First class motor yacht
Book with Dana Tours. Enjoy complimentary nights in Mindo Cloud Forest at our own Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa.
At our own lodge in Mindo
✦ Included with every cruise
2–3 nights
at our lodge, more on request
All meals
breakfast, lunch and dinner
Private transfers
Quito – Mindo and back
Upgrade on selected departures
Tickets for Mindo’s top experiences
Marked + Mindo Plus in the dates table
Our signature gift
At no extra cost
Your own private guide throughout
Private transport to every activity
Cooking class and laundry service
See what’s included ↓Each departure in the dates table shows its level, and your written offer lists exactly what’s included — before you book. No surprises.
A first class motor yacht for 16 guests from Enchanted Expeditions, built for the rough waters of Canada’s west coast for a stable, smooth ride: eight cabins with private bathroom, some for families of three or four, a large salon and dining room, and six routes from 6 to 15 days.
Choose when to travel. Compare departures, public fares and your saving per person.
Asking costs nothing. Here is what happens after you request your offer.
Pick a date in the table above, or tell us when you would like to travel.
We confirm availability and send your cruise price and your complimentary Mindo stay.
We can usually hold your cabin for 5–7 days, with no payment and no commitment.
Usually a 20% deposit, with the remaining 80% due 60 days before departure.
Your cruise operator’s booking conditions apply. Holds and payment terms depend on the operator, availability and fare, and bookings close to departure may require full payment. Your personalized offer confirms your hold deadline, deposit, payment dates and cancellation conditions before you book.
Wire transfer to our US business bank account in USD. We provide the payment instructions with your booking.
Pay in other supported currencies through Wise Business. We confirm the currency, amount and payment instructions before you pay.
Pay by credit card through Stripe. Any applicable card surcharge and the total payable will be disclosed before you pay.
Talk to David and the Dana Tours team. We’ll help you compare routes, cabins and your Mindo stay.
Choose where to explore. Compare the six Cachalote Explorer routes, from 6 to 15 days, and see every day before you ask for your offer.
Not sure which route suits you? Our team can help you choose.
Cabins, lounges, decks and the yacht itself. Open a collection to see it full screen.
Photos by Enchanted Expeditions, the operator of Cachalote Explorer.
Choose a deck to see how the cabins and shared spaces connect.
Cabins 3 to 8
Double or queen beds, some with an upper bunk
Private bathroom in every cabin
Upper deck: cabin 1, with a queen, a single and an upper bunk, and cabin 2, with a double and an upper bunk. Lower deck: cabins 3, 4 and 7 with a double and an upper bunk, cabins 5 and 6 with a queen, and cabin 8 with a single and a small upper bunk. All with a private bathroom with hot water and air conditioning. Your offer confirms the available cabin, bed arrangement and occupancy.
Traveling solo, as a couple or with family? Tell us and we’ll help you choose the right cabin before you book.
Official operator deck plans · Cabin assignment is subject to confirmation.
Your quote will confirm the complete inclusions, equipment, supplements and current fees for your departure.
Before or after Galápagos, enjoy complimentary nights at our own Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa, in the Andean cloud forest about two hours from Quito. Usually 2–3 nights, more on request.
Each departure in the dates table shows its level, and your written offer confirms exactly what’s included before you book. See the full program ↗
Find my cruise & Mindo offer
Dana Tours is a family-run company. David and our team help you choose your cruise, and we welcome you at our own lodge in Mindo.
More about Dana Tours →Galápagos cruises arranged by Dana Tours, and stays at our own lodge in Mindo.
“David is incredibly responsive and organized our logistics flawlessly. Terrazas de Mindo lodge is beautiful and very birdy, with wonderful cuisine, and staff attentive and genuinely kind. Our Galapagos cruise was magical.”
DMKap · North Carolina · Tripadvisor“After we had booked the tour, the cruise company decided to cancel all cruises… David promptly contacted me and offered to find alternate ships. Within 15 minutes, he came up with 3 other cruises that matched our needs and dates.”
vimalp · California · Tripadvisor“We used Dana tours to arrange our cruise to Galápagos Islands and our travel from Quito to Mindo with our stay at Las Terrazas de Dana… We couldn’t have been more pleased. Excellent, Prompt and honest communication and we had an unforgettable experience!”
bins · South Carolina · TripadvisorRequest your Cachalote Explorer cruise through Dana Tours. Your personalized offer lists your complimentary Mindo nights, meals, transfers and any extras for your departure.
Yes. Every cruise includes complimentary nights at the lodge (usually 2–3, more on request) with breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus private transfers between Quito and Mindo. Departures with a fare of US$3,500 or more per person add Mindo Plus, with tickets for Mindo’s top experiences, and those of US$5,000 or more, marked ★ in the dates table, include our complete Mindo All-Inclusive program, with your own private guide throughout. Your written offer confirms the details before you book.
We can help arrange either option, depending on your flights, travel dates and lodge availability.
No. We first confirm availability and send your personalized offer. If you need time to decide, we can usually request a complimentary cabin hold, subject to the operator, availability and fare. You review your cabin, price, Mindo benefits and booking conditions before committing. See how booking works.
Start with your available travel days, then compare the islands visited, arrival and departure airports, and available sailing dates. Tell us which places interest you and we’ll help narrow the options.
Walks, terrain and landings vary between visitor sites. Some involve uneven ground or stepping into shallow water. Tell us about any mobility concerns so we can review the specific route and available arrangements with the operator.
Tell us your preferred deck and bed arrangement. We’ll check availability and confirm your cabin details before you commit.
We recommend booking them with us, together with your cruise. Many yachts ask their guests to fly on the flights they reserve, because the crew meets the group at the Galápagos airport and the timing has to match the itinerary. You get assistance at the airport in Quito or Guayaquil on the day you fly, and we book your Galápagos flights at the net fare the cruise operator gives us. We also recommend arriving in Ecuador two days before your Galápagos flight, in case your international flight is delayed or canceled.
GALÁPAGOS + MINDO, WITH DANA TOURS
Find your Cachalote Explorer departure and discover your complimentary Mindo Cloud Forest stay.
View dates & prices Personalized offer · No booking commitmentPrices in USD, per person · Based on 2 guests sharing a cabin.
Plan for separately: Galápagos flights, park fee, transit card and applicable supplements. See inclusions & exclusions.
8 days / 7 nights · 2 routes
Chinese Hat and Rábida, Sierra Negra and southern Isabela, Moreno Point, Elizabeth and Urbina bays, Tagus Cove, Fernandina and Vicente Roca, Santiago (Puerto Egas), Bartolomé and North Seymour.
Explore route and check departures
South Plaza and Santa Fe, San Cristóbal with Witch Hill and El Junco, Española, Floreana, Dragon Hill and Sullivan Bay, and Genovesa.
Explore route and check departures
8 days / 7 nights · Baltra → Baltra
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Arrival or departure at Baltra Airport. We will confirm flight and transfer arrangements with your cruise offer.
The highlands of Santa Cruz are the green heart of the Galápagos and the best place to see giant tortoises living in the wild. Most cruises visit them on the first or last day, on the road between Baltra and Puerto Ayora, or as a half-day excursion from the town.
The Charles Darwin Research Station, on the edge of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, has been the center of science and conservation in the Galápagos since the 1960s. Run by the Charles Darwin Foundation, it works with the Galápagos National Park to study and protect the islands' wildlife, and its visit is a highlight for anyone who wants to understand how the islands are cared for.
More about Charles Darwin Research Station · Santa Cruz island guide
South Plaza, a small island off the east coast of Santa Cruz, is one of the most colorful visits in the Galápagos. The panga leaves you at a small dock for a dry landing, and a loop trail climbs gently through a forest of prickly-pear cacti to the cliffs on the southern side and returns along the coast.
The visit to Santa Fe begins in Barrington Bay, a turquoise anchorage on the northeast coast of the island and one of the most beautiful bays in the Galápagos. The panga lands you on a small beach crowded with Galápagos sea lions, in a wet landing, and the trails climb from there into a forest of giant prickly-pear cacti.
More about Santa Fe (Barrington Bay) · Santa Fe island guide
Witch Hill, or Cerro Brujo, on the north coast of San Cristóbal, is an eroded tuff cone rising above one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galápagos: a long stretch of white coral sand so fine it feels like powdered sugar. Charles Darwin is believed to have landed near here in 1835, at the start of his visit to the islands.
More about Witch Hill (Cerro Brujo) · San Cristóbal island guide
The Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado, in the southeast of San Cristóbal, is a reserve where the island's own giant tortoise lives in a large enclosure of dry forest that recreates its natural habitat. Its breeding center, also known as the David Rodríguez center, raises young tortoises until they are strong enough to return to the wild.
More about Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado · San Cristóbal island guide
El Junco is a crater lake in the highlands of San Cristóbal, about 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, and one of the very few permanent freshwater lakes in the Galápagos. Fed only by rain and mist, it fills a collapsed volcanic crater about 270 meters (900 feet) across.
Gardner Bay, on the northeast coast of Española, is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galápagos: a long crescent of white sand, about two kilometers, shared with a large colony of Galápagos sea lions. The panga brings you to the sand for a wet landing, and there is no inland trail: the visit is a slow walk along the shore among the sea lions, with time to swim and relax.
Osborn Islet is a small rocky islet off the north coast of Española, near Gardner Bay, visited by panga for snorkeling and swimming. It is one of the most colorful snorkeling sites in the south of the archipelago.
Gardner Islet is a small rock island just off the beach of Gardner Bay, on the north coast of Española, and one of the best places in the Galápagos to snorkel with sea lions. The visit is made from the panga, in the same outing as Gardner Bay.
Suarez Point, at the western tip of Española, is one of the most rewarding walks in the Galápagos and the best place in the islands to see the waved albatross on land. The panga lands you on the rocks beside a small lighthouse, a dry landing that can be slippery, and a loop trail of about three kilometers (two miles) crosses the point in around three hours.
Cormorant Point, on the north coast of Floreana, combines two very different beaches and a lagoon of flamingos in one short visit. The panga lands on a beach of green sand, colored by olivine crystals from the island's volcanic rock, in a wet landing.
Devil's Crown, off the north coast of Floreana, is the rim of a submerged volcanic cone, its jagged points rising from the sea like a crown, and one of the most famous snorkeling sites in the Galápagos. There is no landing: the visit is made from the panga, by snorkeling or with a ride around the rocks.
Post Office Bay, on the north coast of Floreana, keeps alive one of the oldest traditions in the Pacific. In 1793 British whalers placed a wooden barrel here as a mailbox: sailors heading out on long voyages left their letters, and ships sailing home collected and delivered them.
Dragon Hill, on the northwest coast of Santa Cruz, takes its name from the land iguanas that live on its slopes, the dragons of the Galápagos. It is also a conservation success: in 1976 feral dogs almost wiped out the iguanas of this coast, and the last survivors were taken to the Charles Darwin Research Station to breed.
Sullivan Bay, on the east coast of Santiago, is a walk across one of the youngest and most beautiful lava fields in the Galápagos. The lava flowed here in the second half of the 1800s, and the surface is still almost bare: a shining black landscape of pahoehoe, the smooth, ropy lava that forms when molten rock cools in folds and twists.
Darwin Bay is the coral-sand beach inside Genovesa's caldera, where the island's bird colonies come right down to the shore. The pangas land you directly on the sand (a wet landing), and an easy trail of about two hours leads along the beach, through saltbush and mangroves, past tide pools and up to a viewpoint over the cliffs and the bay.
El Barranco, better known as Prince Philip's Steps, is the second visitor site on Genovesa, named after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who visited the island. The panga brings you to the foot of the cliff for a dry landing, and a steep stairway cut into the rock, with a handrail, climbs about 25 meters (80 feet) to the top.
More about El Barranco (Prince Philip's Steps) · Genovesa island guide
Black Turtle Cove is a mangrove lagoon on the north shore of Santa Cruz, a nursery for many of the creatures of the Galápagos seas. There is no landing: the visit is a quiet panga ride, often with the engine turned off, as the guide paddles or drifts through the channels between the red mangroves.
Arrival or departure at Baltra Airport. We will confirm flight and transfer arrangements with your cruise offer.
Visits and their order may change with park regulations and operating conditions. We’ll confirm the itinerary for your departure.
Fill in the below form for booking request
Fill in the below form for booking request
Fill in the below form for booking request
Fill in the below form for booking request
Fill in the below form for booking request
