Stanley (Falkland Islands)

Stanley, formerly known as Port Stanley, is the capital of the Falkland Islands. This city was founded in 1843, and as of 2012 the town had about 2,100 inhabitants, about three-quarters of the archipelago's inhabitants.

Christ Church Cathedral with the monument made from whale jawbones

Understand

Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal, Stanley was a major repair stop for boats travelling through the Straits of Magellan. The rough waters and intense storms found at the tip of the continent forced many ships to Stanley Harbour, and the ship repair industry helped to drive the island economy. Later, support for the Antarctic sealing and whaling boats became a major industry. Today, the vast majority of the town's residents are employed by the government, with tourism also being a major source of employment; on days when two or more large cruise ships discharge their passengers by tender, the tourists may outnumber the local residents.

Climate

It's rainy and cool around the year with strong westerlies, so pack warm and weatherproof clothes. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are inverted from Europe or North America, however hot summer days or double-digit negative temperatures during the winter are practically unheard of. Also, monthly amounts of precipitation are pretty much the same with 11 to 17 rainy days each month.

Get in

See also: Falkland Islands#Get in

Stanley (Falkland Islands)
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       63     14 5       45     14 5       52     13 5       50     10 3       48     7 1       45     6 −1       41     5 −1       38     6 −1       34     8 0       36     10 2       39     12 3       52     13 4 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Source: Wikipedia
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       2.5     57 41       1.8     57 42       2     55 40       2     51 37       1.9     45 33       1.8     42 31       1.6     41 30       1.5     43 30       1.3     46 32       1.4     50 35       1.5     53 37       2     56 40 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Arrivals to Stanley either come by boat or from the airport. Most large cruise ships will discharge their passengers by tenders (the lifeboats) near the centre of town and allow passengers time to roam the city and possibly take trips by vehicle to nearby wildlife sites.

When arriving by air, passengers will come in from 🌍 Mount Pleasant airport (MPN ^IATA), which is located 56 km from town. As of 2016 LATAM flies there from Santiago de Chile, Punta Arenas and Rio Gallegos and the Royal Air Force also takes passengers on their flights from Brize Norton, Oxfordshire via Ascension. Taxis and a shuttle bus can drop passengers off anywhere within the town.

• 🌍 Port Stanley Airport (PSY  ^IATA). Smaller than Mount Pleasant airport but just outside of town is used for domestic flights by Falkland Islands Government Air Service, although it is possible to land on an international flight at Mount Pleasant airport and then take a domestic flight to Stanley.  
• Penguin Travel Airport Transfers, ☎ [phone]. Airport transfers between Stanley and Mount Pleasant to connect with RAF and LAN flights, which must be booked 24 hours in advance. Also operate island tours. £14 one way. (updated Jun 2016)

Get around

By foot

Stanley is a small town, so walking is probably the best option for seeing the sights.

By taxi

There are two taxi services operating within Stanley that service the town and the surrounding area.

• Bonners Taxis, Tel: 51126
• Town Taxis, Tel: 52900

See

• 🌍 The Jetty Visitor Centre. Summer (Oct - Mar): Weekdays 9:30am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 5pm, Sun 10am - 4pm, On some cruise ship days these hours are extended; Winter (Apr - Sep) Mon-Sat 10:00am to 3pm, Sun 11.00am - 3pm. Information centre and shop. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 The Falkland Islands Museum, ☎ [phone]. Extensive information about the 1982 conflict, as well as history of the Falklands and some exhibits on Falkland Islands flora & fauna. 
• 🌍 Christ Church Cathedral. daily 8:00- 17:00, Sunday services 10:00 and sometimes 8:00 & 19:00. This cathedral is the southernmost cathedral in the world. The cathedral was built in 1890-92, on the site of an earlier church destroyed in an 1886 landslide.The much-photographed arch in front of the cathedral is made from the jawbones of two blue whales, and was made in 1933 to celebrate 100 years of British rule on the islands. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 St. Mary's Church, 12 Ross rd. The wooden cathedral from 1899 is the only Catholic church on the Falkland Islands. On the western wall there are oil murals by the local artist James Peck. (updated May 2016)

The Government house

• 🌍 Government house. The mid 19th-century residence of the governor is listed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, and was also where the explorer Shackleton stayed during his Trans-Antarctic Expedition. This is the private home of the governor. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 1982 memorial. Falklands War memorial, erected to the memory of the British troops. There are several other Falkland War memorials around the town. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 1982 Memorial Wood, Watson Way. A wood planted by the local scouts. Each tree represents a British serviceman killed in the 1982 conflict. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Stanley Cemetery. The final resting place for islanders who died in both World Wars and British Falklands War casualties. Also features a war memorial. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Gypsy Cove. A fifteen-minute drive from town that can be easily arranged by taxi, Gypsy Cove is often the first place that visitors to the Falklands will encounter penguins. 
• 🌍 1914 Battle Memorial. A memorial erected in 1927 commemorating a World War I naval battle in which a British squadron sank 4 German cruisers resulting in 1,817 German and 10 British fatalities. A ceremony is held here every 8 December. (updated Jun 2016)

Do

• 🌍 Stanley Leisure Centre. Mon - Wed: 0700 - 2100; Thu: 0900 - 1400 and 1600-2100; Fri: 0700-2000; Sat & Sun: 0800-1600. The town's community centre has a sports centre including the only public swimming pool on the islands, a library and a grass football pitch with regular games. (updated Jun 2016)
• Stanley Marathon. March. Run 26 miles, 385 yards (42km), in this annual event, the most southerly marathon - advance entry required. (updated Jun 2016)

Buy

The post office

The majority of shops in central Stanley cater to the huge number of cruise ship passengers that pass through the town in the summer. There are a lot of souvenir shops.

• 🌍 FIC West Store, Dean St. Mo-Fr 8:30AM-8PM, Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 9AM-5PM. Open seven days a week and offering food (including Waitrose products from the UK), toiletries, phone cards, and other essentials. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Capstan Gift Shop, Ross Rd. Located across from the West Store, offers all manner of Falkland Islands gifts. 
• 🌍 Philatelic Bureau, Ross Rd (Town Hall). Falkland Islands stamps and first-day covers are known throughout the world and can be purchased directly from the Philatelic Bureau. Also, the Town Hall with the Post Office and British telephone booths outside is a sight in itself. 
• 🌍 Standard Chartered Bank, Ross Road, FIQQ 1ZZ. Mon - Fri 8.30 am – 3.00 pm except Wed 9.00 am – 3.00 pm. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Seafood Chandlery, Chandlery Estate, Airport Road. Supermarket on the edge of town. (updated Jun 2016)

Eat

• 🌍 Malvina House Hotel, 3 Ross Rd (across the street from Government Jetty), ☎ [phone]. Dinner reservations may be required, especially during weekends. (updated Apr 2016)
• 🌍 Shorty's Diner, Davis St East, ☎ [phone]. 1000-2030 weekdays; 1000-2000 weekends. Chargrilled burgers, steaks, curries, local fish and chips, local organic produce, homemade desserts. Also has an adjoining motel. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Tasty Treats, John Street (Waverley House). Snack bar and bakery serving breakfast, fast food and snacks. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Woodbine Cafe, 29 Fitzroy Rd, ☎ [phone]. Fish & chip shop, also offering pizzas, burgers, chicken, empanadas, and a selection of beers. 

Drink

The 1982 Liberation memorial

• 🌍 Deano's Bar, 40 John Street. Reportedly a Stanley institution since over 20 years, with a wide range of bottled beers. On Friday and Saturday nights it becomes a night club. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Globe Tavern, Crozier Pl, ☎ [phone]. Located one block up the hill from the public jetty, offering beers as well as pub food such as fish and chips. Ask to meet all the lovely ladies that often pop in, and also go for the Karaoke on a Sunday night which is always good fun. 
• 🌍 Victory Bar, 1A Philomel Hill, ☎ [phone]. Beer as well as hot food. 
• 🌍 The Narrows Bar, 39 Ross Road. Pub and restaurant. (updated Jun 2016)

Sleep

Compared with nearby South America lodging in Stanley can be quite expensive. If you are on a strict budget inquire about pitching a tent; if allowed by the land owner the costs are often considerably less than paying for a room.

• 🌍 Kay McCallum's B&B, 14 Drury St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Clean and cozy, and Kay is very helpful with travel information and arrangements. 1 twin and 1 double room. Her gnome garden is a locally-famous attraction that includes one intrepid garden gnome who disappeared in 2004, but whose travels around the world were chronicled in photos sent anonymously to the local newspaper. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Malvina House Hotel, 3 Ross Rd (across the street from Government Jetty), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Top-end accommodation including sauna room. Accepts credit cards. Rates vary by season and room type with prices from £84-£220. 
• 🌍 Lookout Lodge, Keil Canal Road, ☎ [phone]. Accommodation mainly for groups. Also has the Chandlery restaurant. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Waterfront Hotel, 36 Ross rd, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Upscale hotel with 8 rooms. Rooms are equipped with TV and WLAN (separate fee charged for use), the cheaper rooms have shared bathroom. £75-£150, rates include breakfast. (updated May 2016)

Respect

During to lingering tensions from the 1982 war with Argentina, Spanish-speakers should avoid using Spanish names for places (for example "Puerto Argentino" or "Islas Malvinas"), as doing so will undoubtedly be offensive to those who lived through that event.

Go next

• 🌍 Kidney Cove. Home to a small colony of Gentoo and King penguins, as well as several Magellanic penguins.
• 🌍 Volunteer Point. A white sand beach that is home to King, Gentoo and Magellanic penguins.
• Pretty much anywhere else in the Falkland Islands; Stanley Airport just outside the town is the hub for Falkland Islands Government Air Service, flying to numerous places all over the archipelago:
  • Goose Green, midway down East Falkland accessible by road or air, the site of a battle in the 1982 conflict.
  • Carcass Island, a small island to the west of West Falkland
  • New Island, a small island to the west of West Falkland
  • Pebble Island, an island to the north of West Falkland
  • Port Howard, on West Falkland, accessible by air or by road then a ferry
  • Saunders Island, an island to the west of West Falkland
  • Sea Lion Island, the most southerly inhabited island in the Falkland Islands
  • West Point Island, a small island to the west of West Falkland
• Go further south to South Georgia and then Antarctica, possibly on a cruise ship