Bertha's Beach: The Falkland Islands' Best-Kept Wildlife Secret
If you are planning a trip to the Falkland Islands and searching for the best Bertha's Beach tour, you have landed in the right place. Tucked away on East Falkland, roughly 66 kilometres southeast of Stanley and close to the Mount Pleasant complex, Bertha's Beach has quietly become one of the most rewarding wildlife stops in the entire archipelago. From Stanley's cruise pier the drive takes about an hour and twenty five minutes, an easy day trip that rewards visitors with sweeping white sand, dramatic coastal scenery and some of the richest birdlife anywhere in the South Atlantic.
Why Bertha's Beach deserves a spot on your itinerary
Bertha's Beach is not just another pretty coastline. It is officially recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, and it holds Important Bird Area status from BirdLife International, a designation reserved for sites that matter globally, not just locally. In other words, this is not a hidden gem by accident. It is a genuinely significant conservation site that happens to also be stunning to photograph.
Over the past few years Bertha's Beach has grown steadily in popularity among travellers looking to watch penguins up close, yet it remains far less crowded than some of the Falklands' better-known sites. Visitors usually get a quieter, more intimate wildlife experience.
A beach with a story
The beach takes its name from the Bertha, a 500-ton iron barque that wrecked along this coastline back in 1892. The ship had been carrying a cargo of cedar wood, much of which washed ashore, and remarkably some of those weathered logs can still be spotted resting on the beach and the surrounding greens today. It is a small but memorable detail that adds a layer of history to an already striking landscape.
The wildlife: what you will actually see
This is where Bertha's Beach truly shines. The site supports an impressive breeding population of Gentoo penguins: around 500 pairs nest directly at Bertha's Beach, with another 400 or so pairs nearby at Fox Point. Alongside the Gentoos you will find:
Magellanic penguins, often spotted near their burrows
South American terns, wheeling over the shoreline
The Falkland flightless steamer duck, a species found nowhere else on Earth, known locally as the logger duck
Ruddy-headed geese, grazing the coastal greens
The lagoon margins and coastal flats are especially valuable for migratory birds. Long-distance visitors from as far as the Canadian Arctic pass through in higher numbers here than almost anywhere else in the Falklands, including white-rumped sandpipers, sanderlings and Hudsonian godwits. Keen birders may also spot whimbrel, ruddy turnstones, least seedsnipe and Baird's sandpipers, often alongside resident species like the two-banded plover, rufous-chested dotterel and both local oystercatcher species.
The wetlands support one of the best breeding grounds for water birds in the Falklands. Look out for the shy black-necked swan, the largest freshwater breeding bird in the islands, known for swimming to the middle of a pond the moment it senses visitors. Other waterfowl worth watching for include Chiloe wigeon, silver teal, yellow-billed teal, silvery grebe and the elusive cinnamon teal, plus the flying steamer duck, a close relative of the logger duck known locally as the canvasback.
Out in the surf, keep your eyes open for Commerson's and Peale's dolphins, both regular visitors to the waters off Bertha's Beach. Nearby, a colony of southern sea lions breeds on the Kelp Islands, and individual sea lions are frequently spotted resting along the shore.
More than penguins: a botanist's paradise
Wildlife lovers are not the only ones who will want to linger. The site supports around 80 species of flowering plants, five of which grow nowhere else on the planet. Highlights include the silvery buttercup blooming on the coastal slopes in November and December, the fragrant vanilla daisy with its striking white flowers and unmistakable scent, and the rare Dusen's moonwort fern, one of the site's most notable botanical finds. Look too for Falkland lavender, dusty miller, the native yellow violet and, if you are visiting in spring, the pale maiden, the national flower of the Falkland Islands.
Built around your cruise schedule
If you are visiting on a cruise, timing is everything, and it is something we take seriously. Premium Penguin Tours has extensive experience working around cruise ship schedules and we stay flexible to fit your ship's timing. The Bertha's Beach tour runs for about four hours, planned around your docking time so you are back at the pier with a comfortable buffer before departure.
And because Falklands weather can be unpredictable, if rough conditions prevent your ship from docking you will be refunded in full within 48 hours. No hassle, no chasing us for it.
Making a fuller day of it: add Yorke Bay or Gypsy Cove
Bertha's Beach is our most popular cruise-day destination, and many guests choose to extend it. We regularly combine the Bertha's tour with Yorke Bay or Gypsy Cove to build a longer day: with the Gypsy Cove extension the tour runs up to five hours, adding a second Gentoo colony and some of the most photographed coastal scenery near Stanley without cutting into your buffer before all-aboard. If you would like the extended version, just say so when you book your tour and we will plan the timings for you.
Book your Bertha's Beach tour
Bertha's Beach offers exactly the kind of authentic, uncrowded wildlife encounter that makes a trip to the Falkland Islands unforgettable. But getting there, knowing where to look and understanding what you are seeing makes all the difference. That is where Premium Penguin Tours comes in.
Our guided tours take you straight from Stanley to one of the richest wildlife sites in the Falklands, with expert local knowledge of where the penguin colonies gather, when the migratory birds pass through and how to get the best photos without disturbing the wildlife. Book your Bertha's Beach tour today and see one of the best wildlife locations the Falkland Islands has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How far is Bertha’s Beach from Stanley?
Roughly 66 km southeast of Stanley, near the Mount Pleasant complex. The drive from the cruise pier takes about an hour and twenty five minutes.
Is Bertha’s Beach suitable for children?
Yes, it’s perfect for families. The terrain is flat, and children enjoy penguin spotting and beach walks.
Are there public facilities at Bertha’s Beach?
Yes. There are toilets, bins and a cafe on site, so you can visit comfortably. Please still give the wildlife plenty of space and use the bins provided.
Can I visit on my own or should I book a Bertha’s Beach tour?
You can visit independently, but guided tours offer richer insights into wildlife and history.
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