Penguin burrows
In the grassy slopes.
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Gypsy Cove is a small, sheltered bay on the west side of Yorke Bay on East Falkland, about 4.5 km in a straight line north-east of the centre of Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands. It lies on the peninsula that also holds the airport, and most cruise ships pass it on their way into Stanley Harbour. The cove is known as a breeding site for the Magellanic penguin, which digs its burrows in the grassy slopes above the beach and returns to them every southern spring. From about October to March you can see the penguins standing at their burrow entrances or walking down to the water, and their braying call carries across the cove. A path runs along the clifftop above a curve of white sand and clear turquoise water, framed by low rocks, tussac grass and yellow-flowering gorse. Seabirds feed along the shore, and on calm days the view stretches across the entrance of Port William to the hills beyond. The visit is free. Keep to the marked path and boardwalk, stay well back from the burrows, and respect any closed sections of beach, which protect the penguins. Wind is common even in summer, so bring a warm, windproof layer.
In the grassy slopes.
And turquoise water.
Views over the cove.
Yorke Bay peninsula, near Stanley
From about October to March.
Keep to the path; parts may be closed to protect the penguins.
