A Family Adventure in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands

Located in the coastal region of Ecuador in the foothills of the Andes, Hacienda La Danesa is a family dairy farm with over 1000 acres of fields, forests and rivers to discover. 

La Danensa produces delicious chocolate, and guests of all ages always enjoy learning more about Ecuador’s fair trade chocolate industry. Take a walk into the cacao plantation before returning to the kitchen to learn the whole process of chocolate making from start to finish. Make a chocolate bar to devour on the spot or take home for friends or family. 

There are plenty of ways to keep active on the farm. Explore the landscape on foot or horseback or float along the river on a rubber tube, spotting birdlife in the trees as you drift downstream. 

Wake up to views of the ocean and birds feeding in the mangroves. Finch Bay is a beach hotel with a difference – with the wildlife of The Galapagos Islands on the doorstep. 

Staying at Finch Bay on Santa Cruz Island allows you to explore the magic of the Galapagos Islands without committing to longer sailing expeditions. This is a great option for families with young children or anyone with a tendency towards sea sickness. The lodge has its 12-passenger boat for daily sailing trips and with the beach in front and forests behind, there is no end to the wildlife adventures that lie ahead. 

A flight from Guayaquil on Ecuador’s mainland takes you directly to Baltra in the Galapagos where the Finch Bay team will meet you and take you to the hotel. 

Sailing on Finch Bay’s yacht, The Sea Lion, day cruises will take you to some of the wildest and pristine islands in the archipelago. Travel alongside highly experienced naturalist guides, enjoy delicious food on board and snorkel or dive in the reefs teeming with marine life. 

Finch Bay is only 15 minutes from the Charles Darwin Research Station and the HQ of the Galapagos National Park Service in Puerto Ayora. Deepen your knowledge of the conservation and scientific research protecting these islands and learn about the tortoise rearing programme. Children always enjoy seeing the little hatchlings that will be released into the wild when they are fully grown.  

At the end of your stay, a direct flight from Baltra back to Guayaquil can connect with onward international flights home or fly to Quito and continue the adventure into the Andes Mountains.