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Portugal’s second largest city doesn’t really get the respect it deserves, but people are finally waking up to the fact that there is a lot more to the Porto than industry, the famous port wine, and a successful soccer team. The population of the metropolitan area is enormous, but the city itself only has about a quarter million people. Hotel prices are fairly reasonable by Western European standards, but there are several Porto hostels that are an even better deal.

First things first, the city is very hilly so short distances on a map may not seem so short when you are actually there walking up or down the steep hills. Fortunately they have an excellent public transportation system so getting around and saving your calf muscles is not really a problem. This is an ancient city and the architecture is a mix of new and old. The area of town overlooking the river is the center of the action, so finding a Porto hostel in this area is ideal. Even though there aren’t a ton of hostels in Porto yet, there are quite a few budget hotels that are likely to come up in the listings, so the same recommendations apply: staying in a central location is definitely worth a few extra Euros to save yourself from wasting a lot of time going back and forth.

Just a brief note on the port wine the city is famous for, if the idea of fortified wine doesn’t sound terribly appealing do yourself a favor and try it anyway. The young varieties are much better than you’d expect and the aged ones are like drinking velvet, and we mean that in a good way.

The Andarilho Oporto Hostel is in the city center, close to the main retail district and only a few winding blocks from the river. They have dorm rooms with 6, 8, and 10 beds, with prices around €18 per night for any of them with breakfast included. They’ve also got free internet and a café/bar in addition to a popular BBQ area.

The Black and White Porto Hostel is also in the city center, although a little further from the river and from the main shopping area. Beds in their 8-bed dorms start around €17 per night, with breakfast included. They are walking distance from most of the main sights, but they are very close to a Metro station as well.

The Oporto Poets Hostel is affiliated with the Lisbon Poets Hostel, and just opened in June of 2007. Their location is also in the city center, and quite close to the river, so they are walking distance from everything as long as you don’t mind the hills. Beds in their 8-bed dorms start around €18 per night including breakfast, but they also have private double rooms with shared bathrooms starting around €20 per night per person. This is a great deal for this location if you are a pair traveling together, and they also have free internet and many other popular hostel features.

Hostels in Portugal (Porto)