America Del Sur Hostel
This backpacker favorite has a stylish lodge setting with views. It’s a social scene that boasts fun times, though the service seems a little smug. All-you-can-eat barbecues are regular.
We will list accommodation in order of preference. For those nights when you need a break from shared showers and thin mattresses, we've also included a few midrange options as well as a few splurges for a real break from the long-haul grind.
Accommodation costs vary from country to country, with Andean countries (especially Bolivia) being the cheapest (from around US$5 per night) and Brazil, Chile, Argentina and the Guianas the costliest (upwards of US$30).
This backpacker favorite has a stylish lodge setting with views. It’s a social scene that boasts fun times, though the service seems a little smug. All-you-can-eat barbecues are regular.
Run by the indefatigable Gladys, a den mother to travelers from all over. Besides dorms and snug doubles, there’s a solarium, barbecue area, bike rental and table tennis.
Set in an unsigned two-story villa on one of Copacabana's rare quiet streets, this nicely designed hostel offers good-value fan-cooled dorm rooms (each with three to 12 beds)...
Designed with verve and panache, this is one of the best-looking hostels we’ve ever seen. Plush colors and stylish touches characterize the comfortable dorms, which have a bit of road noise...
The best and most reliable hotel in town, the busy Mitru has been run by the same family for generations and is a relaxing choice built around a swimming pool that’s just the ticket after a dusty day out on horseback...
Olinda’s excellent HI hostel isn’t on a colorful street (though it faces the sea), but offers modern installations, spotless, no-frills rooms and a sizable garden with outdoor kitchen and lovely pool. Parking is available.
A tie for the best hostel in town is this cozy guesthouse where the owners and staff greet you by name...
Our favorite hostel in town. It's run by a friendly Aussie and offers five dorms and eight rooms around several communal areas, including a chef-driven kitchen with made-to-order breakfasts and excellent coffee...
Just a stone’s throw from the beach, this well-run hostel is owned by a friendly couple who book tours for guests and fire up the grill for barbecues twice a week...
South of most of the hostel zone, this lovely whitewashed colonial home has small but well-furnished rooms with wood-beam ceilings, plenty of wool blankets and colonial furniture...
The HI-affiliated Alegravila has attractive, clean rooms centered on a garden with a small pool, plus a guest kitchen. It's 600m from the Armação waterfront, along the main road from Rio, 300m west of the bus station.
A rustic little setup a couple of blocks from the center of town. The big yard backing on to the river is a bonus.
This new American-owned hostel is right in the heart of the action. A bar area greets you as you come in the door, and there’s a large flat screen TV where you can play video games. The streetside rooms are noisy. Check a few rooms before deciding...
Better known as KGB, this spiffy new hostel opened in 2008 to rave reviews for its fantastic customer service and amenities...
With an MTV vibe you’ll love or not, this tricked-out hostel boasts modern dorms with cozy fleece blankets, a marble-countertop cooking area, and a sprawling living room with pool table, leatherette sofas and panoramic views...
Located in a nice old building with original touches, this hostel doesn’t really have large dorms – they’re basically shared doubles or private rooms for two to four people. Also unusual is that there’s no kitchen, just a place to heat up beverages...
Young backpackers flock to this popular, three-story hostel in Copacabana. Although the rooms are a bit small, the house has plenty of choice spots in which to relax and meet other travelers.
In the pulsing heart of Miraflores, the Flying Dog is run by laid-back, youthful staff who speak fluent English. There's a common kitchen, Internet access, cable TV and a billiards lounge...
Near the transit hub of Av Arequipa and Av Javier Prado, and just a block from a small park, this wonderful 10-room hostel, run by an amiable mother-daughter team, has clean rooms that sleep three to eight people, in addition to a couple of private ...
With a wonderful staff, this spotless guesthouse is part of a nonprofit enterprise that supports a hospital clinic and also provides job opportunities for young people with disabilities...
On a quiet, almost suburban street, yet just a short walk to Av Paulista, this hostel offers decent communal digs, bright and pleasant common areas, and private rooms of varying sizes and comfort...
Though pervaded with hunger-inducing smells from the Mexican restaurant below, this place is a decent-value option if you want to be in the thick of Arequipa’s nocturnal action. Rooms have TVs.
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