In Nature | By Valerie Howes | August 5, 2021
8 Reasons to Visit Little Fogo Islands
A trip to Little Fogo Islands is a chance to get to know our local wildlife, nature, architecture and fishing heritage. While you won't necessarily see all these highlights in a single visit (it all depends when you make the trip), every excursion promises its own memorable moments. You can board the MV Island Explorer during our Spring, Trap Berth, and Summer seasons (May to September), for a guided tour with a local captain. Here are 8 reasons why it's worth getting out to Little Fogo Islands.
Puffins nest there in the thousands.
Atlantic puffins are a member of the auk family and known as the parrots of the sea. These mini-penguin-like birds look and sound like wind-up toys, as they propel themselves across the water. When they’re on Little Fogo Islands to breed, they congregate in the thousands around their burrows and are as curious about us as we are about them.
There’s an abandoned fishing community to explore.
There are no longer year-round (human) residents of Little Fogo Islands—although some Fogo Islanders do have cabins there. But Little Fogo Islands was once an important fishing community. You can visit abandoned fishing stages and sheds, and even homes, where there are still bits and pieces left behind that tell stories of the people who lived there, until the late 1930s. Many design elements of these structures, from the stilt legs of the stages to the wallpapers in the homes, inspired architecture and design elements at Fogo Island Inn.
A tiny flock of sheep vacations on Little Fogo Islands.
Some of the farmers on Fogo Island take their sheep by boat to either Little Fogo Islands or Pigeon Island, so they can graze, raise their lambs, and roam free during the warmer months. Look out for this friendly flock, on your visit.
You can visit a two-centuries-old church
St Anne’s Church is a one-storey wooden church, built in 1867. It still stands strong, in spite of the whipping winds of the North Atlantic, and it pays tribute to the community spirit of the people of Little Fogo Islands who worked together to build it.
Whales and dolphins swim around its shores.
If you’re lucky, you’ll see humpback, minke, and finback whales or Atlantic white-sided or white-beaked dolphins. They’ve been known to put on a spontaneous show, for lucky observers.
Cod are plentiful in the surrounding waters.
Recreational fishing is permitted on specific days in July, August and September. On those days, guests can try handlining cod—or watch the boat's captain pull one in.
Berries and wildflowers grow in abundance.
Since very few people venture over to Little Fogo Islands, the berry patches could not be more bountiful. Depending on when you visit, you may be able to pick bakeapples, blueberries, partridgeberries, or other local favourites. The rocky ground is also blanketed with wild flowers, mosses and other wild edible plants.
You can get a whole new perspective on Fogo Island Inn.
On the way to and from Little Fogo Islands, you’ll see the Inn from the North Atlantic Ocean side, jutting out from the rocks and surrounded by houses in the community of Joe Batt’s Arm. Look out also for the bronze Great Auk statue, on your way home—it's a tribute to a now-extinct bird species last spotted in these parts.
Ask our Reservations team (before your arrival) or our Guest Experiences team (during your stay) for more information or to book a half-day excursion (additional charges apply).
