Two days on Fogo Island: October 2016

Day 1: We left St. John’s 6 am and were in Gambo by 9 am. There are several beautiful stops between Gambo and Farewell where you take the ferry to Fogo (and Change Islands), but you have to make sure you arrive in plenty of time for the ferry because once the crew closes the gate - even if the ferry doors are still open - they ignore all pleas to board once that gate closes. 

Rest stops: 1. Dover Fault.

2. Newtown, the so-called Venice of Newfoundland, for lunch in restaurant

Church and Barbour Living Heritage Village, Newtown

Cape Freels for walk out to the beach (half hour return) 

Lumsden for stroll along the beach.

The new spotless Veteran ferry was on the route between Farewell and Fogo. The crossing is as smooth as silk and only takes 45 minutes. (The older ferry Galatea was on the Change Islands route.) There are several combined runs that stop at both islands. When you land on Change Island or Fogo, the communities are a considerable distance away so don’t think you can just hop on the ferry and leave your car at Farewell and expect to get around without a bicycle or taxi.

Ferry times and distances:
Farewell to Fogo Island (13 km): 45 minutes (direct), 1 hour and 15 minutes (combined)
Farewell to Change Islands (6 km): 20 minutes

We booked two nights in the community of Fogo with Eileen Freake at Peg`s B and B - a six-bedroom house with a great view of the harbour and within walking distance of Brimstone Head and Fogo Head hiking trails.
60 Main St., Fogo A0G 2B0
(709) 266-7130 or 266-2392
efreake@hotmail.com
Rooms $100-$115 including continental breakfast

Brimstone Head, one of the four corners of the world according to the Flat Earth Society – is only a short but steep hike up to platform overlooking Change Island. Distance signs tell you how far away you are from major cities. You can descend Brimstone Head, walk through the west side of Fogo and ascend Fogo Head, returning to your starting point over the tops of the hills.

A nicer and more strenuous hike however is Lion’s Den on the other side of Fogo Harbour (turn right after you cross the bridge and park at the Marconi Interpretation Centre, a stunning building visible from Peg’s front windows. The exhibit is excellent and the interpreter is so accommodating, she offered to leave her post and accompany us to one of the churches near Peg’s for which she had a key.

Marconi Interpretation Centre

The 5.4 km Lion’s Den loop takes a couple of hours if you decide to take advantage of all the side trails. The views are superb, the viewpoints so windy the day we were up, my glasses were shaking on my face. It is a perfect hike to introduce Fogo to new comers.

After the Lion’s Den, we drove to Shoal Harbour to visit Herring Cove Art owned by quilter Linda and painter Winston Osmond. Besides magnificent quilts made from recycled fabrics and framed paintings of fish flakes and cod fish, the shop offers small wooden salt box Christmas tree decorations and key chains, pickles and jams. Winston had just shot his caribou a short stroll over the barrens from his home and was busy tending to the hide when we were visiting. The art gallery is just a few hundred metres up the coast from the Tower artist studio.

We chose Vanessa’s in Joe Batt’s Arm for a delicious lunch. We were happy we did as Nicole’s was closed the next day, Sunday, and we wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. Excellent soups, fish and burgers.

As soon as you approach Joe Batt’s Arm, the Fogo Island Inn dominates the landscape. The Inn is visible from almost everywhere, especially from the hike to the Greak Auk on the north side of the harbour. 

View of Fogo Island Inn from Great Auk Trail

If you drive all the way around Joe Batt’s Arm through the fish plant lot and park at the ball field, you will experience an unforgettable one-hour blustery coastal walk to a six-foot high statue of the extinct great auk. 

As part of his Lost Bird Project, American artist, Todd McGrain, has a second Great Auk on the Reykjanes Peninsula not far from Keflavík International Airport in Iceland who looks south towards his Fogo Island counterpart.

This hike continues on to a small light station before turning back and returning the same way. The trail also takes hikers right past the Long House artist studio which is worth walking behind to look straight through the long house at the wild ocean beyond.

Long House Artist Studio, Joe Batt's Arm

Great Auk Hike, Joe Batt's Arm

After a windy afternoon on the coast, treat yourself to a drink in the internationally-acclaimed Fogo Island Inn bar and look out over the moody seas. If the inn is not full, outside guests can reserve for lunch 72 hours in advance (658-3444, dining@fogoislandinn.ca). They were operating at full capacity while we were there, so we just visited the library and art exhibit before heading back to Peg’s in Fogo.

Library at Fogo Island Inn

 Day 2: Tilting

After preparing our own soft-boiled eggs at Peg’s, we drove through Joe Batt’s Arm to Tilting where we toured Lane House, a quaint museum with a wonderful interpreter who attempted to rescue us from the far end of a hike later in the day. We hitch hiked no problem however and made it back safely to our car in jigg’s time.

Stairway in Lane House

Squish Artist Studio, Turpin Trail East

The Turpin Trail east starts directly behind Lane House and takes hikers past the Squish artist studio, up, over and around several headlands until Sandy Cove beach in Tilting. 

Sandy Cove Beach, Tilting

From here you can either turn back to walk back the way you came to your vehicle or walk around the beach near the road to the start of Turpin’s Cove West Trail on Farm Road. This is a loop and not quite as stunning as Turpin’s Cove East. Hikers do pass through Seal Cove and around several headlands before returning to Farm Road via a stretch of boreal forest.