Las Terrazas de Dana is a lodge in the Mindo cloud forest, and the people running it are the same people running Dana Tours, which books Galápagos cruises. That's the short version of why staying here is different from staying at another Mindo hotel. Here's the longer version, including the parts where we'd tell you to stay somewhere else.
What the lodge is
Cloud forest accommodation at around 1,300 m, in the Chocó Andino hotspot, two hours from Quito. The setting does most of the work: forest trails on the property, hummingbirds at the feeders, the temperature around 21°C in the day and 14°C at night, rain showers that arrive on their own schedule. The terraces — the name is accurate — are where you'll spend more time than you planned.
What the Dana connection changes
One operator for the whole trip. Mindo plus Galápagos booked through us means the transfers connect, the timings account for flight realities, and one team carries the responsibility when a plan changes. We lay out how that works in our Galápagos-Mindo transfer logistics.
Tours run by the lodge's own guides. When you take an all-inclusive program, the birding and activities are run by people whose reputation lives at the lodge, not by whichever operator answered the phone that morning. Our own guide rate is A private half-day Mindo birding tour costs $100 total for up to two guests ($120 for three, $135 for four), with guide, scope, binoculars, transport and a pre-breakfast delivered the night before — about three and a half hours, starting at 6 AM. The half-day Chocó tour goes deeper into the hotspot for $240 total for two ($290 for three, $360 for four): 5:20 AM start, five hours, two birding-and-photography points and a full breakfast box included.
The complimentary side. Book a Galápagos cruise through Dana Tours and your Mindo stay may be partly or fully complimentary, depending on the cruise, the days and your party size. See how complimentary packages work — we keep it case-by-case because that's what keeps it accurate.
What a stay here is good for
- Birding from the property. The feeders and trails deliver before breakfast; the Booted Racket-tails and Violet-tailed Sylphs don't require a tour.
- A base for the Mindo classics. The waterfall route, the mariposario, the chocolate makers (Mindo Chocolate Makers, around $10), Refugio Paz de las Aves about 30 minutes away — everything in our activity guides is reachable as a day loop from the lodge.
- All-inclusive programs. 2 days from $530, 3 days from $820, 4 days from $1,130 per person, with lower group prices — or a customized program if the fixed ones don't fit.
- Doing nothing, properly. A fair share of our guests book the lodge and no program. The forest doesn't need an itinerary.
Getting here
From Quito: private transfer with our vehicle for $105 each way, a private taxi for $80-90, or the public Flor del Valle bus from La Ofelia terminal for $4.50 (check schedules at the terminal; they change). Full directions in how to get to Mindo.
When we'd tell you to stay elsewhere
Honest list: if you want Mindo's nightlife — Mindo is a small town with a couple of bars, so this is a low bar — or you want a hostel social scene, or you're travelling on a strict hostel budget where $4.50 buses and dorm beds matter more than forest terraces. There are lodges closer to town centre if walking to restaurants is your priority; we sit in the forest, which is the trade.
And if you want a big resort with a pool and room service, that doesn't exist in Mindo anywhere, us included. The cloud forest is the amenity.
Ask us anything
Enquiries go to the lodge team, not a booking engine. Tell us your dates, how many of you, and what the trip is for — we'll tell you whether we're the right fit, and if we're not, we'd rather say so early. If you're weighing a stay here against another Mindo lodge, our where to stay in Mindo guide covers the town's options honestly.
Facts checked: September 2026