An island at one of the four corners of the earth.

Off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, past the end of the road and across a stretch of the North Atlantic where icebergs drift south in early summer, there’s an island of rock, ponds, bright wooden houses and stubborn people. It has been fished for centuries. It was supposed to empty out in the twentieth century. It didn’t.

Fogo Island is a string of small communities, each with its own harbour, history and accent, connected by a few roads and a lot of weather. You arrive by ferry from Farewell. You leave, eventually, with a sense that you have been somewhere that knows exactly what it is.

People come for the icebergs, the hiking, the architecture, the Fogo Island Inn and the story of how this place kept itself alive. Below: how to get here, what to see, what to eat and how to be a good visitor in a place that has worked hard to stay a community instead of a backdrop.

Come slowly. The island prefers it.

Island word: mauzy

Damp, foggy, mild weather, the kind that settles over the island and stays for lunch. You’ll learn this one quickly.

Why this island is different.

In the 1960s, the government’s resettlement program was moving people out of small, isolated outport communities across Newfoundland. Fogo Island was a likely candidate. Instead, islanders organized. A National Film Board project that became known as the Fogo Process used film to help residents talk to each other and to the people making decisions about them. Out of that came the Fogo Island Co-operative, and a community that chose to stay.

Decades later, that spirit took a new form. Shorefast, a charity founded by islanders, built the Fogo Island Inn and a set of artist studios designed for the landscape, with the goal of putting the money from tourism back into the island’s economy and culture.

You don’t have to stay at the Inn to feel any of this. You feel it in the restored houses, the community-run events, the knitted everything and the way people still talk about the fish. This is a place that decided its own future. Visit it that way.

Getting to Farewell.

Most visitors fly into Gander or drive across Newfoundland, then head north to Farewell, the ferry terminal on the main island. Allow plenty of time. Roads are good, but distances are real and wildlife, especially moose, is common on the highways.

Flying in? Book a rental car at Gander early for summer. There aren’t many, and you’ll need one on the island.

On the island, you need a vehicle or a plan. The communities are spread out, and public transportation is limited. Some accommodations offer pickups and local tours.

Some sailings stop at Change Islands, a smaller neighbouring island with its own communities and a quieter pace. If you have time, it’s worth getting off on the way, but check the schedule closely so you know how and when you’ll continue to Fogo.

The ferry, and planning around the weather.

The Farewell to Fogo Island ferry is run by the provincial government and is the island’s lifeline. Some sailings also stop at Change Islands. Reserve ahead through the provincial marine services line, check the current schedule before you go, and arrive early. Vehicles bound for Change Islands load first.

Schedules change with the seasons, the vessels and the ice. Wind, ice and mechanical issues can delay or cancel crossings, so build a spare day into your plans at both ends of the trip. If you have a flight to catch from Gander, don’t leave on the last ferry of the day.

Accommodation ranges from family-run B&Bs and cottages to the Fogo Island Inn. Book early for summer, especially for iceberg and berry seasons.

Island word: outport

A small coastal community, historically reached by sea. Fogo Island is a string of them. Calling one a “village” isn’t wrong, but you’ll sound like you’re from away.

Outside summer, the island gets quieter. Some businesses close for the season, ferry schedules change, and in winter and spring, sea ice can slow or stop crossings. That quiet can be wonderful, but plan around it. Confirm what’s open and how you’ll eat before you arrive in the off-season.

What to see, coast to coast.

The island is small enough to explore in a few days and big enough that you won’t get to everything. These are the essentials.

Island word: growler

A small iceberg sitting low in the water. Big enough to damage a boat, small enough to miss until it’s too late.

Cod, mostly.

Newfoundland food was built for cold days and hard work. On Fogo Island, it starts with cod.

Many places on the island are small and seasonal. Check opening hours, and book dinner where you can, especially outside July and August.

• Fish and brewis: salt cod and hard bread, soaked and cooked, served with scrunchions, which are crispy bits of fried pork fat. Order it at least once.
• Toutons: fried bread dough, usually with molasses. Breakfast of champions, or at least of fishermen.
• Cod tongues, fried. Don’t ask questions. Just eat them.
• Look for partridgeberries and bakeapples, local wild berries, in jams, desserts and late-summer patches.
• Book ahead if you want to eat at the Fogo Island Inn, and ask locals where they eat on a Tuesday.

Island word: scoff

A big feed, a hearty meal, usually shared. If someone invites you to one, say yes.

The North Atlantic sets the terms.

Fogo Island is gentle in some ways and brutal in others. The North Atlantic is the brutal one.

• Stay well back from cliff edges and wave-washed rocks. Big waves can come out of nowhere and sweep people off the shore.
• Never approach icebergs in a small boat or kayak. They can roll, crack and drop huge chunks of ice without warning.
• Fog can roll in within minutes. Carry a map, know your route and turn back early if you lose sight of the trail.
• Dress for wind and cold even in summer. Hypothermia is possible on a wet, windy day in July.
• Build weather days into your travel. A cancelled ferry is an inconvenience. Trying to beat a storm is a much worse idea.
• Watch your footing on wet wooden stairs and boardwalks, including the climb up Brimstone Head. Salt spray and fog make every step slick.

Three slow days.

The ferry and the fog will have opinions about this plan.

Let the islanders show you.

The best way to understand Fogo Island is through the people who live here. Local guides, boat tours and the Fogo Island Inn’s community hosts can take you places and tell you stories you won’t find on your own. Book ahead, ask questions and listen. Then buy something made here.

For wind, fog and the odd sunny hour.

Island etiquette.

1. Reserve the ferry. Then add a spare day.
2. Stay off the wet rocks.
3. Leave the icebergs alone.
4. Say hello. People will say it back.
5. Buy something made here.
6. Eat the cod tongues.

A rock in the North Atlantic, a community that refused to leave and icebergs drifting past the kitchen window. Wave at the ferry crew. They’ll wave back.

Ferries, rooms and icebergs.

Details checked in October 2026 against the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Parks Canada and published sources. Ferry schedules, fares and iceberg seasons change, so confirm before you travel. The opening photograph is by Carol on Unsplash.