Only three scheduled international flights touch down each week at Mount Pleasant Airport, an hour’s drive from Stanley (the Islands’ capital). Two of these flights arrive from Oxfordshire, England, and are operated by the UK’s Royal Air Force. The third (and only commercial flight path) arrives from Santiago de Chile, operated by LATAM. Major cruise lines including Princess and Holland America provide another entry option. Once there, the Falkland Islands Government Air Service fleet of five Islander aircraft helps travellers navigate the Islands by plane. On land, it’s all about husky four-wheel drives — signs and sealed roads are rarities.

It is estimated that the Falkland Islands are home to about 3,000 people, making them one of the least populated places on the planet. Five different species of penguins outnumber humans by the tens of thousands, swelling to a headcount of over one million throughout the seasons. Gentoo penguins are the most populous along the rugged shores year-round, but seek out the rock-hopper penguins (who skilfully scale dizzyingly steep cliffs) for a worthy spectacle, or venture to Volunteer Point — two hours’ drive from Stanley — to cast your eyes on a crowded, chaotic colony of majestic king penguins.

East Falkland (the larger of the two main islands) is the centre of the action – though action is a relative term in these stark surrounds. Here, the compact, colourful and weathered capital of Stanley, steeped in sleepy, historic charm, provides a good base for exploration. Whale-watchers should journey southwest to Wedell Island for glimpses of orcas, seis and southern rights in February and March. Spotting elephant seals and sea lions is unsurprisingly commonplace on Sea Lion Island, and both Carcass and Pebble Islands fly the flag for unspoiled vistas and up-close encounters with flora and fauna.

In 1982, a bitter war broke out for ten weeks between British and Argentine forces over control of the Falkland Islands – or the Islas Malvinas as they’re known in Spanish – costing over 900 lives. Today the archipelago is self-governed, but considered an official overseas territory with stationed defence forces and foreign policy managed by the United Kingdom. History buffs can shape their perspectives on this ongoing conflict by visiting the 1982 Liberation Memorial, paying tribute to lost lives at Blue Beach Military Cemetery and the cementerio de Darwin, or heading to Goose Green, a once-significant battleground.

With open skies, windswept shorelines and barren stretches dotted with tussock grasses, the Falklands could well be mistaken for remote patches of the Patagonian wilderness. When it comes to culture, though, the British influence is strong. English is the official language, the Falkland Islands Pound (always set at equal value to the GBP) is the major currency, and despite the difference in hemisphere, annual sunshine patterns mirror those of England’s southern coast. Fish and chips prove to be a popular pub feed, and there’s even a national cricket team with full Twenty20 International status.