Porto, Portugal, Porto, Portugal

The combination of the colorful houses carefully stacked on the steep green sides of the Douro River, the weaving and winding cobblestone streets and the incredibly beautiful blue azulejos tiles that adorned the sides of churches, buildings, and streets created the enchanting atmosphere that took me away for the short 48 hours I had to spend in the city.

Porto is in the north of Portugal, and during early spring it can rain a lot. Fortunately, it wasn’t pouring at any point during my stay, but I did pack an umbrella which came in handy for the long walking tour of the city. It is a great city for budget travelers - I was riding close to zero in my bank account as this trip was at the end of the month before my paycheck was to go through, but I skated by, getting to enjoy all the delicious things Porto had to offer while not having to dip into my emergency travel funds!

I must say, it isn’t often that I feel the need to strongly recommend a hostel, but in this case, I couldn’t rave about it enough. Tattva was the most perfect place to stay. The location was front and center, the beds were comfortable with privacy curtains, a reading lamp, and electrical outlets. The included breakfast buffet was enormous, the staff was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and what’s not to love about a hostel with its own aquarium? Budget travelers - stay here, don’t think twice about it. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).