If you’re considering visiting Antarctica and wondering if you should also join the cruise that goes to the Falkland Islands, then you’ve come to the right place. On this page I will try to convince you that including the Falkland Islands cruise with South Georgia Island is the best way to visit Antarctica and the right decision to make.
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean. With a population of about 3400 people, it’s one of the most isolated populated places on earth. If you’ve booked the cruise to South Georgia Island and Antarctica you will get to spend two days exploring these fascinating islands.
This article is dedicated to introducing you to the Falkland Islands and describing the places you will likely visit on your cruise. I won’t get into things like tour costs, ship cabins, logistics, or planning or preparing for the trip here. I have separate articles dedicated to all of that, so see these links below.
This post will also not tell you exactly what to do when you get on the Falkland Islands, as your expedition operator will dictate that. But I will try to describe what you will see on your visit and convince you that the Falklands are worth the extra investment in your Antarctic vacation!
Falkland Islands Cruise – What You Need to Know
The cruise itself
The Falklands Islands cruise is part of a longer cruise that will take you to South Georgia Island and Antarctica. You won’t visit the Falklands only. I have written very detailed guides to the cruise itself (see above) as well as South Georgia Island and Antarctica, so be sure to check those out in conjunction with this guide.
Where are the Falkland Islands?
The Falklands are about 250 miles (400km) east of Rio Gallegos, Argentina. It sits in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean and consists of two large islands and 776 smaller islands.
At a latitude of about 52 degrees south, it’s not even as far south as places like London and Amsterdam are north. But unlike those places, it is the middle of nowhere. The closest major city is Montevideo, Uruguay. And that’s not close.
How to get to the Falkland Islands
I’m writing this assuming you are going as part of a cruise to South Georgia Island and Antarctica. That is the most common way to visit the Falklands and the way almost everyone does it.
There is an airport in the capital city of Stanley, but very few flights operate from it. There are weekly flights to Santiago and Sao Paulo and the British Ministry of Defense operates flights to the UK a few times per week. You can also visit if you have your own yacht.
Falkland Islands Weather
The weather could be compared to the northern UK, but not quite as good. It’s a subpolar oceanic climate and it’s pretty cloudy and rainy most of the time. It never really gets warm either. A temperature over 24 degrees Celsius (75 F) has never been recorded on the islands.
It’s not nearly as cold as Antarctica, however. The average summer high is about 14 degrees (57 F) with winter highs around 5.5 (42 F). So it’s always jacket weather on the Falkland Islands, but at the same time it doesn’t really get too cold.
We had a beautiful day on our first day in the Falklands. It was about 15 (59 F) and sunny. But our second day was absolute rubbish, cold and rainy. Dress warm and wear waterproof gear.
Falklands Governance
The Falklands Islands are a British territory. Residents are British citizens and have British passports. But the islands are self-governing, meaning they elect their own local government and are essentially separate from anything going on in London.
So it is not technically an independent nation, though many people consider it a country, including the Falkland government themselves, who proudly claim on their website that “THE FALKLAND ISLANDS IS A SELF-SUFFICIENT COUNTRY WITH A LONG HISTORY AND UNIQUE CULTURE.”
About 3,400 people call the islands home. Most are of British descent. There are no indigenous people of the Falklands. European settlers were the first humans to set foot on the islands.
The Falklands War
The islands are famous for a major dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom. To this day Argentina still claims the islands as their own – the Islas Malvinas – apparently not abiding by the terms of their surrender in 1982.
The Falklands War lasted about 10 weeks and started when Argentina invaded the islands, as well as South Georgia Island, to try to take control. They were swiftly defeated by the British once naval ships arrived from the UK. But Argentina has never really been happy about how the war ended and still believes the islands are rightfully theirs.
It might seem crazy that two countries fought a war over a small island in the middle of nowhere. But the Falklands had a very strategic location for centuries until the Panama Canal made global transport easier. While it’s not on major shipping routes these days, the British still refuse to give it up and the Argentines still want it for themselves. Make sure to read up about the war before your visit.
Geography
There are two main islands: East Falkland and West Falkland. Stanley, the capital and home to the vast majority of the population, is located on East Falkland. In addition to the main islands there are a few other sparsely populated islands and many uninhabited small islands.
The islands are not really mountainous, but more hilly in nature. They also feature some stunning white sand and turquoise water beaches. It’s just a wee bit cold to lay down for a sunbath though!
Penguin species on the Falklands
While humans might be tough to come by, penguins are abundant. On the Falklands you’re likely to see rockhopper penguins, king penguins, magellanic penguins, gentoo penguins, and macaroni penguins, as well as numerous flying bird species. It’s actually the most eclectic penguin party you’ll see on your cruise.
Where You Will go on Your Falkland Islands Cruise
The stops you will make on your Falkland Islands cruise totally depend on your cruise operator. Most won’t advertise where exactly you will stop ahead of time. Often it depends on the weather and who the operator has deals with locally. Many of the smaller islands are actually privately owned, so the operator will pay the owners for the privilege of exploring their island.
One stop you are guaranteed to make, however, is the capital city of Stanley. It’s the only time on the entire cruise you’ll be able to walk right off the ship onto a dock. It’s also the only time you’ll be able to walk a street and see other humans. If you want to use the internet this is your chance.
On our cruise we made three stops in the Falkland Islands: Carcass Island, Saunders Island, and Stanley. In the following sections I’ll just go over what we did and what we saw and try to paint a picture of just how uniquely fascinating these islands are.
Carcass Island
Carcass Island is a small privately owned island at the northwest corner of the archipelago. The folks that call this island home are completely self-sufficient, and only make money by charging cruise ships to explore their land. There is a small homestay that you can rent if you can make it there on your own.
We did a 4km hike across the island to the homestay, where the owners had prepared a feast of baked goods for us. Along the way we spotted a colony of magellanic penguins as well as some hawks and Patagonian geese. This was the very first landing on our cruise. After a day and a half at sea everyone was itching to see penguins and do some walking.
We couldn’t have asked for a better day because the weather was perfect. The hike was great for stretching our legs and spotting penguins in the wild. It was the second time I had seen penguins in the wild, with the first time being on an island in Wellington Bay in New Zealand. Did you know that Wellington – the capital of New Zealand – has penguins? I bet you didn’t!
Saunders Island
The highlight of our trip to the Falklands was – without a doubt – Saunders Island. Saunders is a penguin paradise. From the moment we landed we were engulfed in penguins. Gentoo, rockhopper, magellanic, and king penguins all roam Saunders island. They are literally everywhere.
You might pause for a moment to take in the breathtaking scenery of the mountainous island with sandy beaches. But you’ll soon be distracted by all the little penguins waddling around!
Saunders is the only time on your journey you will see rockhopper penguins. The cruise takes you here mainly to see a giant colony of these guys on the side of a hill coming out of the sea. There are thousands of them, most of them just chilling, some hopping down rocks, and others running into the ocean to fish.
Rockhopper penguins look pretty scary in photos, but they are tiny. They are actually quite adorable. You can sit there for hours and just watch the rockhoppers!
Saunders is also where we got our first glimpse of the king penguin, the second largest penguin species. These guys are truly beautiful and they strut around the island like they own the place. There were not too many of them, just a small colony. Nothing like what you’ll see when you get to South Georgia.
We also saw hundreds of magellanic penguins on the beach running in and out of the water. It was hilarious because they would all form a single-file line at the edge of the beach then sprint all together towards the water. We didn’t see any other species of penguin do this.
All the while, the gentoo penguins were just mixing and mingling with the others around the island. These guys might be my favorite species. They are super cute and waddle around like they are just learning to walk.
We spent about 3 hours on Saunders Island and the crew had to beg us to get back onto the boat. It was a truly special experience we would love to repeat one day.
Stanley
Our second day in the Falklands was focused on the capital city of Stanley. It was just a half day, as we had to get sailing towards South Georgia after lunch. As we rose in the morning we saw the low hanging clouds. After a beautiful day with the penguins the day before, it was flat out rubbish when we got to Stanley, as the locals would say. It really felt like we were in Great Britain with the awful weather!
We had about three hours to explore Stanley. I would describe the city as okay. It’s not a charming little British village by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s not bad. Just the fact that an actual town even exists this isolated from the rest of the world is a tribute to the ingenuity of its founders.
What to do in Stanley
There are not a whole lot of things to do in Stanley but you can easily fill up three hours. Unfortunately for us, the weather made it not so pleasant to walk around. We used the visitors centre to get wifi and send one photo to our family and friends then we walked to Christ Church Cathedral, the city’s main Christian church. It’s a nice cathedral but it’s more known for its whale bones on the front lawn.
It would have been awesome to visit a local pub – there are many in Stanley – but unfortunately we had a morning landing and the pubs don’t open till 11. I wanted a local beer, though. I mean how often do you get to drink beer made on a remote island full of penguins? Luckily we found a cafe that served Falklands Beerworks and I had a Rock Hopper pale ale. Get it?
You can also take an hour or so to visit the Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust, a small museum dedicated to this unique history and cultural heritage of the islands. If you haven’t read up about the war yet, this is a good place to catch up on your history.
We didn’t explore much of Stanley but I think we would have had the weather been better. If you are lucky enough to get a nice day in Stanley, I encourage you to walk around. Remember it’s the only inhabited place you’ll see on your entire cruise!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Falklands British or Argentinian?
The Falkland Islands are a British territory. But don’t tell that to the Argentenians, who still lay claim to the island, even though they lost the Falklands War.
What is so special about the Falkland Islands?
The Falkland Islands are known for having diverse penguin species as well as massive populations of other sea birds. It’s also one of the only inhabited islands in the world where penguins live in abundance.
Can anyone go to the Falklands?
Anyone can visit the Falkland Islands. Most people visit as part of a cruise to Antarctica and South Georgia Island. But it’s also possible to fly there from Chile and Brazil. It’s part of the UK, so depending on what country you are from you might need a visa to enter.
What language is spoken in the Falkland Islands?
English is spoken in the Falkland Islands. The locals speak with a British accent, as it’s part of the UK.
Can I move to the Falkland Islands?
You sure can! It’s just like immigrating to the UK so you have to go through the same process. Not quite as many jobs on the Falklands though, so good luck!
Falkland Islands – Final Word
The Falkland Islands are one of the most unique and magical places in the world. A self governing British territory isolated in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, it’s loaded with funny penguins and beautiful views.
Very few people ever get to set foot on these islands so you are incredibly lucky if you get to experience them. I’m sure you will love it as much as I did!
3 comments
[…] often forgotten chain of islands in South America is the Falkland Islands. 250 miles off the coast of southern Argentina in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, the […]
Fantastic post and great photography!
Thank you! Hope you can visit the Falklands one day!