St. Francois is a low-lying, v-shaped, flat reef cay with a fringe of coconut palms, separated from its larger neighbour, Alphonse, by a narrow but deep canal.
The island itself only formed relatively recently and is not mature, and its poor topsoil has placed limitations on its development.
The sand flats surrounding St. Francois today offer what is widely considered to be the best bone-fishing in the world, for fly-fishing guests staying at the nearby Alphonse Island Lodge.
