FOGO ISLAND INN
FOGO ISLAND, CANADA
Fogo Island Inn
THE PERSONALITIES
Travelers who want to make a difference. Architecture lovers. Creators looking for inspiration. Companies hosting creative team retreats.
MOMENTS
Untamed Wilderness. Cool salty breeze. Ancient topography. Watching 10,000-year-old icebergs pass by in the distance. Exploring surreal raw landscapes of the far corners of the world. Stargazing from the rooftop hot tubs. Getting to know the local community and their way of life.
BEST VISITING MONTHS
Anytime - Newfoundland is known as a place with seven seasons. Visit July 1 to August 31 for the warm summers or December 1 to February 28 for the snowy winters. March 1- 31 is the Pack Ice Season and offers the best of both worlds with longer, sunnier days yet still being able to partake in winter activities like snowmobiling through the island. March is also a great time for landscape and wildlife photography. June through October is great for whale watching. September 1 to October 31 is known as the Berry Season.
COST
WHY STAY
You will find yourself in the most eastern part of Canada. Surrounded by jagged rocks and a powerful ocean, Fogo Island Inn is located on an island off Newfoundland and is a destination in itself. The award-winning hotel is one of the only 100% social projects in the world, using the most forward-looking and responsible environmental practices, with all of its operating surpluses reinvested back into the Fogo Island community.
Designed by Newfoundland-born architect Todd Saunders, the modern inn consists of twenty-nine rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the North Atlantic Ocean, with a separate Shed building located on the rocks of the foreshore. There are also four residency-based contemporary art studios scattered throughout the island, inspired by traditional fishing houses on stilts.
Fogo Island Inn emerged out of a 400-year-old vernacular tradition of creating seemingly temporary, although ultimately permanent, structures that are light on their feet. Originally, Newfoundland’s outport settlers were not permitted to build permanent structures or dwellings: prohibited from taking up permanent residence, our ancestors were expected to fish Fogo Island’s waters but eventually return home to England or Ireland. This led to the creation of buildings that were made of wood as opposed to stone and rested lightly on the landscape by making use of stilt wood legs – called shores – rather than fixed heavy foundations.
WHY WANDER
Take advantage of Fogo Island’s seven seasons with sustainable unique activities all throughout the year. Take the Architecture Tour to learn about the process behind the hotel’s contemporary design. Creatives will love working with their hands at the meditative Pottery Making class by the water, or the woodworking Maker Workshop. Learn about food preserving techniques by bottling jams and jellies. Discover how the tradition of boat building is kept alive and explore Fogo Island’s fishing industry with a local fisherman. Snowmobile under the stars. Explore 420-million-year-old ancient landscapes and wildlife with a local naturalist. A trip to the charming Change Islands is perfect for photographers or artists looking for inspiration.
INDULGE IN
North Atlantic seafood. Rich seasonal local produce like fresh-picked berries and rhubarb from the garden. The award-winning restaurant aims to use 80% of the ingredients directly from Fogo Island and the surrounding region on a zero-waste mission.
GETTING THERE
Fly into Gander, Newfoundland, following a drive to a scenic 45-minute ferry to Fogo Island.
Images property of FOGO ISLAND INN
Photos by Alex Fradkin, Kristopher Grunert, Bent René Synnevåg, Coffee Abroad, Michael Hayter, Paddy Barry.
GET INVOLVED
Fogo Island Inn is a social business and a community asset founded by Shorefast, a registered Canadian charity with the mandate to promote cultural and economic resiliency for Fogo Island. The Inn is a 100% social business: all operating surpluses are reinvested in the community of Fogo Island through the projects and programs of Shorefast. The Inn was built using primarily private philanthropic funds with the addition of some government grants, and there are no financial contributors seeking a return on their investment. The success of the Inn benefits no individuals, but rather the larger community of Fogo Island.
In this way, Shorefast strives to use business-minded ways to achieve social ends. This “not-just-for-profit” approach to business is a model for a more positive and productive relationship between capital and community. Money spent at Fogo Island Inn directly contributes the well-being of one of Canada’s oldest European settled communities, and is an investment in a different way of thinking.
Learn more here: Shorefast