Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Travel Guide

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Nineteenth-century shipwrecks and a plethora of marine life are among the attractions awaiting visitors to the Falkland Islands. The islands may well be known as the battle ground of the eponymous 1982 war between Britain and Argentina, but this archipelago in the Atlantic is an intriguing and relaxing vacation destination.

Wildlife lovers will find five different species of penguins, whales, and sea birds. Head to Volunteer Point for the islands' largest group of king penguins, and there are a predictably vast amount of sea lions to be found on Sea Lion Island. Most of the Falkland Islands' population live in the capital Stanley, over whose harbor much avian life can be seen circling above the waves.

Reminders of the 1982 conflict do remain, with battlefields, such as Goose Green and Pebble Island, now tourist attractions.

Geography

The Falkland Islands are located 560km (350 miles) off the east coast of South America and consist of two main islands and hundreds of small outlying islands, amounting to approximately 1.2 million hectares (3 million acres). Generally, the main islands are mountainous, with low-lying and undulating terrain in the south of East Falkland. The highest mountain is Mount Usborne at 712m (2,312ft).