For smaller groups seeking a unique retreat, the Fogo Island Inn off of Newfoundland is difficult to get to but impossible to forget.
The 29-room boutique on the shores of Fogo Island—about a five-hour drive and 50-minute ferry ride from St. John’s—catches guests’ attentions immediately with its modern cubist architecture (some of it even on stilts), then continues to engage them with unexpected spaces and experiences.
The locally focused lodging directs all its proceeds back into the Fogo Island community, shows off countless design elements and furnishings from isle artisans and showcases cuisine with only the most local products imaginable. Interesting spaces include a library with numerous books on the region’s heritage and cozy theater for about three-dozen presenting everything from mainstream movies to locally produced documentaries.
And unforgettable experiences can range from stargazing from one of the three rooftop hot tubs to visiting local artisans at their workshops and exploring the rugged archipelago known as Little Fogo Islands by boat.
