The Falkland Beaches

The Falklands War glorified the name of the Falklands overnight. Consequently, common people only know the war time about the Falklands Islands, but hardly know anything about the tourism about it. In the eyes of a professional tourist  website, it is a photographic paradise of natural harmony.

Falkland Islands

A Photographic Paradise

The colourful buildings, fantastic landscapes from sunrise to sunset, tiny settlements nestling in large open spaces, playful antics of penguins, quiet basking of fur seals amongst the tussock grass, fighting between male elephant seals, relaxed swimming of sea lions, cheerful hopping of small birds and the delicate beauty of Falklands flowers are all amazingly easy to photograph in many locations around the Islands. Keep your camera at the ready and watch out for the “Johnny Rook” (striated cara-cara) who may be keen to carry it away!

Battlefield Tours

Batterfield Tours

The Falkland Islands have a rich military history, with residents of the Islands having participated in both World Wars, as well as the 1982 Conflict between England and Argentina. Some of the fiercest fighting in 1982 took place in the hills around Stanley. Along with the monuments at each key site there are scattered remnants of guns and the personal belongings of the conscripted soldiers. Walk at your own pace around Longdon, Two Sisters, Mount Harriet and Tumbledown or arrange for a local guide with expert knowledge to bring the battle scenes to life.

Five King Penguins, Falkland Islands

Whale Watching
Fourteen species of marine mammals have been recorded in Falkland waters. A trip out of Stanley to Berkeley Sound affords the opportunity to try to spot some of these at sea with spectacular blows often exhibited by various species of baleen whale. Peale’s and Commerson’s dolphins regularly accompany boats and trips can be arranged to include the viewing of penguin colonies and sooty shearwaters on the ocean surface as dusk falls.

Birdlife

Cross,Falkland

The Falkland Islands offer a very special birding experience. 227 species have been recorded in the Islands including two endemic – the Cobb’s wren and Falklands Flightless Steamer Duck, five species of breeding penguin and over 65% of the World’s Black-browed albatross population. Many rare species inhabit the Islands, with some of these classified globally as “threatened” and “endangered”. At many destinations around the Islands, visitors will find themselves alone in a rookery, on the hillside or by a waters-edge, able to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells as a very personal encounter. Photography is easy for any enthusiastic amateur, with endless opportunities for the professional. Take care – the inquisitive Striated Cara-cara will stroll up for a look at your camera whilst the friendly Tussac bird will hop happily onto your legs and feet. The most obvious attractions of the Falklands are penguins – graceful in the water and often comical on land. King and Gentoo penguins can be seen all year round whilst Magellanic, Rockhopper and Macaroni penguins are migratory so only present on the Islands during the summer months. At a large King penguin colony, such as at Volunteer Point, and even some smaller ones, penguins of different ages can be observed throughout the summer months. During the winter, all chicks are large and fluffy! Other species have an annual breeding cycle; chicks can be seen between December and March along with the young of other breeding birds.