Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland: a hotel run for the island it stands on

Photo: Paddy Barry / courtesy of Fogo Island Inn

On a remote island off Newfoundland’s north-east coast, a 29-room inn reinvests every surplus in its community and offers full board, rooftop saunas and a front-row seat for icebergs.

The setting

Fogo Island sits at the edge of the North Atlantic, in the cold Labrador Current, with a small population and a long history of fishing. Since 2013 it has also had an inn that draws architecture and food travellers from around the world, set on the shore at Joe Batt’s Arm and looking straight out to sea.

“Of course, this air of remoteness is key to its appeal, along with its design, an ultra-modern reinterpretation of traditional, utilitarian Maritimes architecture.”

The building is the work of Todd Saunders, a Newfoundland-born architect based in Norway, and it took eight years to bring to life, with community members, architects, designers and local makers all involved. The business model is as unusual as the architecture. The inn belongs to Shorefast, a registered Canadian charity set up in 2004 by Zita Cobb and two of her siblings, Alan and Anthony Cobb. There is no private profit: all operating surpluses go back into Fogo Island through Shorefast’s programmes.

The island itself supplies the entertainment. It lies within Iceberg Alley, the corridor where icebergs drift south from Greenland in spring. Dark skies make for strong stargazing, and the inn’s excursions range from whale-watching and iceberg tours to hikes and cultural visits.

The rooms & villas

Every room and suite faces the ocean. Interiors pair a contemporary take on traditional outport design with handcrafted furniture and textiles made by Fogo Island’s own artisans, and high-efficiency wood-burning stoves keep rooms warm on cold evenings.

Layouts run from rooms to larger suites, including the Fogo Island Sunrise and Sunset Suites, a Loft Suite and a Family Loft Suite, as well as dual-ensuite rooms with rooftop views. Suites can take two to five guests, depending on the layout, which helps families and small groups.

Eat & drink

Everything is included, from breakfast to the late-night snack. Executive Chef Tim Charles and his team cook to the seasons, using what can be fished, farmed, hunted and foraged as close to the inn as possible: wild berries, edible plants, root vegetables and North Atlantic seafood. Local partners such as Fogo Island Fish and the Fogo Island Co-op supply handlined fish.

The Dining Room serves breakfast, lunch and supper. The Shed hosts traditional meals, the Tea Room offers hot drinks and treats, and a 24-hour In-Between Menu covers the hours in between. A Day Break Basket of baked goods arrives in the morning, and packed lunches go out with guests on excursions. Inclusions even extend to meals at other restaurants on the island.

Wellness

The inn’s wellness offer is Scandinavian in spirit. On the fourth-floor rooftop deck, two wood-fired saunas designed by Norway-based architects Sami Rintala and Dagur Eggertsson look out over the sea and the rocky landscape. Two open-air hot tubs sit alongside, good for a soak in daylight or for stargazing after dark. The front desk takes sauna bookings. Beyond that, the island’s walking trails and guided outings do the rest; there is also a cinema and an art gallery for wilder days.

Beyond the resort

Much of what there is to do is led by Fogo Islanders themselves, and many activities need no advance booking. The inn lists boat trips, foraging walks, cultural visits, music and storytelling, and architecture and design tours, with kayaking and off-trail hiking for the more energetic, and most land-based excursions are included in the rate.

The architecture tour leads naturally to the Fogo Island Arts studios, four small buildings by Todd Saunders, the inn’s architect, set at different points around the island. Anchored to the rock on steel legs, they are entirely off-grid, with solar power, compost toilets and wood-burning stoves, and the stilts of Long Studio echo the fishing stages once used for salting and drying cod. For a longer trip, the inn suggests combining a stay with time in St. John’s or Gros Morne National Park.

When to go

The inn typically opens from 1 April to 1 November, with occasional retreats outside those dates, such as a March Break family retreat in 2027, and it divides the island’s year into seven seasons. Spring and the short Trap Berth season, from mid-May to the end of June, bring icebergs, which are most likely from April to June, along with wildflowers and prime hiking weather. July and August are the warmest and liveliest months, with long days, whale-watching and a full programme of community events and festivals. Berry season, from September to mid-October, colours the bogs and barrens and puts partridgeberries and porcini on the menu, and from late September the longer nights bring a chance of the northern lights. By late October the island is quietening down as the November gales approach.

Who it’s for

Fogo Island Inn suits travellers who care about where their money goes as much as how they spend their time: architecture lovers, food travellers and anyone curious about community-led tourism. Couples will appreciate the quiet, and families with children aged eight and over can take the larger suites.

It is not a quick stopover. The journey involves a flight, a drive and a ferry, and the inn requires several nights. Anyone after beach weather or nightlife should look elsewhere.

Researched independently from the property’s published information and independent sources. Our editors have not stayed at the property, and Cosmopolitan Courier was not compensated for this guide.