Outdoor Adventures at Fogo Island Inn

Wilderness Exploration is an excursion for the more adventurous of our guests, offering an opportunity to explore the hidden parts of Fogo Island, during spring to fall. Depending on your time and fitness level, your hike could begin along Kelly’s Pit – a freshwater swimming pond located between Joe Batt’s Arm and Tilting and a gateway to a backcountry that few visitors get to see. 

The terrain shifts from open heath and barren rock into old-growth forest, where you are surrounded by damp moss and bird song, with Labrador Tea and juniper bushes crunching underfoot. The light falls differently here, scattered through tree canopy, the air close and smelling of sweet gale or blooming berry bushes, depending on the time of year. And if you’re lucky, Lorie Penton (Outdoor Adventure Lead) might show you her favourite berry patches. 

These paths are not heavily groomed hiking trails; they were formed gradually by residents travelling to their cabins dotted throughout the interior of the island. They’re practical paths, made with a little creativity. Our guides will share what cabin culture means on Fogo Island: it’s a form of sought-out solitude, where a different version of community exists and anyone could pop in for a visit at any time. 

For some, this path might lead you to our bushcraft camp, where our guide will share their knowledge of foraging, fire-starting, and tool whittling over a full day. For others, this could simply be a half-day adventure exploring the island’s interior.  

Using fat bikes designed for rugged conditions and all types of weather and terrain, you will leave the Inn and follow the main road around the community of Joe Batt’s Arm, before heading to Kelly’s Pit. This is the same area where you can begin an off-the-path Wilderness Exploration. 

Riders move slowly through landscapes that initially seem impossible to cycle across with soft moss, exposed granite, and narrow brook crossings. There are no groomed trails along this ride, but there are branches to dodge and stretches where the land takes over.  

The distance and journey depend on the day, but there is no single fixed route. This experience is tailored to your comfort and ability level, and the pace can range from leisurely exploration to a more physically demanding ride through rougher terrain. Our guides will ride until you’re ready to return to the Inn or until a small pond or uncrossable terrain has you turning around. 

Some fat biking experience is recommended, especially for advanced routes.  

While running is not a guided activity, many of our guests quickly discover that the island lends itself naturally to movement. The roads are usually quiet and manageable, with very little traffic, allowing runners to settle into long stretches where the landscape feels almost entirely your own. 

A popular route, suggested by our team, follows the road between Joe Batt’s Arm and Tilting. Harbours, barrens, and coastal views shift gradually with the route. Others prefer shorter runs through the winding roads of our communities. 

For trail running, Fogo Island has several distinct trails, each with their own terrain and difficulty levels. Joe Batt’s Arm Point is easily accessible, with flat terrain and little elevation. Lion’s Den in Fogo and Turpin’s Trail in Tilting offer more rugged terrain and dramatic elevation changes. Each trail offers distinct surfaces like gravel paths, rocky coastlines, and well-trodden forest floor.

Kayaking excursions typically begin from the government wharf in Joe Batt’s Arm, where you’ll launch into the sheltered harbour before tracing the coastline at an easy pace. From the water, the fishing stages, stores, and homes appear much as they would have to earlier generations arriving by boat.

Guides share practical logic behind the placement of homes and fishing structures, offering insight into how communities developed in direct relationship to the ocean. During lobster season – typically late spring through early summer – you may even spot traps resting beneath the clear water or lobsters moving across the ocean floor below your kayak.

Conversations from nearby stages drift across the harbour. Seabirds and water movements become amplified in the absence of motors. The ocean feels quieter and more intimate from your seat on the water.

Routes vary depending on weather and your comfort level, but these late fall to early summer excursions usually take three or four hours to circle the harbour and may continue toward the Inn when conditions allow.

You can experience part of Fogo Island’s maritime heritage on an open-boat excursion, navigated by a local fisher. Their knowledge of the ocean comes from their lived experience, and each trip unfolds slightly differently depending on weather, water conditions, and your interests.

Some guests head offshore searching for icebergs in early spring or whales later in the summer. During the recreational fishing season, others might stop to jig for cod, learning traditional techniques. For many, this tactile way of fishing becomes unexpectedly moving, especially for anyone accustomed to more modern systems. Depending on your guide, cod fishing can lead to a visit to a fishing stage, where you’ll learn how to split and process fish on a weathered splitting table that has been used for decades.

These trips can be arranged from late spring to fall (weather-dependent) and tailored to your interests. They are ideal for those interested in spending a couple of hours learning about the island’s fishing history and experiencing our coastal landscape.

On Fogo Island, any body of water can be your pool. The pristine waters of the North Atlantic Ocean offer a collaborative experience between you and the sea, while any of the island’s freshwater ponds can be an area for a secluded swim during warmer seasons.

At Sandy Cove Beach in Tilting – the island’s only sandy beach – you can ease into the North Atlantic slowly, feeling the chilly water gather around your ankles before fully committing to the plunge. Floating leisurely or paddling through the surf, you experience the sharp clarity that cold water can bring.

Our Guests Experiences team can also direct you to inland ponds for freshwater swimming. Kelly’s Pit remains a favourite destination from summer to early fall, accessible by bike or vehicle along a gravel road.

Freshwater ponds offer a calmer and usually warmer swimming environment. Many community members grew up spending entire days around ponds like these, swimming, trouting, berry picking, and pausing for a boil-up.

Swimming in the ocean or freshwater ponds is intentionally simple. Bring a towel, stay a while, and swim until your fingers prune. Our guides will advise on conditions, safe access points, and seasonal considerations for any wild swimming.