Looking out at the wind-whipped North Atlantic from Fogo Island, you feel like you’re on the edge of the world: just you, the icebergs, and utter silence. Not surprisingly, getting here takes effort—a flight to Gander (in far north Newfoundland and Labrador), followed by a drive and a ferry ride—but I’ve never been anywhere more worthy of a trek. The hotel, the passion project of Canadian tech entrepreneur Zita Cobb, who was raised here and hopes to revive the island as a cultural destination, is a modern spin on the fishing-shacks-on-stilts that dot the island, and everything from the furniture to the quilts was created by members of the community. The 29 rooms all have floor-to-ceiling ocean views (and their own pair of binoculars). But the best thing about coming so far is how you’re made to feel at home: Guests are paired with “community hosts,” who show you around the island. –Wendy Perrin