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  Jackie Rosser


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Amazon Odyssey 2003
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Brazil's Favorite Beaches
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Discover Northern Brazil
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Exploring Rio de Janeiro on a Budget
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Gateway to Amazonia The Port of Manaus
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São Luis - Eco-Tourism at Its Best
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Touring Rio de Janeiro's Favelas
  


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Chile's Northern Patagonia
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Geology of Southern Chile
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Skorpios' Cuisine
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Cartagena, Colombia
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Medellin -- In Full Bloom Once Again!
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Medellin Holiday Light Extraviganza
  Mike Trebilcock
Medellin's Flower Festival
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Ecuador's Galapagos
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Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands Discovery Journey
  Jane Townsend


Nicaragua
Nicaragua Tourism News
  Jane Townsend


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Arequipa -- Convents, Canyons & Condors
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Iquitos - Gateway to Amazonas
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Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas
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  Marta Magellan

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  Jane Townsend

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Galapgos Islands
  Katie Townsend

 Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands
  Katie Townsend
Falkland Islands Wool
  Jo Turner

 Nicaragua
Western Nicaragua
  Jane Townsend

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Iquitos and the Amazon
  Henry Townsend

 		 






Falklands Discovery Journey


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Mention a trip to the Falkland Islands and the usual response is "Where are they?" or "Why?" This little gem of a country in the South Atlantic isn't a true Latin American travel destination, but because it has recently become a popular extension for visitors to southern Chile's Torres del Paine region in southern Patagonia and several cruise lines have added calls at capital city Stanley as well as wildlife-rich West Point Island to their Patagonia and Antarctica itineraries, we have included the Falkland Islands at LatinTravel.com.

LanChile's weekly flight from Santiago via Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas to the Falkland's new international airport at Mount Pleasant makes visiting the islands easier for travelers departing the Americas. LanChile Express' fine food and beverage service on each leg of the flight make it pleasant and convenient.

I recently spent a week in the Falklands visiting a number of popular tourist destinations and am completely convinced that this is a destination most adventurous travelers would greatly enjoy. This destination offers much variety. Visitors can opt for a pampered "camp" (anywhere outside of capital city Stanley) visit, enjoying hearty home-cooking and peaceful surroundings with golf and fishing nearby. Or they can visit untouched areas where animals have no fear of humans and can be closely approached. Featuring deluxe accommodations these remote locations allow visitors to view local colonies and rookeries of animals in their natural habitat. Guests are free to wander the cliffs and coasts on foot or in the less strenuous comfort of a lodge's Land Rover

Tourism to the islands has blossomed in recent years due to the new Mount Pleasant airport 30 miles from Stanley. LanChile flights arrive weekly from Punta Arenas, Chile, a one-hour flight, and twice weekly from Oxfordshire, England, a 16-hour flight with a short stopover at Ascension Island.


The Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS) makes visiting "camp" and the eco-destinations on the smaller islands convenient. This network of eight-passenger planes (Britten-Normen BN2B "Islander" aircraft) operates daily flights that connect the islands' many airstrips on an "as needed" basis. Each evening a schedule of the following day's flights, compiled from reservations received, is broadcast over the radio and made available via fax-on-demand. Flights arrive according to schedule and follow strict safety procedures. And they are fun! As one not accustomed to small planes, I found the Indiana Jones aspect of island hopping via FIGAS planes thrilling and thoroughly enjoyed the breathtaking views of the landscape below.

Accommodations are plentiful. Stanley's two first-class hotels, the luxury "camp" lodges and a wide selection of bed and breakfast establishments and self-catering cottages throughout the islands provide lodging tailored to the interests and activities of guests.

Military buffs will find monuments and memories of the 1982 war with Argentina. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the easy access to huge colonies of nesting birds, breeding penguins, seal and sea lions. During the Spring and Summer tourist season photographers will delight in the long, clear daylight hours and the opportunity to get quite close to animals that have not yet developed a fear of man. And everyone will enjoy the warm welcome and exceptional hospitality extended by the Falkland Islanders.

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A Brief History

The Bodie Creek suspension bridge was constructed from a kit brought out from England in the late 1800s. It shortened the distance sheep needed to be driven to the shearing sheds at nearby Goose Green.
This group of islands 300 miles east of the tip of South America appears on maps drawn as early as the 16th century. The first settlement was founded in the mid-1700s at Port Luis and the British claimed rights to the Falkland Islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Huge sheep farms producing world famous Falkland Wool replaced the cattle ranches of the gauchos and life in camp revolved around the farm settlements that housed employees and laborers. Prior to the opening of the Panama Canal Port Stanley was a safe haven for California gold rush bound ships needing repairs or provisions. The hulks of unseaworthy ships became floating warehouses in the Stanley's harbor and are still visible today.

For most people, the Falkland Islands first popped up on the radar screen in April 1982 when they were invaded by Argentina. The British responded with a task force that landed seven weeks later at San Carlos and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine surrender on June 14 in Stanley. Since the war, much has changed in the Falklands. Stanley, heavily damaged by shelling and the brunt of the Argentine occupation, was rebuilt with the help of British troops and has seen much growth in recent years. Many of the large company-run farms have been subdivided and are now owner-managed. Telephones have replaced radio as the communication link between remote island locations and the ever-present wind has been harnessed to provide power to drive the computers, fax machines and televisions that connect to the outside world and to bring all the modern conveniences of life elsewhere to life in camp.
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Life in Camp
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A visit to camp, the land and islands outside of Stanley, blends a glimpse into the agriculture and economy of the Falklands with an introduction to the awesome character of people who choose to live a plane ride from the nearest grocery store and yet easily welcome guests with tea and homemade goodies, a drink in the lounge and a hearty meal. Comfortable lodges provide a base to explore surrounding points of interest.

We visited two lodges, one on East and one on West Falkland. Both featured comfortable accommodations, gourmet home cooking and genuine hospitality. Many island itineraries begin with a camp visit, proceed to wildlife areas and end with a few days in Stanley so as not to miss international flight connections because abrupt weather changes are common and inter-island flight schedules can be interrupted.


Darwin
 Darwin House Lodge, a 35-minute drive from Mount Pleasant airport, is located on the narrow neck of land that joins the southern Lafonia section of East Falkland to the northern Wickham Heights region. Owners Bonnie and Ken Greenland welcomed us with homemade cakes and tea and the enticing aroma of dinner drifted from the kitchen. The lodge's six bedrooms all feature views of Choisel Sound and share large bathrooms across the hall. There are also two three-bedroom cottages that each sleep six. Public rooms are bright and spacious and the food was marvelous.

A walk over the heath offers a chance to spot ruddy-headed and upland geese, oystercatchers and, of course, sheep. Less than a mile away the larger settlement of Goose Green can be easily visited on foot. The jetty where the farm's wool was loaded on to ships in the past, the Community Hall where the settlement's citizens were imprisoned during the 1982 war, and the Darwin and Argentine Military cemeteries are among the places to visit. Further afield it's possible to explore corrals dating back to the days when gauchos tended cattle in the area and to visit the Bodie Creek suspension bridge which was built from a kit imported from England in 1824-25 to shorten the distance sheep needed to be driven from southern Lafonia to the shearing sheds in Goose Green.

Port Howard
 Port Howard Lodge, on West Falkland Island, has seven en-suite bedrooms, comfortable public areas and offers golf and fishing in season. An afternoon FIGAS flight from Mount Pleasant airport can be arranged for international passengers wishing to begin their stay in the Falklands at Port Howard.

We arrived on an early morning FIGAS flight and were greeted at the airstrip by lodge manager Jim Hunter and taken by Land Rover to the lodge. There, Jim's wife Gwen offered tea and suggested a farm tour after we settled into our room. Port Howard is one of the few remaining large wool producing farms and later, as we wandered through the sheep shearing shed near the quay, we wished it was shearing time. Scenic Port Howard settlement is easily explored on foot and the War Museum adjacent to the lodge commemorates the events of 1982 when 1,000 Argentine troops occupied Port Howard.

Time didn't permit us to visit several of the area's highlights, but excursions can be arranged to visit Fox Bay's gentoo penguin colony with stops along the way to view the varied flora and fauna unique to the area. Birdwatchers will want to plan a trip to Narrows Island just off the coast of West Falkland.

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Wildlife Destinations
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For most Falkland Island visitors, wildlife is the main attraction. Five species of penguins nest among the island's rocks and cliffs, mingling with black-browed albatrosses and giant, blue-eyed cormorants. Sea lions and elephant seals breed along the coasts and orcas, or killer whales, and dolphins may be spotted swimming close to shore. Even in camp rabbits and hares hop among grazing sheep and assorted geese, ducks and birds of prey are everywhere.

In most wildlife areas a map or a point in the right direction will lead visitors to sights they won't see anywhere else in the world. Leaving gates in fences in the position they are found and being careful not to tread on hidden nests is the only concern. A packed lunch is always available upon request; however, on chilly days, a lodge's hot lunch with a soup starter enhanced with a few drops of hot pepper infused sherry from the decanter that graces many Falkland Island tables is a welcome treat.

A week isn't long enough to visit all the wildlife destinations in the Falklands. Daily FIGAS flights make visits to remote areas possible. However, at roughly a Falkland Island pound (pegged to the British pound) a minute, they can be expensive. We visited a popular cruise ship destination, an island teeming with wildlife but accessible only by air, and a popular land excursion destination outside of Stanley in order to provide a sampling for website viewers.

West Point Island
 A call at West Point Island, off the northwest coast of West Falkland, has recently been added to many cruise ships' Antarctic and Patagonian programs. Due to its sheltered harbor, smooth beach and newly built jetty, landing here is not as weather- and tide- dependent as in other Falkland Island locations. Zodiacs land on the beach below the settlement and visitors follow a track up to the house of the island's owners, Lily and Roddy Napier.

From the settlement it's a 1 ¾ mile walk to Devil's Nose on the west side of the island. Here rockhopper penguins roost with black-browed albatrosses. The paths along smooth ground allow viewing from a medium distance and you can approach the colony through shoulder high tussic grass for close-up views and incredible photos. Watch your step so as not to startle lone albatrosses nesting under clumps of grass and don't be startled if a rockhopper hops on your boot on its way up the rocks from the sea to its roost.

The Napiers run Land Rover shuttles to and from Devil's Nose for those not wishing to walk. The walk back is easier and we suggest a ride out and a walk back. Striated caracaras, rare birds of prey elsewhere and locally known as Johnny Rooks, are likely to circle overhead as you cross the island's grazed turf.

Upon returning to the settlement, a traditional Falkland Islands tea is served in the Napier's rambling farmhouse, parts of which date back to 1880. The settlement is very picturesque and reminders are evident that it's still a working farm. On our visit an orphaned lamb the Napier's had adopted greeted us at the garden gate.

Sea Lion Island
 Sea Lion Island, the southernmost inhabited island in the group, is a premier destination for wildlife viewing. Because beach landings here are weather dependant, a FIGAS flight (35-minutes from Stanley) is the most reliable way to arrive. The island's upscale Sea Lion Lodge, with seven en-suite rooms and two single rooms that share a bath is clean and comfortable and the food is excellent. This is where, after a particularly chilly morning, we discovered that a few drops of hot pepper-infused sherry in the soup served at lunch is a lovely custom.

A walk across the heath from the Sea Lion Lodge in most directions skirts the burrows of Magellanic penguins. Many species of waterfowl, in spring and summer with chicks in tow, are abundant and rare striated caracaras are common.

On Sea Lion Island's beaches huge male elephant seals defend their territory as bachelor seals try to invade their harems. If you don't block the path between the seals and the sea and you keep a distance from females with young cubs it's possible to move quite close.

Further down Sea Lion Island's shore gentoo penguins travel between their colonies in the dunes and the sea. At about 5 p.m. each day the sea boils as gentoos return from a day of hunting to scurry ashore. Most stop to shake dry and seem to socialize with other penguins before heading home to exchange nest-guarding duties with their mates. Some even stop at the fresh water ponds along the way for a bath. A good hike, or easy Land Rover ride, from the Sea Lion Lodge one finds blue-eyed cormorants nesting alongside rockhopper penguins on naturally formed cliffs that bring to mind the ancient coliseums of Greece and Rome. Here it is easy to understand how these determined little birds got their name.

Volunteer Point
 Volunteer Point is a popular wildlife excursion from Stanley. The route through northern East Falkland passes rock rivers - geologic wonders of massive proportion - crosses the highlands and ends with a cross country experience beyond compare. At the end of the road there are king, gentoo and megellanic penguins sharing the privately owned farmland with grazing sheep. Accessible only by 4-wheel drive vehicles, this adventure begins with a 90-minute drive on the graded road from Stanley to Johnson's Harbour and another 90 minutes bouncing cross country to this wildlife refuge.

Once there, several colonies of gentoos penguins are within easy view and megellanic penguin burrows dot the greens along the coast. The large breeding colony of king penguins is the main attraction and well worth the trip. In spring it's possible to sit quietly near groups of the previous year's chicks and soon be surrounded by the large, curious toddler penguins looking for a meal. As is the case throughout the Falkland Islands, animals can touch you but you can't touch them. It's tough because they look sooo cuddly.

Take a picnic lunch and plan to spend a few hours watching penguins move between their colonies and the sea - just don't block their ocean access as it can disturb them. In case you're wondering, there's a clean, well-maintained pit toilet, but no concessions.

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Stanley
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Stanley, probably the smallest and most remote capital city in the world, is a charming British outpost. Here the Tourist Board's Jetty Visitors Centre welcomes travelers with information, maps and suggestions aimed at making each guest's visit perfect. Cruise ship passengers making a brief call will find it's easy to visit the historical highlights of the area and still have time to browse for world-famous Falkland wool items in the gift shops that dot the town. Those staying longer will find first-class accommodations, numerous restaurants and pubs, and tour operators able to arrange excursions to farm settlements and wildlife areas.

The Falkland Islands Museum is a good starting point for any visit to Stanley. Exhibits cover all aspects of Falkland History - shipping and commerce, farm life, natural history, military and the government. There's almost too much to absorb in one visit.

From the museum a walk along waterfront Ross Road passes many points of interest. Just past the 1914 Battle monument, the Government House looks out over the harbor, home to many historic wrecks from Port Stanley's heyday as a sheltered harbor for ships traveling around the tip of South America.

Further east on Ross Road the Liberation Monument remembers the British military personnel and the three Falkland Island civilians who lost their lives in the 1982 war. Buildings along the waterfront are well-marked and signs and displays offer a glimpse into present day life. You'll pass Town Hall, the Post Office, which houses the philatelic department, and the Catholic Church before reaching Victory Green Here the mizzen-mast of the SS Great Britain is displayed near old cannons, some dating back to the original Falkland Island capital, San Louis.

Christ Church Cathedral, the world's southernmost cathedral, overlooks Stanley Harbor. Its impressive whalebone arch marking the entrance to the churchyard was presented to the islanders by the whalers of South Georgia in 1933.

Stanley is easily explored on foot. High streets above the harbor offer an over the back fence glimpse of island life - poly tunnels shelter fragile seedlings, chickens roam and tidy gardens prevail. Shops sell souvenirs, Falkland wool items and other goods, pubs beckon and people greet you with a smile.

-- Jane Townsend
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