Port Louis
The oldest settlement in the Falklands, founded by the French in 1764.
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Port Louis on Berkeley Sound is where Bougainville founded the first European settlement in the Falklands in 1764, and it remained the capital until Stanley took over in 1845. The settlement is now a working sheep farm with the old stone house, a cemetery and traces of the earlier occupations around it. The oldest surviving building in the islands stands here, and the sound is a sheltered anchorage. The settlement changed hands between France, Spain and Britain within a few years of its founding, and each occupation left something on the ground.
What you actually see
- The 1764 site - the first European settlement made in the islands.
- The old stone house - among the oldest surviving buildings in the Falklands.
- The cemetery - the burial ground carrying the settlement's history.
- Berkeley Sound - the sheltered anchorage the site was chosen for.
When to go
October to April is the practical season. Winter tracks are difficult. The settlement is a working farm at all times.
Honest expectations
It is a private working farm and permission is needed to visit. There is no interpretation and no facilities. Buildings are in use or unsafe and access is limited.
Nearby
Cape Bougainville is northeast, and Stanley is southeast.
What to pack for Port Louis
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.