Why did British forces land at Port San Carlos instead of attacking Stanley directly?

British military commanders chose to land at Port San Carlos rather than attacking the capital, Stanley, directly because they calculated that this approach would minimize casualties to both the British civilian population and the British forces themselves.1

At the time, Argentine ground forces were centralized around Stanley to protect its vital airstrip, and they were anticipating a direct assault on the capital. By landing at Port San Carlos on the northern coast of East Falkland instead, the British were able to establish a beachhead and subsequently mount an overland attack, eventually surrounding and blockading the Argentine garrison.1