Sitting approximately 300 miles off the coast of southern Argentina and approx 700 miles north of Antartica, lies the Falkland Islands, known to the Argentinians as Islas Malvinas. The cluster consists of over 700 islands with the largest being East and West Falkland. With a population of 3,500 and a third of that living in the capital, Stanley, the islands are mostly uninhabited by people. But with five species of penguins living on the islands, adding up to around a million penguins it is far from unoccupied. 

Who lives there?

Roughly half of the residents on the Falkland Islands were born there and around 23% have migrated from Britain. Many of the islanders born there can trace their heritage back 200 years and nine generations.

There are around 60 different nationalities living on the islands, such as Filipino, Chilean and Zimbabwean, to name just a few. Many multicultural celebrations are held on the Falklands to celebrate the different cultures residing there. These celebrations include food festivals, that shares dishes from various nations. Cultural displays showcasing traditional dancing, folklore demonstrations and parades. And the Festival of Lights with brightly lit floats in a colourful parade. 

Stanley, the capital city, located on the east island, is more of a town and holds a third of the residents, the rest live scattered across the islands. With 70 farms on the Falklands, around 90% of the land is farmland. This means there are around 500,000 sheep and 3000 cows living there. So there is no surprise when I tell you they hold an annual Christmas sheep shearing competition!

Wildlife and Nature 

The Falkland Islands are world renowned by wildlife enthusiasts for their vast penguin colonies. Home to five species of penguins including King penguin, Magellanic, Rockhopper,  Macaroni and the largest Gentoo population in the world, resulting in a million penguins inhabiting the islands.

Not only penguins, the land also boasts up to 80% of the the worlds population of the Black browed Albatross. This nearly threatened sea bird has a wing span of 2.5 meters and can live up to 70 years. They can be spotted all over the islands, including in Stanley. 

Animals also spotted on the islands and the surrounding waters include, Southern sea lions, South American fur seals, elephant seals, Commerson dolphins, Peake dolphins, orcas and several species of whales. 

There has been over 200 species of birds sighted including the native Cobbs Wren, Steamer duck and the Striated Caracara, known locally as the Johnny Rook. 

With 90% of tourists visiting the island via cruise ships arriving at Stanley port the weather plays a very crucial part in their arrival. With temperatures varying between -5°C to 25°C and unpredictable fast changing rainy and windy weather it can mean a 50/50 chance of docking or mooring. On our trip we had our date of arrival change three times due to the weather, however it end up working in our favour as we had the one sunny day they’d had in weeks. This rough weather is what contributes to the treeless landscape and allows for only grass and low shrubs to survive.

Where to see Penguins on the Falkland Islands

• Volunteer Point: Home to the second largest King penguin colony in the world. The nature reserve is a two hour drive from Stanley and is only accessible by a pre-booked tour. 

• Bluff Cove: Hosting 3000 pairs of breeding Gentoo penguins and a rising colony of King penguins, this wildlife sanctuary is also accessible via a guided tour. During your visit you can walk among the penguins, with many of them very curious and walking very close to you. 

• Berthas Beach: Gentoo and Magellanic penguins are found here, along with the native Falkland  steamer duck and ruddy-headed geese. 

• Saunders Island: A smaller island, located north west off the coast of the west island, the sheep farm also offers colonies of Rockhopper, Gentoo, Magellanic and King penguins. 

• Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay: Offering large colonies of Magellanic and gentoo penguins, easy short walks through nature, white sand beaches and historic WW2 sites. These sites are easily accessible from Stanley.

We used the Hop-on Hop-off bus which takes you to several sites including Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay. The bus is easily accessible, affordable and is a great way to see penguins and explore the island if you are there for only a short period of time. Click here for more info on the Falkland Islands Hop-on Hop-off bus,  https://falklands.tours/hopon-hopoff/ 

What to do in Stanley 

There are no retail chains on the island, no fast food chains, to major supermarkets, not even a McDonalds or Starbucks. The island prides itself on being economically self-suffucaint, and supports local businesses and internal growth.

As I said the capital is a rather quaint seaside town. With local produce, gifts and crafts, various bars, cafes and restaurants and imported British goods, here are a few things to do in Stanley.

• Try the British classic Fish and chips – we had a very warming meal at K&C, a small cafe run by a lovely chilean lady. Though you can find it in most places serving food.
• Try the local beer from Falklands Beerworks – found in the bars, cafes and shops
• Visit the museum, showcasing the long history of the islands with an emphasis on the 1982 Falkland war 
• Walk up the quaint high street
• Walk down Stanley waterfront 
• Jump on the Hop-on Hop-Off bus
• Wonder the aisles of the supermarket to see local and imported British products
• Taste the local seafood
• Visit the largest graveyard of 19th century vessels in the world at Stanley harbour

A very brief history of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Now I’m not going to ignore the elephant in the room here, there is ongoing political tension between Argentina and the United Kingdom due to the sovereignty claim over the islands. So here is a very brief rundown. 

• The island was first recorded in 1592 by British navigator, Captain John Davis.

• France was the first to occupy the area on the east island in the mid 1760’s with Britain not far behind them on the west island, they were at first unaware of each others presence. 

• They were there for only a short period of time before Spain expelled them in 1770 during the Spanish colonisation of the Americas.

• In 1811, during the Argentine and Spanish war of independence, Spain officially left the Falkland islands. 

• At this point both Argentina and Britain claimed sovereignty over the islands. Argentina believed they inherited the territory from Spain as part of their independence and Britain claimed sovereignty due to their discovery of the islands and previous occupancy. 

– Fast forward to 1982, Argentina invaded the Falklands in a surprise attack. This initiated a 74 day war between Britain and Argentina on and around the islands, resulting in victory for Britain. 

Today the Falkland Islands remain under British sovereignty with 99.8% of the islanders voting to remain British in 2013. To this day Argentina still believe Islas Malvinas belong to them and feel the land was illegally claimed. This is clear to see with the below image claiming Islas Malvinas are Argentinian seen throughout the country.

So yes, there is political tension between the countries, but in our 5 month tour of Argentina we saw nothing but kindness, generous hospitality and excited curiosity of our trip.

Conclusion

Looking back, visiting the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) was one of those rare travel experiences that truly stayed with us. From standing just metres away from thousands of penguins to wandering through the quiet, colourful streets of Stanley, it felt like stepping into a place untouched by the rush of the modern world. The raw landscapes, the unpredictable weather and the warmth of the people all added to what made the islands so special. It’s not the easiest place to get to, and that’s exactly what makes it so unique. If you ever get the chance to visit, take it—you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for nature, a sense of calm, and memories that feel completely different from anywhere else we’ve been.

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