the resort had spent **three years** looking for placement, having concluded it could no longer meet the long-term needs of its animals, and that five tigers were taken in by a second accredited sanctuary. US press identifies that one as Carolina Tiger Rescue in North Carolina. The beach club itself remains open.
What is Big French Key?
A beach club on a private island in Roatán.
Are there flights to Little French Key?
No. Little French Key has no airport: you reach it by boat from the Roatán coast. You fly to Roatán (RTB airport), then get there by road and boat.
Is there a day pass for Little French Key?
Yes, access is sold by the day and collected at the beach club gate. On its own it covers neither transport nor a guide. If you come with me you do not have to deal with it: it is included in my price and I settle it for you.
Can I still visit Little French Key with you if I really want to?
Yes. I have a dedicated excursion: round-trip transport, a private guide and the beach club entry, at $165 USD per person, entry included. You book once and pay nothing on site, apart from your own food and drinks.