Stanley cruise port

Where the ship docks

• Public Jetty (tender landing) and Jetty Visitor Centre, Ross Road · 0 km to the centre

  The tender pontoons sit on the waterfront in the middle of Stanley. The Jetty Visitor Centre opposite has an information desk, maps and a gift shop. Taxis wait near the jetty.

Can you walk? Yes. Stanley is compact, and most sights lie along Ross Road on either side of the jetty: Christ Church Cathedral and the Whalebone Arch, the Historic Dockyard Museum, the 1982 memorial, Government House and the 1914 Battle Memorial. Gypsy Cove is outside town; take a taxi or a tour.

Tender: Ships anchor in Port William; larger vessels are placed towards its western end. Only ships up to 143 m long, 25 m beam and 6.0 m draft may ask to anchor inside Stanley Harbour itself. Tenders land at the Public Jetty pontoons in the centre of town, in front of the Jetty Visitor Centre. Two tenders can lie alongside, but only one tender arrives or leaves at a time and passengers board from one tender at a time, so queues build when several ships are in. The harbour is closed to cruise ships and their tenders at a sustained 30 knots of wind and rising, and tender operations stop in fog when visibility falls below 0.1 nautical miles. Ships over 10,000 tonnes are not allowed to berth at FIPASS, the floating port facility, so cruise passengers come ashore by tender.

Getting to town

When to head back

Be back at the Public Jetty 90 minutes before all-aboard. From Gypsy Cove, leave 2 hours before.

Tenders load one at a time, and queues are longest late in the afternoon. Watch the wind: if it is rising, the ship may recall passengers early, because the harbour closes to tenders at a sustained 30 knots. Listen for announcements and keep your phone on if the ship uses an app.

If you are running late: If you are running late, go straight to the Public Jetty and speak to the ship's crew on the pontoon or at the shelter. Each ship must station crew there while tenders run. The Jetty Visitor Centre opposite can also help. The ship's port agent number is on your daily programme.

Where people go wrong: Passengers treat the call as certain and plan long trips, when wind often shortens or cancels Stanley calls.

A day in Stanley

Assumes the ship anchors at 08:00, first tenders ashore by about 08:30, and all-aboard is 17:30.

1. 08:30Tender to the Public Jetty. Pick up a map at the Jetty Visitor Centre opposite.
2. 09:00Taxi to Gypsy Cove (15–20 min). Agree the return pick-up time before the driver leaves.
3. 09:30Walk the path to the viewing area and along Yorke Bay. Stay on the paths and keep at least 6 m from penguins.
4. 11:00Taxi back to town, looking out for the Lady Elizabeth wreck in Whalebone Cove.
5. 11:30Walk west along Ross Road to Christ Church Cathedral and the Whalebone Arch.
6. 12:15Lunch: fish and chips with a local Rockhopper beer at the Victory Bar, Philomel Street.
7. 13:30Historic Dockyard Museum on Ross Road; coffee at the Teaberry Café in the museum grounds.
8. 15:00Walk on to the 1982 memorial, Government House and the 1914 Battle Memorial, then turn back along the waterfront.
9. 16:00Back at the Public Jetty for the tender, 90 minutes before all-aboard.

What to see

Beaches

What to eat

• Fish and chips with Rockhopper beer from Falklands Beerworks · Victory Bar, 1a Philomel Street
• Fresh fish and char-grills · Malvina House Hotel restaurant, overlooking the harbour
• Italian-inspired dishes and coffee · Waterfront Kitchen Café, Waterfront hotel, central Stanley
• Cakes, sandwiches and coffee · Teaberry Café, Historic Dockyard Museum grounds
• Diner meals cooked to order · Shorty's Diner, Stanley

On your own or a ship excursion?

Volunteer Point is the one place where the tour is the only realistic choice: it is about 2.5 hours each way, much of it off-road on private land that needs permission, and you need a guaranteed link to the tender schedule. Ship tours there are expensive and sell out, and they are cancelled if the call is lost to wind. Gypsy Cove is easy on your own by taxi as long as you fix the return pick-up. The town needs no tour at all.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the call will happen.

  Stanley calls are often cut short or cancelled when the wind reaches a sustained 30 knots. Have a back-up plan and do not pay non-refundable deposits to private operators without checking their cancellation terms.

• Trying to reach Volunteer Point independently.

  It is about 2.5 hours each way, much of it off-road on private land that needs permission. Book a tour.

• Taking a taxi to Gypsy Cove without arranging the return.

  Agree a pick-up time with the driver before you are dropped off.

• Dressing for a summer port.

  Bring warm, windproof and waterproof layers and sturdy shoes, even in December and January.

• Getting too close to penguins for photos.

  Keep at least 6 m away and never block a penguin's path to the sea or its burrow.

Safety, access and bad weather

Safety

Stanley is a small, quiet town. The main hazards are weather and terrain: strong, cold wind, sudden rain and uneven, boggy ground outside town. Wear proper footwear and layers. The islands are officially described as mine-free after clearance, but if you find anything that looks like old ordnance, do not touch it; photograph it, note the position and report it to the Royal Falkland Police on 28100. Medical care is limited: a medical evacuation flight costs at least US$34,000 and the hospital may require proof of insurance, so carry travel insurance details ashore. Emergency number: 28100 (Royal Falkland Police).

Accessibility

Tender transfers depend on the swell and on the ship's own rules for wheelchair users; ask the shore excursions desk. The Public Jetty puts you straight onto the level waterfront road, and the main sights along Ross Road are close together. Gypsy Cove is reached by a gravel path and is not suitable for wheelchairs. Volunteer Point tours are not wheelchair accessible and involve a long, rough off-road drive and a 500 m walk over uneven moorland.

If it rains

Spend longer in the Historic Dockyard Museum and its café, visit Christ Church Cathedral, and use the Jetty Visitor Centre and the pubs and cafés in town. Penguin viewing still works in light rain if you are dressed for it, but heavy wind can stop tenders altogether.

Crowds

Tenders load one at a time, so on days with more than one ship the jetty queues are long, especially in the last two hours. Go ashore early, see Gypsy Cove first while tour coaches are at Volunteer Point or still loading, and save the town for the afternoon.

Stanley cruise port FAQ

Sources

Checked November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@porttrip.com.

1. Falkland Islands Government Maritime Authority – Guidance to cruise vessels, 2026/27 season
2. Falkland Islands Government Customs – Duty and charges FY 2026–27 (passenger tax)
3. Falkland Islands Tourist Board – Volunteer Point
4. Falkland Islands Tourist Board – Historic Dockyard Museum
5. Falkland Islands Tourist Board – Stanley: around Surf Bay walking route (PDF)
6. FITV – Concerns raised as passenger tax rises 35%
7. Travel and Tour World – Falklands wind closures and new tax (August 2026)
8. Celebrity Cruises – Port Stanley port guide
9. Holland America Line – Volunteer Point King Penguin Rookery excursion
10. HX Hurtigruten Expeditions – Stanley: Volunteer Point excursion
11. Polar Latitudes – Gypsy Cove tour, Stanley
12. Swoop Antarctica – Stanley key information
13. She Her Goes – One day in Stanley
14. Liberty Lodge – Eat and drink in Stanley
15. My Adventures Across the World – A useful guide to Stanley