Falkland Islands

"Town" is a relative term in the Falklands. While the population of Stanley hovers near 2,000, the populations of other settlements usually range from the single digits to perhaps 20 people with a noticeable increase during the busy sheep shearing times. In comparison, the average medium-sized village in the United Kingdom has a population of around 3,000 and this is nearly the total population of the entire Falkland Islands.

• 🌍 Stanley – the capital and port, and the only town in any normal sense of the word. Highlights include the cathedral and its whale bone arch, a history museum, the governor's residence and the penguins at nearby Volunteer Point.
• 🌍 Goose Green – a small settlement with numerous remnants of the 1982 war on East Falkland; this was the site of an eponymous battle in that conflict. Although accommodation is limited, it serves as a better base for exploring the southern region of Lafonia than Stanley.
• 🌍 Port Howard – a 200,000-acre (800 km²) sheep farm on West Falkland: the only way to access from Stanley is by air, landing in a nearby field, or the ferry service twice a day from East Falkland. Port Howard is an extremely tranquil part of the world, with far-reaching views and great hiking opportunities.
• 🌍 North Arm – largest settlement in Lafonia and residential centre of North Arm Farm.

Life in the Falklands can be divided between living in Stanley or living in camp, i.e. anywhere outside the capital. The two main islands of the territory are East Falkland and West Falkland, with numerous smaller islands providing additional destinations.

The Falklands are a UK Overseas Territory. The archipelago is roughly the size of Wales or, in North American terms, Connecticut, but extremely sparsely populated; penguins outnumber humans by a hundred to one. The islands are also claimed by Argentina as the Islas Malvinas and were the site of a major conflict between the two countries in 1982.

Falkland Islanders speak English. Some native islanders have a peculiar accent, which can sound like a mixture of Westcountry English with something more New Worldy or Southern Hemispheric: Australian, Kiwi or South African. However, a large number of islanders grew up in Great Britain, and have kept their accents. Falklands English is mostly the same as British English, but there are a handful of words unique to the islands. For instance, camp refers to anywhere in the islands outside Stanley; the word derives from the Spanish campo, meaning countryside. Kelpers are the islanders themselves, and the term refers to the seaweed; this nickname whilst traditionally not a pejorative, has been used disparagingly by Argentinians and so it is advisable to avoid its use. Benny is a pejorative nickname for Falkland Islanders coined by British soldiers, to avoid giving offence it should be not used by visitors.

Knowledge of Spanish as a foreign language is fairly widespread, as it is a compulsory subject in school, being the lingua franca in much of continental South America. As the schools follow the English education system, European Spanish as prescribed by the Real Academia Española in Madrid is taught, rather than a South American variety of the language, but Falkland Islanders may use seseo pronunciation typical of South American dialect. There is a small population of Hispanophones in the islands, consisting mostly of Chileans, and the language is also present in some placenames. Falklands English borrowed some Spanish words.

• Museum - on Holdfast Road.
• Watch the nature, specially the species of penguins living there.

• Fishing. The fishing season runs from September to April, and it is a good chance for fishing enthusiasts to catch sea trouts and mullets.

Meals in the Falklands are primarily traditional British. Fish and chips, roast beef, mutton and tea are standard fare. There are some Spanish influences such as Milanesa and Casuela. While in camp many of the lodges provide home-cooked meals in very generous portions and their food is generally better than is found in Stanley's pubs and cafés. However, Stanley does have a few good restaurants.

It is difficult to find fresh fruit and vegetables, and they are generally very expensive. A banana will cost £1 and a small orange or one single plum will cost 90p. Cabbage and cauliflower costs around £4.50 for half a portion. Half a portion of lettuce costs around £3.50 and a small cucumber costs £4. Tomatoes for some reason are very expensive, for example 2 small tomatoes cost around £2.50. There is no fresh milk available and all milk is UHT/long life milk. The only fresh meat on sale in the supermarket is mutton. A frozen chicken costs around £12 for a 2-kg bird.

Local specialities include diddle-dee jam, made from red crowberry or diddle-dee (empetrum rubrum), which grow wild on the heaths. If you can stomach the bizarre, translucent appearance, boiled penguin eggs are a delicacy available in the fancier hotels.

While most items in the Falklands are expensive due to the cost of importing, there are no taxes on alcohol making beer prices fairly reasonable. Pubs and lodges offer a wide selection, although most drinks will usually come from a can or bottle rather than a tap. There are also a few local microbreweries that provide local drinks inspired by the surrounding areas. These can be bought in gift shops, and some are available on tap in various bars around Stanley.

Accommodation in Stanley includes numerous bed and breakfasts as well as a handful of hotels. Buildings are generally older and the warm hospitality also seems to come from a bygone age. While in camp lodging includes everything from old farmhouses to lodges built specifically for tourism. Camping may be permitted with permission of the landowner. Many places are self-catering meaning supplies will need to be purchased in either Stanley or from a local source, if one is available. When in camp it is essential that lodging be reserved in advance; in Stanley it is generally possible to find lodging without a reservation but it is still recommended that reservations be made.

A work permit is required for any foreign national, including UK citizens, working in the Falklands. Work permits must be applied for prior to coming to the islands and will require an employer's sponsorship. Medical information is also required for the government to approve you work permit.

Like everything in the Falklands, living expenses will be very high. Kerosene (the only form of heating available to most housing here) costs £200 to £300 or more per month to heat a small 3-bedroom house. The internet is very expensive and it costs around £80 per month for a limited data package of 38GB per month. Overall the cost of living is at least 2 times higher than the UK. However this is counterbalanced by the low cost of fuels and meat and the low taxes.

Crime is relatively unknown in the Falklands, although one should still take the normal precautions of not leaving items unattended or travelling alone late at night. If problems are encountered the police force should be helpful. Dial 999 in an emergency situation.

Many animals in the islands can be dangerous when cornered or with young. Elephant seals, sea lions and fur seals are probably the most dangerous; keep a safe distance when viewing these animals. A general rule is that if the animal seems to notice your presence, you are too close. In the long pampas grass on beaches or dunes, it is entirely possible to come across even huge animals without noticing them until you're practically tripping over their bodies, so do take care! Nesting birds, particularly terns and skuas, are quite aggressive when you get too close to their nesting sites, and will mob, scratch and even peck you until you leave their territory. Johnny rooks (striated caracaras) are fearless around humans, unafraid to get very close, and have an unsettling habit of following walkers for miles as though waiting for you to fall into their trap; however they are not dangerous, but are interesting and characterful birds to observe. On the other hand, they do have a habit of stealing items, including phones, cameras, and hats.

The Falklands, being at a far southern latitude, may be affected by the Antarctic ozone hole from August until December. During this time be sure to wear sunscreen on sunny days, as the risk of sunburn is increased significantly. During other months of the year the ozone hole shrinks and the danger from the sun is not significantly greater than anywhere else on the planet. However, it is wise to wear sunscreen as the burning effect of the sun is usually masked by the wind and therefore underestimated by visitors to the islands.

Land mines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) were a major hazard in the Falklands for almost 40 years after the 1982 conflict. However, in October 2020, the last minefield was successfully cleared and every part of the islands is now free of UXO.

There are no special medical requirements for visiting the Falklands. There is a large hospital in Stanley, but outside of the capital there are no medical facilities. For serious injuries, the costs of being airlifted out of the islands are very high. Your travel insurance must cover the costs of medical evacuation.

Tap water is safe to drink.

Since the population has British roots, customs tend to follow those of the United Kingdom, although in many ways the islanders are more conservative than in Britain. Drugs are not tolerated. Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister in 1982, is viewed extremely positively, rather than as the 'marmite' figure she has become elsewhere.

Attitudes towards LGBT people are overwhelmingly positive; same sex marriage was made legal in 2017, and Stanley hosted the islands' first pride event in the same year. Furthermore, all discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal.

Among some residents there is still a mistrust of Argentines stemming from the 1982 conflict. You should never refer to the islands as Argentine. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8% of the turnout voted to remain British, and many residents were there during the 1982 war. This should give you a good idea of how likely you are to cause offence, as calling the islands Argentine is virtually guaranteed to irritate and potentially start a fight.

In addition to the above concerns, there exists a Country Code that should be followed by visitors to the islands:

• Always ask permission before entering private land.
• Keep to paths wherever possible. Leave gates open or shut as you found them.
• Be aware of the high fire risk throughout the Islands. Be extremely careful when smoking not to start fires. Take cigarette butts away with you.
• Do not litter; take your rubbish home with you.
• Do not disfigure rocks or buildings.
• Do not touch, handle, injure or kill any wild bird or other wild animal.
• Never feed any wild animals.
• Always give animals the right of way. Remember not to block the routes of sea birds and seals coming ashore to their colonies.
• Try to prevent any undue disturbance to wild animals. Stay on the outside of bird and seal colonies. Remain at least six metres away. When taking photographs or filming stay low to the ground. Move slowly and quietly. Do not startle or chase wildlife from resting or breeding areas.
• Some plants are protected and should not be picked.
• Whalebones, skulls, eggs or other such items may not be exported from the Falklands.

For all emergencies, including police, fire, ambulance and bomb disposal, dial 999 free of charge.

The country code for dialling the Falklands is +500.

The local phone company, Sure, sells phone cards which can be used throughout the territory but international calls cost £0.90 per minute. Broadband internet access now exists island-wide although speeds are much closer to dialup, 56 Kbps or less. Several hotels, as well as the visitor centre offer computers that accept Sure internet cards and there are an increasing number of Wi-Fi hotspots. Phone and internet cards can be purchased from the Sure office in Stanley (on the hill past the War Memorial), as well as in some of the shops in town. The larger lodges will also sell phone cards and may have internet cards. There is a 4G mobile phone network that has a decent coverage, however outside of settlements, it can be hard to find signal.

The postal service in the Falklands is reliable and letters can be posted easily from Stanley and most settlements. The main post office is located in Stanley town centre across from the FIC West store.