Things to See and Do

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!

Amazing Astronomy

A clear night in the Falkland Islands will give you the feeling of being in a planetarium. A lack of both light and air pollution, particularly in the Camp, affords spectacular views of the southern night skies. Look out for shooting stars, the International Space Station and the wandering planets against a backdrop of the Milky Way and southern constellations. Experts and amateurs will be impressed by the clarity of the Falkland Islands night skies where even low magnitude stars can still be observed with the naked eye.

Battlefield 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 the United Kingdom 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.

Farm life

A number of farms offer the chance to view or participate in farm life first-hand. Sheep shearing, sheep herding using dogs and peat cutting (and subsequently its use as fuel) are traditional Falkland Island activities which can be experienced on some tours or whilst staying at a tourist lodge. Alternatively try milking the cows or just getting to know the domestic animals.

Island Hopping

Travelling in a Falkland Island Government Air Service (FIGAS) Britten Norman Islander aircraft is the quickest and most fun way of moving around the many islands that make up the archipelago. Landing on grass strips, the skills of the pilots are second to none and this is the only way, other than from a cruise ship, to discover the attractions of Bleaker, Sea Lion, Carcass, Pebble, Saunders and Weddell islands - each of which has a diversity of flora, fauna and natural beauty to experience. A "round-robin" or "scenic flight" with FIGAS are alternative options if time is limited.

Museum and Maritime History

A self-guided walk around Stanley will lead to many discoveries of sunken wrecks and a maritime history that spans back to the sixteen hundreds. The Falkland Islands Museum provides an insight into the islands past, from those first settlers to the present day. Unusual and fascinating artefacts reveal mans struggle on this remote archipelago as well as the ingenuity to improvise to survive. The Museum is the unwritten version of the book of life about the Falkland Islands and its people.

Parades and Public Holidays

Liberation Day (14th June), Queen's Birthday (21st April) and Battle Day (8th December) are annual public holidays. On these three days, along with Remembrance Sunday, a parade takes place involving members of HM Forces, the Falkland Islands Defence Force and other Organisations and Associations depending on the event. All except the Queen's Birthday include memorial services at Christchurch Cathedral and around the appropriate monument. Smaller services are also held to commemorate other key events of the 1982 conflict at different locations across the Islands.

Other public holidays are New Year's Day (1st January), Good Friday (varies), "Peat Cutting Monday" (the first Monday in October) and the Christmas Holiday (25th, 26th and 17th December).

Shopping

Beautifully crafted goods, hand-made in the Falklands are available from gift shops in Stanley and some tourist accommodations around the Camp. These range from delicately produced felt items to robust leather goods. Jewellery features the local semi-precious, pretty opaque pebbles, woollen garments are knitted from soft Falkland's wool to suit a variety of tastes, wooden souvenirs are crafted from salvaged shipwrecks and driftwood whilst local artwork depicts land and sea-scapes, wildlife and historical attractions. Collectors will enjoy seeking out stamps, coins and medallions. Supermarkets and the market garden (Stanley Growers) offer a wide range of local fresh produce including meat, fish, eggs and (in season) locally grown vegetables as well as international food products, fine wines, beers and spirits.

Sporting Activities

Join in the world's most southerly marathon in March, play golf on the most southerly golf links with a variety of unusual hazards despite the treeless fairways or fish for brown trout and mullet in the rivers or coastal estuaries. This is one of the last wilderness fishing experiences in the World where fish in excess of 5 kg (10 lbs) are regularly caught. For those more interested in watching rather participating, horse racing takes place after Christmas in Stanley, and at other times and locations during the summer months. Alternatively, stay warm indoors with an activity at the Stanley Leisure Centre, darts or dancing.

Wildlife watching

Best known for penguins, visitors always enjoy the antics of these birds both at sea and on shore. Majestic kings, feisty rockhoppers, gentoo and Magellanic penguins are easy to find with the more elusive macaroni penguin blending into rockhopper colonies in just a few locations. 75% of the world's Black-browed albatross breed around the islands. Add to these a large number of other interesting birds including the inquisitive striated cara-cara, the endemic Cobb's wren and Falklands Flightless steamer duck - there are plenty of species for the amateur bird-watcher and the enthusiast.

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.

Wildlife experiences are guaranteed and with only a few visitors in many locations, the up-close-and-personal experience is second to none.