Stanley Cruise Port

Stanley, Falkland Islands

Port Stanley, or simply Stanley if you prefer, is the capital city of the Falkland Islands, which as a British Overseas Territory gives the chance for a Brit such as myself to have a little bit of home whilst travelling at the opposite end of the world.

The Falkland’s themselves are an archipelago sitting in the southern Atlantic Ocean, just off of the coast of South America and one of the first landmasses for those heading north from Antarctica.

There are two main islands that make up the Falklands, with Stanley sitting on East Falkland island on the banks of Stanley Harbour.

That allows it to be sheltered from the worse of the weather in such a remote location but that narrow entry into the large natural harbour makes impossible for cruise ships to dock in the city, so they have to drop anchor and passenger need a long tender into port.

It is much more exposed where the ships are in anchorage, so the port is sadly one of the most missed in the world and even if you do make it ashore, make sure you listen for the ships horn, as it may need to set off early.

This guide to Port Stanley brings you all you need to know about visiting Stanley on a cruise holiday based on my own experience of going there and also from the research I did before going.

Cruises To Stanley

Our Visit

I was lucky enough to visit the port in January 2026 onboard the Sapphire Princess on my way back to Buenos Aires after visiting Antarctica.

As a Brit I was always going to feel at home in Stanley but with how friendly all of the locals were, I am sure that everybody will feel at home there.

I started my day of exploring by jumping on a minibus for a shore excursion to Bluff Cove which is a farm home to a large penguin colony, and I have to say that if it wasn’t the best shore excursion I have done, it’s a close second.

It was an incredible experience to watch the penguins in their natural habit and see them going from farmland to a lake, across a beach and then enter the waves of the Atlantic- at times I felt like a cameraman for a BBC nature documentary.

One of the great things about Bluff Cove is there is a seafront tearoom where you can get a drinks and some cakes that are included in the cost of your excursion.

After the short minibus ride back to the port, me and my wife would set off for a loop walk around the capital, starting off walking down some of the back streets before heading for the seafront and to walk back along there.

It is there were most of the city’s attractions are including a museum, some monuments, a church and a cathedral and numerous gift shops- all of which we visited.

Stanley Cruise Guide

If you are trying to decide whether a cruise itinerary visiting Stanley is one you should book, or if you have already booked a cruise calling into Port Stanley and want to make the most of your time on shore, this is the guide for you.

Type of Cruises Available

With no turnaround facilities, Stanley is only a port of call for cruise ships so for the types of cruise available, you have three options in the main.

Firstly, you can take a round trip from Buenos Aires on a cruise going around South America and Patagonia, the second option is to take a repositioning cruise between two major port sin South America, such as Buenos Aires and Chile whilst the final option is the one that I took where you call into the port on the way to or from Antarctica.

Stanley Cruise Port Location

As mentioned, cruise have to drop anchor well away from the city and then tender their guests to the port, which is on the edge of the town centre, at the very end of Ross Road.

The public jetty is right next to the Falkland Islands Tourist Information Office and a relatively large car park where buses and coaches can pick up guests heading out on excursion.

Stanley Cruise Facilities

Port Stanley only has limited facilites, so even the smallest cruise ships have dropped anchor and then tender guests to the public jetty.

There guests are met by some toilets and a tourist information office whilst the only other facility is a bus shelter like waiting area for if the weather isn’t great.

Stanley Attractions

Port Stanley is one of those places where if you are not heading off on excursion, you just walk around town and enjoy been there.

It has a really relaxed vibe to it and you get a really authentic experience whilst there but if you love to have lots of things to do ashore or a big attraction, the Falkland’s may not be for you.

Amongst its attractions are a small museum, a cathedral, a church, numerous gift shops, some tea rooms and some local shops but in the main, the highlight is just walking around the city, talking it in and enjoying the incredible views as you walk along its seafront.

Stanley Shorex

There are lots of options when it comes to shore excursions in the Falkland Islands ad especially when arriving in Stanley but to be honest, probably the 10 most popular are all different version of heading off to see penguins in the wild.

There are lots of places you can do that, with some simple to visit as you just jump on a minibus and head there, but some are a bit trickier as you need to get into off road vehicles and have the bumpiest ride of your life to get to the penguins.

The easiest and cheapest option is to jump on the city’s double decker tour bus that goes from the tender port, out to a nearby penguin colony and then goes along the sea front.

This is a great option for those who are on a tight budget, have mobility issues or if you arrive in the city and the weather isn’t great.

Aside from penguins, there are similar opportunities to see elephant seals in the wild, with many tours offering the chance to do both but you will also likely see lots more of the island’s wildlife, as I did.

Many may not know about the links between the city, the islands and the Shackleton rescue attempts but they are intertwined and that history can be explored on a Shackleton Tour.

If somebody mentions the name of the Falkland’s to you, or Stanley, the chances are that you will think of the 1980’s war and many of the key sites involved in that invasion can be still visited today on a Falkland Wars tour.

Best Time To Visit Port Stanley

The cruising season is incredibly short for those wanting to visit Port Stanley, with ships going there only in the South American summer months between October-April, although the bulk of ship will only go there between November-March.

Transport

There is a tour bus that picks up from next to the tender port for those who have mobility issues or you can book a taxi to meet you but in the main, the city is only smaller and relatively flat, so walking is the easiest way to get around.

Stanley Cruises From UK

The only way to cruise direct to the Falklands from the UK is on a World Cruise, but they are few and far between.

Stanley Cruises From Southampton

If you do find a World Cruise heading there, it will likely be from either Southampton or Dover.