The present study is an experimental investigation regarding the evaporation of ethanol drops deposited onto a heated substrate in a partial wetting situation. The originality of this work is based on the simultaneous observation of the kinetics of evaporation, heat and mass transfers, the triple-line dynamic, and thermal motions inside the drop. The triple line recedes during the drop evaporation and a spontaneous development of thermal-convective instabilities driven by the evaporation are observed. These instabilities are interpreted as hydrothermal waves induced by surface tension gradient along the free surface. An infrared technique is used to investigate the temporal and spatial dynamics of the hydrothermal waves. Results reveal a non-linear evolution of the number of waves as well as several instability regimes. A complete description of the drop evaporation with the evidence of several phases is provided. The influence of geometrical and thermal parameters has been analyzed and raised scaling laws on hydrodynamic and energy transport. The drop evaporation appears to be characterized by a constant drop Nusselt number of a value 1.7 during all the process which highlights both the importance of conduction and convection in the energy transport in an evaporating drop. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3692267]