South Georgia Island | Overview & Travel Guide
Welcome to my South Georgia Island travel guide based on my first-hand experience of visiting to help you plan your trip to this wild and fantastically beautiful remote island.
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South Georgia Island Overview
South Georgia is a remote, inhospitable island known for its exceptional abundance of wildlife. Due to its isolation, it is home to some of the world’s largest concentrations of King penguins and Elephant Seals. The island has no permanent human population and is notoriously hard to get to. For those willing to make the voyage they will be rewarded by stepping ashore in one of the most awe-inspiring places on earth to witness nature.
It’s no surprise that South Georgia features in my free Travel Guide: Top 5 Remote Places To Visit which you can download for free here.
Where: South Georgia is a sub-antarctic Island located in the Southern Ocean 967 miles east of the Falkland Islands.
Remoteness: 9 / 10
Accessibility: Difficult
Background: South Georgia is a British overseas territory with a sovereignty claim that dates back to 1775. The territory is disputed by Argentina. The island is just over 100 miles long and 23 miles wide with a mountainous interior that is permanently covered by snow and ice. The highest peak on the island is Mount Paget with a height of 2,934 meters above sea level. The only people living on the island are seasonal staff at the museum in Grytviken and the scientists at the British Antarctic Survey base at King Edward Point.
South Georgia Island Map
How To Get To South Georgia
AIR
It’s not possible to visit South Georgia by air as there is no landing strip.
Sea
Travelling by sea is the only way to visit South Georgia.
To see the most amount the island has to offer consider doing a South Georgia only expedition cruise to get the maximum time ashore. Secret Atlas offers a 15-day expedition to South Georgia from the Falkland Islands.
I visited South Georgia on a tall sailing ship called the Bark Europa which visits South Georgia every year on her Antartica season. I highly recommend this as an authentic way to see the island. Although the boat is comfortable, it’s hard work as guests are involved in the sailing handling and watch keeping, so this option is not for everyone. The voyages have a very limited capacity and often sell out when they first go on sale 2 years before the voyage takes place. It is also worth following the Bark Europa passage on Facebook are there is a waiting list and people often drop out meaning a last minute place is sometimes possible.