Leiria Youth Hostel, Leiria (edit listing)

Beautiful hostel, great patio, and friendly staff.

The Leiria HI Hostel is an absolute beauty in every sense. It's located only a ten-minute walk away from the bus station, in one of Leiria's quiet backstreets. The staff is very helpful and friendly, and they give a special personal touch to this hostel -- in contrast to some of Portugal's bigger city hostels that sometimes feel a little impersonal. The beds may look a little old-fashioned, but they are comfortable and my dorm felt more like a museum than a hostel -- just look up to the ceiling and you'll understand why. Bathroom and kitchen facilities are excellent, but the best thing of this hostel is definitely their quiet patio -- a great place to relax, read, or just enjoy your breakfast. Leiria is only a two-hour bus ride away from Lisbon or one hour to Coimbra, and is close to historic places like Fatima and Batalha, or just catch the bus to Sao Pedro de Moel for a day on the beach (frequent services).

Pousada de Juventude Leiria is a delight in every way, from the marble stairway at the entry, to the spacious dorms and doubles, a friendly common room with TV, large and well-furnished kitchen, and an almost magical garden with dining tables, flowering plants, and a small amphitheatre. It's walking distance from the bus station in a refurbished former mansion in the center of the old cobblestoned city. Linens are furnished; beer and wine are available for almost nothing; and there's an ample breakfast of cheese, ham, rolls, cereal, coffee, juice, and sometimes yogurt. Everything is spotless, clean, and well cared-for. Sleeping rooms offer plenty of space for bags and backpacks, with lockers (no extra charge) and feature magnificent two-color plaster medallions on the ceiling and intricate wall treatments that would have suited the owners of the original mansion. Separate bathrooms for men and women are large and ample for the crowds. Some of the double rooms have private balconies overlooking the garden, while the dorms have narrow front balconies with views of the castle, which is lit up at night. Bars, restaurants, and night life are all close by and very lively on weekends, a little quieter during the week. There's a games room with pool table and other games, also a quiet room for reading.The place attracts a cosmopolitan group of (mostly twenty-something) travellers -- including people from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Poland, the U.S.A., and Australia during our stay. It's ideally located -- an hour's bus ride from the the magnificent Gothic monastery at Alcobaca and half an hour from the differently gorgeous Baroque Batalha. Also nearby are Obidos and Tomar, but to get to them it's necessary to rent a car or spend the night, as bus schedules don't permit daytrips. To get to the hostel from the bus station, walk two blocks straight to the Cathedral and turn left. Walk three more blocks, and the hostel is on the left, just beyond the Biblioteca (Library). Right around the block is an internet place with more than a dozen computers for one Euro per hour.