Nature

The natural environment is what makes the Falkland Islands truly special. Nature is still in charge with abundant colonies of birds and animals scattered around the archipelago. A variety of birdlife can be seen along the Stanley shoreline, with a Magellanic penguin colony just a ten-minute drive from the centre of our small city. The wildlife is not bound by any constraints; the Falklands are not a zoo! Everything you see has chosen to make its home in the Islands; everything is entirely natural.

Travel further afield to really experience nature in the raw. In smaller settlements and remote coastal locations, there are few physical barriers to wildlife viewing. And the backdrops are spectacular – unique stone runs (rivers of rock tumbling down the hillsides), golden hues of grasslands in the morning sun, stunning seascapes of opalescent blues, rocky crags, vast expanses of open land, vibrant sunsets.

The Falklands are home to many rare species and large colonies of birds and animals found in few other parts of the world. Endemic plants also flourish. Visit in the spring for a profusion of pale maidens, our national flower. Late summer brings berries – diddle dee and teaberry are favourites to collect as a tasty treat. Tussac grass is a natural habitat for the great and small, from elephant seals to grass moths, all year round.

There is always something of the natural environment to enjoy. Stop and listen to the sounds of the sea, the birds calling overhead or the simple sound of silence – switch off from all the day-to-day noises that infiltrate most of our lives. Look up to the stars and see the beauty of the Milky Way spanning the night skies. Relax in nature. Unwind.