Ah, Stanley. You will get to experience this charming small town for at least one night, and it has plenty to offer for that night. Stanley (formerly Port Stanley, though they dropped the”Port” ages ago) is home to over 2000 people and growing. With increasing work opportunities, immigrants are coming in and you can tell the town is quite multicultural.
Truth be told, it’s not a place with tons of touristic opportunities- there are a handful of hotels, restaurants, gift shops, stores, bars, and one museum, but there’s enough to keep you relaxingly busy for a couple days.
To start, I stayed at the Pale Maiden B&B (named after the official flower of the Falkland Islands), which was stunning. Teresa, the owner, went to Scotland to purchase all the furnishings.
I wish I had taken photos inside, because it was beautiful. I had the nicest shower I ever had under the rain shower head, and she made croissants and had a selection of home made jams (including diddle dee jam!) every morning. PLEASE stay here if you’re in Stanley (and no, she’s not paying, I just can’t recommend this place enough!)
Once you’re settled in, it’s time to explore Stanley and it’s surroundings! Stanley is basically shaped like a long rectangle along the harbor, and so it’s not hard to navigate. The major things you’ll want to see are along the main road (Ross Road) that’s just along the harbor. On this road you’ll find everything, including two hotels (with restaurants), the West Store (one of the two major stores in Stanley), to the churches (St. Mary’s and the more famous Christchurch with the whalebone arch), the post office/bank/town hall, four souvenir shops, and the Historic Docklands Museum.
A few photos from the museum. Don’t ring the bell- it will cost you £100!
One place you MUST visit is the Historic Docklands Museum. It’s basically the only museum on the Falklands, but it’s in one of the oldest buildings in Stanley and holds some impressive artifacts from the Falklands of old and a more impressive collection of stories, videos, and artifacts from the 1982 British-Argentine conflict. If you’re interested at all in the history of the Falklands, pay the very small price (5 pounds) to stop by, and plan to spend an hour or two.
A few other places you should stop by (besides souvenir shops) are the Whalebone Arch in front of Christchurch (an interesting site, though the bones aren’t quite from the Falklands), a stop by the wharf to get your photo with the “Welcome to the Falkland Islands” sign, and if able, a trip to Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay.
The travel maps call it a scenic walk to Gypsy Cove. And while part of it may be scenic (you’ll get a look at the harbor and some residential areas of Stanley), most of it is not very scenic and you’ll be walking 12 kilometers each way to get there. So if you decide to head out there, please take a car. I took the walk, and it took me about 1 1/2 hours each way walking, and by the end would have given someone all my money to drive me back to Stanley!
However, once you get to Gypsy Cove, you won’t regret it. Along the way you’ll pass by the Lady Elizabeth, a semi-sunken ship with an interesting history. I’ve never been a place where an early 1900’s ship is just sitting half sunken in a harbor!
But going to Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay is more about seeing more penguins (of the Magellanic variety) from a distance. Out of an abundance of caution, you are forbidden to actually go down and see the penguins in case some stray Argentine sea mines, but you’ll still get a fine view of them. You’ll also likely spot a few dolphins in the cove and bay.
A lot of history is to be found here as well. Dotted along the path are some information posts that let you know that the artillery guns were installed after the Germans attempted to 
take the Falklands during World War I, and it was Yorke Bay where the Argentines landed first in their assault on the islands.
So what else to do in Stanley? Take a walk around the town, stop in one of the restaurants, visit one of the 3 bars, enjoy the peace and quiet! And most importantly- start up a conversation with one of the locals!
I found more about the Falklands just by talking to locals than any other source, and people in Stanley are so friendly it probably won’t take too much effort.
Oh, and don’t forget to see the memorials- there’s one for the Falkland’s effort in World War II and of course for the 1982 conflict.
And if you want to be that guy (or girl), stop by the Sign Post, where people from all around the world (primarily in the UK) post how far they are from their specific location. Bring a ladder though, most of the real estate on the lower end is taken.
So yes (from my experience) Stanley is the world’s friendliest capital, and worth a relaxing day or even more relaxing two days to explore.
A Week in the Falklands 