Outer Islands

Sea Lion Island

Your international flight to the Falklands arrives at Mount Pleasant airport, where you are met and driven to the local airport at Stanley for the short flight to Sea Lion Island. You spend 3 nights on this lovely island at Sea Lion Lodge, a welcoming, comfortable and eco-friendly guest house that offers spectacular views of the South Atlantic. There is nothing but ocean between here and Antarctica. Your stay includes an introductory tour of the island with a guide. Details are confirmed locally, to suit your particular interests, local conditions and timings. There are fantastic photo opportunities all around.

Sea Lion Island is the most southerly inhabited island in the Falklands archipelago, and one of the smallest. Its beauty and solitude makes a stay here a compelling and memorable experience. The island is a nature reserve, a RAMSAR site and an IBA. It abounds with wildlife and birds, and many of the best areas are within easy reach of the lodge. Large numbers of elephant seals, sea lions, fur seals, and penguins are found around its spectacular beaches. At the peak of the breeding season (which spans September - February overall) there can be 1800 elephant seals here. Killer whales patrol the shore between November and January, hoping for sea lion pups.

Carcass Island and West Point Island

Today you take a domestic flight across East and West Falkland to Carcass Island, on the opposite coast. Here you stay for 3 nights at Manager's House, the only hotel on the island. Named after HMS Carcass which visited in the late 18th century, Carcass Island is a carefully managed farm with sheep and cattle. The island is a wonderful way to appreciate how generations of farmers lived and worked on the Falklands. With fantastic views out to sea, the settlement nestles into its sheltered harbour. Carcass Island is an important bird area with many ground nesting birds including the endemic Cobbs’s wren and songbirds such as Tussac-bird, Ground tyrant, Falkland pipit, Falkland thrush, Long-tailed meadowlark and Grass wren. Gentoo and Magellanic penguins thrive and breed on the island and there are many Striated caracaras. Ramblers may well opt to visit Leopard Beach.

At some point during your stay, possibly depending on weather conditions, you will visit West Point Island. Privately owned since 1879, this island was originally called Albatross Island due to the many nesting Black-browed albatross. West Point Island is blessed with spectacular scenery and impressive wildlife with sandstone cliffs, rocky ledges and areas of tussac grass that are home to Rockhopper penguins.

Sea lions and dolphins are often seen on Carcass Island, plus the odd fur seal hiding in the tall tussac grass. Birds are amazingly tame but do watch your things if Striated caracara (known locally as Johnny Rook) are about! The endemic Cobb's wren is easy to spot and penguins are here too. Magallenic penguin burrows are close to the settlement and Gentoos can be found further afield.

Stanley

Today you fly to Stanley, the capital of the Falklands. You are met at the airport and driven into Stanley, and shown around the town by a local guide, including a visit to the museum. Run by the islands’ National Trust, the Falkland Islands Museum is located at the historical dockyard site in Stanley. The main aim of the museum is to promote awareness and appreciation of the history and heritage of the Falkland Islands and to protect this for future generations. There are galleries covering social (e.g. radio and telephone exchange), maritime (Stanley was a ships’ graveyard, including SS Great Britain, as well as a refuge for intrepid explorers and engineers), natural history, the 1982 war, and Antarctic heritage. So there is a lot to see. Much of the islands' social history revolves around the 'Camp': rural communities outside Stanley itself.

Volunteer Point

Volunteer Beach is an impressive 2 mile long white sandy beach, bordered by high grassy banks and dunes, leading to rolling greens. These provide ideal habitats for three breeding species of penguins - King, Gentoo and Magellanic. The colony of King penguins is very special. Around 1000 King penguins breed at Volunteer Point and raise around 500 chicks each year. There are also 1,500 pairs of Gentoo penguins in colonies on nearby Volunteer Green. Your day's excursion includes a packed lunch. Maybe end the day with a "smoko", the Falklands version of tea and home-made cakes. Although this is conventionally served at morning coffee time, there's nothing to say you can’t partake in the afternoon.

Depart Falkland Islands

You are collected from your hotel to catch your flight from Mount Pleasant Airport, or perhaps join a cruise sailing from Stanley itself. Ask us for details.