The Best Hostels in Portugal for Backpackers

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Hostel

Everything is at your fingertips in this Porto-based hostel, from book exchanges to free computer use. Rustle up grub in the kitchen and tuck in on the terrace with a free tea or coffee, before hitting the 24-hour bar. Enjoy the hostel’s events like bar crawls, city treasure hunts, surf experiences and complimentary port wine tasting. Be sure to take to the funky wall covered in handwritten comments from previous travellers.

Hostel

Port lover? Private and dorm rooms, featuring classical Portuguese architecture, are named after port wines, and you can enjoy port-based cocktails from the bar, which is themed around the drink. Cook in the communal kitchen with a complimentary coffee, meet new faces in the living room over board games and walk 15 minutes to Porto’s riverside port cellars which host tastings. Clerigos Tower and plenty of drinking holes are on your doorstep.

Hostel

Beach life doesn’t get better than at this chilled hostel between Porto and Lisbon, painted with bright colours and murals. Wild beach Figueira da Foz is on your doorstep, so make use of the surfboards and wetsuits that the hostel rents out, and join in on a lesson with a qualified local instructor. There’s great nightlife nearby, but Paintshop has its own private sports bar and beer garden. Meet fellow beach bums at pizza and barbecue nights, over complimentary breakfast, or in the lounge with DVDs and free popcorn.

Lisbon’s coolness buzzes through this hostel where chic rooms – both private and dorms – feature cool wall art, geometric patterns, scattered houseplants and windows overlooking the artsy Cais do Sodre neighbourhood. There’s a restaurant and snack bar serving Instagram-worthy breakfasts, plus a pool and rooftop where DJs spin on party nights. Don’t miss dreamy events like dance classes and yoga lessons. Digital nomad? Set up in the cool co-working spaces and finish your day with social events.

Wellness is at the heart of this environmentally-friendly Portugal hostel. Recycled and organic materials make up chicly minimalist decor in dorms, private rooms – some with balconies – and common areas like the kitchen, dining room and patio. Order breakfast and expect organic, local ingredients in your vegan pancakes and healthy granola and yoghurt bowls. Try to catch themed dinners to meet new people, or join their surf lessons and excursions to Sintra. Electric tuk tuks will take you on fun city tours.

A conscious stay awaits at this Portugal hostel dedicated to sustainability and Lisbon community contribution – often in partnership with nonprofits. Fresh, local, seasonal meals are served daily from complimentary breakfast to poolside lunches. There’s waste management and composting systems, and they use their own vegetable garden. Join free yoga classes and events that raise awareness of sustainability and solidarity. Visit the shop selling crafts from social partners, and the art gallery exhibiting local changemaking and disabled artists.

Hostel

This Lagos-based backpacker and surf hostel is close to beaches and nightlife, but far enough away to chill. Grab a mojito and lounge in poolside hammocks or join sunset rooftop yoga. Meet new people at family dinners, fun barbecue nights and free breakfast – all locally sourced with vegan and veggie options. Feeling adventurous? Join surf lessons, cliff jumping and excursions to Lagos’ sea caves with kayaking or paddle board exploration. Book the “surf yoga wine” package to cover all bases.

Friendly staff welcome you to this 1935 building, designed by well-known Portuguese architect Armenio Losa in Estado Novo style. You’re only a five-minute walk from the main site, Capela das Almas. The hostel offers city walking tours or, if you’re in the mood to party, pub crawls. Hang out with fellow travellers in the fully equipped kitchen, book-strewn living room, bar or on the fairy light-strung patio where family dinners are hosted.

Hostel

This renovated last century Lisbon house has been decorated by young Portuguese artists – think graffiti murals in the hammock-strewn garden, quirky dining and TV lounges, and colourful dorms, doubles and family rooms. The wheelchair-accessible, Baixa-Chiado-based hostel invites you to meet new faces at home-cooked, three-course dinners featuring local traditional food, karaoke nights, rounds of snooker in the games room, free walking tours and happy hour drinks – including free shots – on their river-view terrace.

Looking for more places to stay in Portugal? Discover our guide to the best hotels in Fatima, Portugal’s religious centre known for its grand hilltop basilicas and beautiful mountain scenery. Or check into a top-rated hotel in Braga, the country’s third largest city offering historical buildings, beautiful gardens and boutique shops. If the Algarve is calling your name, explore the small city of Tavira, celebrated as Portugal’s prettiest town with spectacular places to stay, including renovated farmhouses and old fishermen’s cottages. Wherever your itinerary takes you, be sure to book your stay with Culture Trip.
Call Lisbon’s 19th-century Rossio Train Station home at this above-the-station hostel. Some dorms overlook the city, while some private rooms – including ensuite and family – view the communal chill-out area, which is a glass-ceilinged indoor garden strewn with beanbags, hammocks, chess boards and a pool table. Don’t miss the well-priced meals, pancake breakfasts and free evening shots at the bar. Make the most of the on-the-house guided tours and co-working spots.
This is a rewrite of an article originally by Nina Santos.