The Malvinas Islands (Falklands) host a unique ecosystem shaped by their cold, windy climate and isolation. The fauna is dominated by marine mammals and seabirds, while the flora consists mainly of grasses, shrubs, and peat bog vegetation, with no native trees.

Flora of the Malvinas Islands

• Grasslands and Shrubs: The islands are largely covered by tussac grass (Festuca flabellata), which can grow up to 2 meters tall and provides shelter for birds and sea lions.

• Peat Bogs: Extensive peatlands support mosses and small herbaceous plants.

• Heathlands: Areas with dwarf shrubs and hardy plants adapted to poor soils and strong winds.

• Endemic Plants: Species such as Malvinas Daisy (Perezia recurvata) and Malvinas Violet (Viola maculata) are unique to the islands.

• Absence of Native Trees: No native arboreal vegetation exists today, though fossil records show ancient cypress and araucaria forests.

Fauna of the Malvinas Islands

Marine Mammals

• Seals and Sea Lions: Southern sea lions, elephant seals, and fur seals are common along the coasts.

• Cetaceans: Orcas, dolphins, and several whale species migrate through surrounding waters.

Birds

• Penguins: Five species breed here: King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Macaroni, and Magellanic penguins.

• Seabirds: Albatrosses, petrels, cormorants, and skuas thrive in the nutrient-rich waters.

• Land Birds: The Falkland steamer duck (flightless), upland goose, and the endemic Cobb’s wren are notable.

Invertebrates

• Endemic Beetles: Several species of ground beetles and weevils are unique to the islands, such as Malvinius compressiventris.

Conservation Notes

• Fragile Ecosystem: The harsh climate limits biodiversity, making species highly specialized and vulnerable.

• Threats: Introduced species (rats, cats) have impacted native bird populations.

• Protection Efforts: Conservation programs focus on seabird colonies and restoring tussac grass habitats.

Quick Comparison Table

Category
Key Species/Features
Notes

Flora
Tussac grass, peat bog mosses, endemic daisies
No native trees; vegetation adapted to wind/cold

Marine Mammals
Sea lions, elephant seals, dolphins, whales
Coastal and migratory presence

Birds
Penguins (5 species), albatrosses, Cobb’s wren
Major global seabird colonies

Invertebrates
Endemic beetles, weevils
High endemism despite low diversity

In short: the Malvinas Islands are a haven for seabirds and marine mammals, with vegetation dominated by tussac grass and peat bogs. Their isolation has fostered unique endemic species, but conservation is crucial to protect this fragile ecosystem.

When my cousin and I set out to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier in the province of Santa Cruz, we already expected that everything would be quite expensive because this was no mystery. We had said that we were going to do everything in our power to enjoy this stay, although these landscapes are so beautiful that looking at them from afar will already fill you with satisfaction. However, our surprise was that when we arrived at the national park there was a navigation in front of the glacier and quite accessible in terms of price, so we didn't hesitate to do it ❤️.

The fee that must be paid when entering this area of Los Glaciares National Park includes the possibility of walking the walkways that surround the entire glacier, including the Sendero de los Témpanos along the shore of the Argentine Lake. This is what most people do, but there are a wide variety of sailing excursions to see this and the other glaciers in the area, including walks on top of the great mass of ice. You can imagine that none of this is cheap for us Argentines: being an international destination, all the prices for these tours are also in international currency .

Even so, I think that someone will have taken pity on humble people, adding a relatively cheap navigation service. It was a 45-minute ride in a small boat that took you along one side of the great glacier. This can be seen from the shore and the walkways, but who would deny the possibility of getting a little closer to this frozen mass? Of course we don't .

While the large sailing excursions around all the glaciers in the area were around 150 USD and increased in price, this small tour only cost us approximately 17 USD (6000 ARS in January 2023). It's still a lot of money here in Argentina, but because it's a unique experience and who knows when it was going to be repeated, I didn't think too much about it. Also, I always like to take some navigation souvenirs with me from the places I go: it's a good way to get a special perspective of the landscape ❤️.

Before we got on they told us to wrap up warm because as we got closer to the glacier it was going to get colder and colder (logical). The good thing about the cold in southern Argentina is that it is very different from the cold we have in Buenos Aires: the climate here is dry so the cold is not so terrible and you don't suffer too much. When we are at home the humidity in the winter makes you ache to the bones, literally. Just in case, I went with all the thermal clothing I had available. I knew that even if it was summer the temperatures remained low, so it was better to prevent .

The ship came up to a considerable distance and then slowly passed in front of the almost 5 km wide glacier. Of course we all expected to see some ice calving and we did, but at least I wasn't cool enough to catch it on my camera. Something the guide told us is that icefalls are great but very dangerous, because when the ice falls into the water thousands of ice fragments fly out like projectiles. This scared me a bit, but I trusted that we were far enough away that the ice wouldn't reach us .

Another thing I learned about glaciers during this trip is that the calving is not only due to global warming, but also due to the regeneration of the ice mass itself. As new ice forms from freezing temperatures, this pushes out old ice and if the surface is unstable, cracks form and pieces break off. This great glacier has an area of 250 km2 and is about 60 meters high, which is regenerated year after year, with incredible landslides that can be seen daily. If you are interested in learning more about the Perito Moreno Glacier, you can read more about it here .

A funny anecdote that I have from when I was on this navigation is when I asked someone to take a photo of me with the landscape and he took this one where you can't even see the glacier .

When I saw him and told him, he tried a little harder and took this one. It's not a great photo either, but much more couldn't be done because the boat was quite full, something to be expected since it was the high summer season .

My cousin couldn't stand the cold it was when we got close to the glacier and she went to look at it from inside the boat, but I endured until the end of everything. This kind of scenery is hypnotic, and all the colors that made up this place were amazing. The glacier stood out with its light blue color among all those dark mountains and the cloudiness also adorned the surface. Nothing could have been more perfect, I couldn't help but get excited ❤️.

Seeing the glacier with my own eyes was one of the things I wanted to do since I started this whole travel thing and after a lot of saving and planning I was able to achieve it and it was as beautiful as I imagined. My country is so beautiful and has so many wonders that I am glad that people from all over the world choose it for their vacations. Getting there was something incredible, a place that I would return to a thousand times because even if you have it in front of you, it is hard for you to believe that it is real. But it is and there it was for us to enjoy ❤️.

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One of the places I wanted to visit without fail during my nomadic trip to the north of Argentina was Iruya, in the province of Salta. This destination is highly touted on social media as the must-see of this province and of course I wanted to go and see what it was all about. What I like most about my country is that no matter how many times you visit the same area, there will always be a new and beautiful place to visit. In this case, Iruya fulfilled that place, exceeding my expectations and fulfilling one of my wishes on this route ❤️.

After deciding to travel north together, the Dutch guest's and my solo trip became ‘our trip’, where we could both propose places to go. As my route was not planned beyond Huamuahaca in Jujuy, which is where I was supposed to be doing my cancelled volunteering, I did not have many options of places to visit other than the ones we had already seen so far. I only had one on my wish list and that was Iruya, one I had wanted to visit for a long time .

From the town of Huamahuaca in Jujuy you can reach the town of Iruya in Salta by public bus. Currently, this service takes three hours and costs $8. The road to Iruya is 73 km of gravel, so it is close, but it still takes a long time to get there due to the state of the road and the many sharp bends. Besides, getting to Iruya means moving at more than 2700 masl, so you can't go very fast either. This is the way I had planned to go if I continued travelling alone, but luckily my plans had changed for the better and now I was travelling in a small Suzuki 4x4 .

All the way from Humahuaca to Iruya was truly incredible. We went through beautiful mountains with incredible colours, up and down, and around a lot of curves that seemed endless. Also, nature had gifted us with splendid weather, so we could see all the colours more than brilliantly. Sometimes I couldn't believe what a vast and beautiful place we were in ❤️.

So that the car wouldn't shake so much on those roads, as usual, we had to deflate the tyres a bit. We couldn't drive with the windows open either, because too much dust got in due to the dryness of the road, but we still stopped many times to get out and take some pictures. This road is not very busy at all, so we passed very few vehicles during those 70 km until we reached the entrance of the village after more than 4 hours of driving .

When we were finally there, I think I must have said ‘amazing’ a few dozen times. I was fascinated to be in this town that I had seen so many times on social media, and in reality it was so much nicer. Its location was really amazing, as if nestled in high clayey and colourful mountains. My amazement didn't stop, I was really excited and we even had a special welcome from some very curious locals .

Our plan in Iruya was to camp for one night, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures. Although we arrived in the afternoon, as this town is so immersed in the mountains, the sun sets early, so we wanted to take the opportunity to walk around a bit first and then we would look for a place to sleep. Anyway, this town is not that big, but we wanted to see as much of it as we could ❣️.

As far as can be seen, the town of Iruya has expanded quite a bit over time, but what belongs to the ‘centre’ of town is only a few blocks. Here you can see most of the tourist accommodations, restaurants, a church and even a square. The streets of Iruya are small and uphill, one way because hardly any vehicles can enter, so you have to drive carefully. Guest M made a good choice leaving the car under the bridge while we walked through the town, because it would have been a mess to get around without knowing exactly where to go .

One option for a short walk inside Iruya, after having wandered around the town and seen all there was to see, was to go to a small viewpoint. Of course, this is a viewpoint with a cross, which is reached after a half hour walk. The truth is that it wasn't difficult to get there even though it was a bit steep, but I think that being at more than 2700 masl makes everything worse and you get tired faster. However, despite the heat and everything, the views from there are incredible and you can see the whole town. Once again I felt fulfilled for being where I wanted to be, seeing what I wanted to see and doing what I wanted to do, which is to continue discovering beautiful places in Argentina ❤️.

The town of Iruya in the province of Salta was one of the towns I most enjoyed visiting on this leg of the trip. I knew that even if I was alone on my walk I would be able to get there, but doing it with company was also a lot of fun. This is what I enjoy about the spontaneity of going on a nomadic walk, and that is that the routes can be modified according to what you feel at the time. Continuing to see beautiful places in my country keeps convincing me to want to travel it even more, because we have so much to see that it is almost impossible to get bored in it. I hope it stays that way ❣️.

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