Gaia-Porto Hostel

It's a quiet, pleasant area, with the water, shops, and restaurants only a six-minute walk away. The hostel is quite clean, and the main room is decorated really nicely. But the bed wasn't comfortable, and the owner was hard to get hold of, including on his work phone, where he wasn't very responsive.

The rooftop patio gives you a fantastic view of Porto, and the rooms and bathrooms were very clean. We loved staying here, especially the location and the easy walk across the bridge to Porto. Let the hosts know if you'd like to join them for their delicious, inexpensive breakfast.

It's family-run and cozy, and the staff were great. The river is very close, which makes for a great location. You can make your own breakfast or have them prepare it for you. The bathroom could use some work.

The people running the place are lovely, and they remake the beds every day. You can also walk to the top of the property for a great city view and some peace and quiet in the evening. It's about a 15-minute walk across the bridge, though a little out of the way for the rest of Porto. This is a no-frills, old-school hostel, not especially sociable. The kids' bikes in the lobby seemed a little odd, but people have to raise their children. There are only three bathrooms for the whole place, and I wasn't warned at check-in that one was undergoing extensive work. The bunk beds creak, there are no individual lights, and the doors don't lock automatically, so you have to rely on your bunk mates to be responsible. The photos on Hostel world and Google don't quite match what you get. It's not bad, but it's not top of the line.