Fogo Island, Newfoundland: Must-See Places and Things to Do

I have to admit, I’m a little behind—yet again—with my articles about Newfoundland, Canada. Those of you who have been following us for a while may remember that we spent a month in Newfoundland in July 2022, including several days on beautiful Fogo Island. In a previous article, I shared the must-see places in Gros Morne National Park. It is the largest park in Canada and a place of remarkable natural beauty.

Today, I’m continuing in the same spirit by sharing the must-see places and best things to do on Fogo Island. For us, it felt like a true escape from the mainland. We had not originally planned to spend so much time there, but after leaving Gros Morne National Park, we changed our itinerary and headed straight for the island we had heard so much about.

For a little geographical context, Fogo Island lies northeast of Newfoundland’s main island, roughly off the coast from Twillingate. We also stopped there and loved it—perhaps Mélanie’s lobster feast had something to do with that! Fogo Island is about 25 km long and 14 km wide. It is the largest offshore island in Newfoundland and Labrador, set in the North Atlantic, where icebergs can sometimes be seen drifting offshore. If you’re interested in this idea and are on your way to Canada, I invite you to read our full guide to whale-watching excursions and cruises in Tadoussac.

If you’re looking for a remote, beautiful spot, check out our story about our road trip along the Dempster Highway during our trip to the magical Yukon!

There is no shortage of things to do on Fogo Island. Still, as we were nearing the end of our trip, we also wanted to slow down, treat ourselves a little, and simply enjoy time together as a family in a setting that truly felt idyllic.

I have to say, the island is dotted with picturesque little communities. The landscapes and atmosphere have the same distinctly northern feel I have experienced in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The community of Fogo itself is especially charming and well worth exploring. Several of the hikes described below offer beautiful views over the community. We loved the atmosphere created by its colorful houses, many of them standing alone against rocks and cliffs. Here are a few photos to give you a sense of the place.

On the east coast, make time for Joe Batt’s Arm, which sits along the large bay of the same name. It is best known as the home of the Fogo Island Inn, a striking luxury hotel that seems to rise from an otherwise remote coastal landscape. At the end of the road, do not miss the small, historic community of Tilting on the island’s eastern side, founded by fishing families.

Even though we were nearing the end of our road trip and our two little ones were not always keen walkers, we really wanted to hike through these beautiful coastal landscapes. Louis was walking more and more, though not always without a little grumbling. For Téo, we assumed it would still be difficult—or so we thought. We therefore completed some walks as a family, while I tackled others alone during the children’s naps. Below are the photos and details from the walks and hikes we completed on Fogo Island. We obviously did not explore every trail, but despite the island’s modest size, it offers plenty of beautiful, unspoiled places to discover.

.GPX file for the walk: download it to your GPS

Given its length, this is more of a short walk than a true hike. Still, it is one of the island’s best-known trails and a must when visiting Fogo. The trail is neither long nor particularly difficult, although there are a few steps to climb. The route is listed as a 2 km round trip, making it very manageable.

Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy when I went, so the conditions were not ideal for photography, but I still enjoyed the walk. A bitterly cold wind and a warm fleece certainly made a change from Guadeloupe! The walk begins at the Fogo Harbour Lions Club parking lot. It is located at the end of Banks Cove Road, with easy access to the trail and its sweeping viewpoints. You can head straight up to the ridge for the shorter route, or follow the coastal section as I did. I found the coastal option much more enjoyable. The trail begins along a rugged, windswept coastline with beautiful views over the bay. With very few people around, you can take your time and enjoy the scenery.

Reaching the viewpoint involves climbing a series of wooden steps, often in strong winds. The view from the top is beautiful and must be even more impressive in clear weather. Allow about an hour for the round trip, plus a little extra time for photos.

.GPX file for the hike: download it to your GPS

This second trail is another excellent option. It also begins in the community of Fogo, at the end of North Shore Road. With Téo in a baby carrier, we set out as a family. It turned into a genuinely enjoyable family outing, even though the weather was less than perfect.

The scenery is especially beautiful in the early morning, around sunrise. The trail’s countless wooden steps are a recurring feature of many walks on the island.

The route forms a broad loop and passes the summit visible above the steps. It is not especially difficult, although those steps certainly test your legs a little—you are not getting any younger, after all!

The effort pays off when you reach the top. From there, you get a wide panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. It was far from warm, though, and everyone was bundled up in fleeces and hats. We did not complete the full loop because it would have added a long walk back to the car, which did not seem worthwhile for us.

.GPX file for the trail: download it to your GPS

This was one of the most beautiful hikes we completed with our backpacks on Fogo Island—and even during our entire Newfoundland trip. This is a proper hike: an 8 km loop with 220 m of elevation gain. That may not sound like much, but with two young children—one of whom we often had to carry at 12 kg—plus camera gear and four or five liters of water, it quickly became a substantial outing.

The trail lies on the opposite side of the harbor from the Fogo Head Trail. It begins across Fogo Harbour, on the other side of the bay. The trail starts from a parking area near the Fogo Wireless Relay Station. Because it is a loop, you can walk it in either direction. We followed the usual route east toward Lock’s Cove.

The views were beautiful from the very beginning. With perfect weather, we knew we were in for a lovely family morning. We are increasingly drawn to walking and hiking in quiet places where hardly anyone else goes. For us, that is far more enjoyable than squeezing onto a crowded beach—haha!

Farther along the trail, we passed a beautiful pond. Ahead, the lookout at the top of the hill comes into view. From the top, the panorama is beautiful, especially beneath a clear blue sky or around sunset. Directly across from the community of Fogo, you also get an impressive view of Brimstone Head Park, mentioned earlier. The landscape is wild and open, with sweeping views over the coastal inlets—particularly beautiful at sunset.

Across the water, we could see the steps of the Fogo Head Trail that we had climbed the previous day. Everyone enjoyed the outing, children and adults alike. The trail then continues along the coast toward a small, very photogenic pond.

The final section felt a little longer as the children began to tire. It was less striking than the earlier part of the trail, but still enjoyable.

.GPX file for the walk: download it to your GPS

We found this trail fairly easy to tackle as a family. It is a lovely 5.5 km walk along the coast. There are no major challenges. We did not make it all the way because the children had had enough, so we missed the famous bronze statue of the Great Auk, a species that has been extinct since the mid-19th century. The walk begins in Joe Batt’s Arm, a traditional fishing community.

As a family, we took our time along this beautiful rocky coastline. Once again, the weather was lovely. It was a real pleasure to be out there. There is nothing especially difficult—simply follow the coast and enjoy the surroundings. I will return to it later, but the route passes Long Studio, one of the island’s four artist studios.

The trail also offers a beautiful, though distant, view of the famous Fogo Island Inn, which we were unable to visit at the time. We actually went there hoping to eat, even if it meant stretching the budget, but at the time we were told that dining was reserved for hotel guests. The Inn now accepts a limited number of dinner reservations from visitors and island residents, subject to advance booking and availability. We could always have booked a €2,000 night instead—haha!

That more or less covers the walks we managed to complete. The island also has a beautiful sandy beach and its well-known artist studios.

Near the small community of Tilting, we spent some time at beautiful Sandy Cove Beach. Located just off the road, it was, as far as we could tell, the island’s only substantial sandy beach—though there may well be others.

We spent about an hour strolling around the cove as a family. It is a lovely spot. The sun was shining, and the children had a wonderful time playing in the sand.

We did not know this before arriving, but once we learned that four artist studios were scattered across the island, finding them became part of the adventure. It felt a little like a treasure hunt—haha!

To help locate them, I recommend downloading the Maps.me app, where they are easy to find.

Long Studio stands along the Joe Batt’s Point Trail, so we passed it during our coastal walk. At first glance, it looks like a long black rectangle set into the rock. Although this style of architecture is not usually our favorite, the setting is beautiful. Finding such a contemporary structure in this remote landscape feels wonderfully unexpected. Here are a few photos.

Squish Studio lies on the way to Turpin’s Trail, which we did not hike, although visiting the studio still gave us a good sense of the surrounding landscape. It stands out for its unusual shape and white exterior. Set beside the sea, it is an interesting and peaceful place to explore. Here are a few photos.

The third studio we found was Tower Studio. Located off the main road between Fogo and Joe Batt’s Arm, it looks completely different from the others. Its setting is particularly unusual. Reaching it involves a fairly long walk along wooden boardwalks. The surrounding low moorland is extremely wet, which explains the raised path. Although the studio is visible from the road in the distance, it is worth walking closer to see the distinctive black-and-white tower.

The final studio we found was on the western side of Fogo Island, near Deep Bay, in a remote and atmospheric area just west of the airport. To reach it, follow the short, signposted trail toward Deep Bay Lookout from the roadside. The detour is well worth making. Here are a few photos from the trailhead to the lookout, which offers a beautiful panorama over the community and surrounding cliffs.

The route continues toward Bridge Studio. It may be the least visually dramatic of the studios we saw, but I could easily imagine settling into this peaceful setting to write and unwind.

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that we did not make time to visit the island’s small museums. I call them small because several are housed in converted historic homes. They include the Bleak House Museum, which explores the relationship between merchants and fishermen, as well as the School Museum, Brett House Museum, and Lane House Museum.

That brings me to the end of our sightseeing recommendations for Fogo Island. We genuinely loved our four-day stay. Four days may seem long to some travelers, but the island is full of interesting places, and because we love photography and discovery, we wanted to slow down and make the most of our month-long family adventure in Newfoundland. For us, that is what travel is all about: stepping away from everyday life and enjoying the moment.

As always, here is the practical side of visiting Fogo Island: how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, and more.

First, you need to reach the island of Newfoundland. I will not repeat everything already covered in our detailed guide to how to get to Newfoundland! In simple terms, travelers from France will generally need to fly from Paris to Montreal and then take a connecting flight to St. John’s.

Once there, renting a car is the most practical way to reach the ferry terminal at Farewell, near Port Albert. Here is the route from St. John’s, the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. Allow around five hours to cover just over 400 km.

From Farewell, take the ferry to Fogo Island; some sailings also stop at Change Islands. The crossing takes about 45 minutes on a direct sailing or around 1 hour and 15 minutes when it includes Change Islands. You can take your rental car on the ferry.

For current schedules and fares, consult on this page. The timetable can change, so check it shortly before traveling. Vehicle fares vary according to vehicle length.

We often recommend comparing prices across several car rental companies before booking. That is how we arranged our rental for our month in Newfoundland. For reference, our large rental car cost about CAD $2,000 for one month at the time of our trip. You can check the current options here.

There is a reasonable range of accommodations, depending on your budget. You should be able to find something that suits your travel style and budget. The selection on Booking.com may be limited, but there are also several vacation rentals worth exploring. I will share one address, a little gem where we stayed for four nights. It was a beautiful local house with low ceilings, comfortable furnishings, and a terrace overlooking Fogo Harbour.

I will keep this section brief. Food was not the main focus of our trip, although we did enjoy plenty of good—often fried—local dishes, along with a few lobsters for Mélanie.

We definitely recommend eating at Bangbelly Cafe in the center of town. The food was excellent, and the service was warm and attentive. The other snack bars and restaurants we tried were fairly unremarkable.

Growlers Ice Cream also deserves a special mention; this roadside ice cream shop was a real treat.

I will end with a personal recommendation. I would suggest spending four to five days on the island if you want time to appreciate the best of Fogo Island. Of course, the ideal length of stay depends on your pace and travel style. For travelers hoping to hike several trails, this is a comfortable amount of time. Fogo Island was a wonderful discovery for us.

I hope these photos have inspired you to visit Fogo Island. It is a beautiful place, and although the weather can be unpredictable, that is part of its charm. I also hope this guide has helped you discover what to see and do on Fogo Island, from hiking trails and Atlantic views to coastal communities, museums, fishing heritage, icebergs, and lighthouses. There is plenty to choose from.

For another beautiful stop on a Canadian road trip, consider Terra Nova National Park in Canada.

See you again soon.

Written by Sylvain PONS

I had the opportunity to explore the beauty of this country I love on several different occasions and in different places (Canadian Rockies, the Island of Newfoundland for 1 month, Yukon and Québec)!

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