The Falkland Islands' very British capital – an expert guide to Port Stanley
Why go?
The UK’s most eccentric colonial outpost, Stanley is the very British “capital” of a wild archipelago in the South Atlantic that looks a lot like Argentine Patagonia. Wind-lashed in winter, it’s pleasantly temperate in the main cruise season (November to April) and has historic attractions as well as homely pubs and places to eat.
Cruise port location
Stanley is on the southwest coast of East Falkland, the most populated and developed of the two main Falkland Islands. Most cruise ships tender, anchoring in the deep waters of Blanco Bay north of Stanley. It’s a 25-minute ride to the tender pontoons close to the town centre. Small ships can moor at FIPASS, a larger pontoon east of the town. For 2018/2019, 41 ships were expected to make 108 calls in Stanley.
Can I walk to any places of interest?
Stanley is about three miles long and only a few blocks wide and is spread out east-west along the south bank of its namesake harbour. All the town’s sights are within walking distance of the tender pontoon.
Getting around
Locals zip around in Land Rover Defenders and other four wheel drive vehicles. There’s no public transport. Stanley is walkable but you’ll need private transport or coaches provided by your cruise agents to see any of the places out in the countryside (known as “camp” here after the Spanish word “campo”).
Hotels
Two small hotels The Malvina House (which has a spa) and The Waterfront (known for its excellent restaurant) and a handful of guesthouses accommodate the few people who come to stay in Stanley. Booking with a local family opens up the possibility of learning about “kepler” life. Lafone House is spacious and host Arlette Betts is friendly and a great cook. See falklandislands.com for options.
What to see and do
Stanley is worth half a day; it’s small so even if you decide not to join a guided group excursion, you’ll keep bumping into fellow passengers. There are several historical and wildlife sites a short drive away; excursions offered are worth taking to see the hinterland. Trips to outlying islands mean making use of the FIGAS air service and its reliable fleet of five Britten-Norman BN-2B Islander twin-props.
What can I do in four hours or less?
Most firms (including Celebrity Cruises, Oceanwide, Princess Cruises and Quark) give people time to explore Stanley, generally offering guided walks and/or drives as well as free time. Christ Church Cathedral, with its whalebone arch, is the standout landmark. Colourful houses, well-tended gardens and gnomes leave visitors in little doubt which flag flies here. The Historic Docklands Museum – opened in 2015 – is a one-stop site to learn about Falkland Islands history, life in the Camp, Antarctic connections and the 1982 war with Argentina. A little to the west of the museum is the Liberation Memorial on Thatcher Drive – Maggie is something of a local hero.
The Victory Bar and Globe Tavern are cosy pubs. Some organised city walks segue into a short bus-ride to the east end of Stanley Harbour to do a brief nature-themed walk and observe penguins, seals, sea lions and albatrosses. Battlefield sites, a farm tour at Newan’s Station/Farm (which boasts a colony of gentoo penguins), and the large gentoo penguin colony and growing king penguin colony at Bluff Cove plus the rare rare rockhoppers at Berkeley Sound are popular options to do inside four hours.
What can I do in eight hours or less?
A classic longer trip, offered by several cruise firms (Azamara, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises among them), is to ride the 50 miles in a four wheel drive vehicle to Volunteer Point Sanctuary, home to a colony of more than 1,300 noisy king penguins. The journey takes in key battlefield sites from the 1982 Falkland War and the wreckage of two Argentine helicopters. Port Louis, established by the French in 1764, was the site of the first settlement in the islands. Approaching Volunteer Point you’ll see Falklands flora, including mossy bogs, grasslands and low-lying, diddle-dee shrubs. As well as the large king penguins, there are upland geese and steamer ducks. Due to the bumpy nature of the ride, this tour is not recommended for pregnant women or those with back, neck or mobility problems.
History fans may prefer to see Darwin Cemetery, two and a half hours by bus or four wheel drive from Stanley. The final resting place of 237 Argentine soldiers who fell in the 1982 war, it’s also the site of a memorial to the 323 Argentines who lost their lives when the light cruiser ARA General Belgrano was sunk by a British nuclear submarine. Close by is Goose Green, famous as the site of a fierce battle that took place on May 28 to 29.
Eat and drink
The fish and seafood are wonderful. Patagonian toothfish (aka Chilean bass), kingklip, squid and mussels are all worth trying, either as a fresh cocktail or with pasta. Falklands Angus and Hereford steaks are excellent. The native upland geese are traditionally used for patés and roasts. This being a British outpost you can also get curries, pies, good ales and even 70s-style Black Forest gateau.
Don’t leave Port Stanley without…
Anything with the words “Falkland Islands” on it is a potential conversation piece. A couple of gift shops sell yarns and woollens, hats and caps, crafts made from pebbles and shells, fridge magnets and fluffy toy sheep of every size and description.
Need to know
Flight time
The RAF operates a regular service from Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire to the main airport at Mount Pleasant, with a refuelling layover in Ascension Island. South American airline Latam flies in from Punta Arenas (with a monthly stop in Río Gallegos, Argentine Patagonia) and, from mid-June 2019, also from São Paulo, Brazil via Córdoba in Argentina. However you do it, the trip takes upwards of 18 hours and will cost at least twice the price of a flight to, say, Rio.
Safety
There is basically no crime – there’s nowhere to run to. The bumpy roads and changeable weather can make for challenging excursions. As cruise firms advise, “Weather conditions may curtail tour operation”; rug up for walks and tours.
Best time to go
All cruises visit in the southern summer – November to April. It can rain even in midsummer and be very windy any time. Winter is Shetlands-level bleak. Ask your cruise firm if yours will be the only vessel landing; two ships simultaneously docking risk introducing “overtourism” to Stanley.
Closures
Monday is closing day for the museum. Shops close Sundays, but cruise visits are a big deal and most gift shops and pubs will be wide open.
