Casa da Madalena Backpackers Hostel

License number: 36852/AL
Casa da Madalena is an independently owned backpackers hostel in a newly rebuilt, authentic, Portuguese house nestled on the southern Iberian coastline. The hostel is located in the 200-year-old historic district in the city of Faro, the capital of the Algarve, and is the closest hostel to the bus stations. Both the bus stations and train station are located on Avenida da Republica, which is just minutes by foot.

Casa da Madalena has been voted a 'Top Ranking Hostel' in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023 by Bookings.com and HostelWorld. We are also 'Le Routard' and 'Trip Advisor' certified.

Our hostel staff is made up of friendly and helpful seasoned travelers. As experienced travelers, we speak many different languages, respect budget-friendly travel, and personify the ideals behind independent backpacking hostels. We take care of our space and treat it with love to foster amazing communities for single travelers to stay in.

At Casa da Madalena, our welcomed guests can expect 24-hour service, no matter the need. We are here to greet and welcome you, provide you with information about local activities, make suggestions for dining and nightlife, assist you with maps and planning local trips, provide you with bus and train schedules, and answer all of your questions during your stay. Our reception will also make sure that fun and lively music keeps playing during the day.

Upon arriving, you will be welcomed, and immediately feel at home, in our cozy, Bohemian-style atmosphere. We will show you to your rooms, each of which contains accouterments that will make your stay most enjoyable and relaxing.

All of our bedrooms are spacious and come complete with fresh linens, reading lights, and lockers. Each bathroom has a walk-in shower, towels, toilet, sink, and hand soap.

Cleanliness is of the utmost priority at Casa da Madalena, which is why we will always make sure you find the community's areas clean and tidy.

In the morning, enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea on our rooftop terrace, which overlooks the historic city and dawning sun, and take in the seaside air and map out your travels for the day.

Savor homemade pancakes served hot off the grill and topped with melted butter and jams.
We serve our breakfasts at our family-style table, where you can expect a positive atmosphere with chill, relaxing, morning music. Muesli is also available as a complement to your pancakes or for a lighter start to your day.

During the day we recommend that you indulge in the joys of sunshine, beaches, island exploring, and biking in the Natural Park. Just offshore, you can travel to a lagoon filled with colorful birds and mazes of waterways between the islands. At Casa da Madalena, we also rent bikes to our guests. They are perfect for getting around the city, riding to the beach, or exploring the beauty of the natural park under the sunshine of the Algarve. Should you want to relax instead, the hostel respects the Portuguese tradition of music-free siesta hours in the afternoon.

Before dinner, as the sun softens to meet the sea, we suggest you sip a drink and enjoy a sunset scene from our rooftop terrace. The views are unbeatable as you look out to the colorful marina and marvel at the setting sun, watch the birds land on the boats, or reminisce of times gone by while viewing historic rooftops and cobblestone streets.

Faro also offers many bars and restaurants that serve a variety of traditional, Portuguese dishes and great seafood. Because of our central location, you can easily walk to some of the best seafood restaurants, bars, and cafes. And after dinner, we recommend you stroll through the ancient walls of the well-preserved historic district and engage in the lively nightlife.

If going out is not for you, then we recommend you enjoy our rooftop terrace, take in the nightlights of the city, savor a nightcap, and feel the canopy of the stars overhead as you relax in one of the many hammocks laid out on the roof. The rooftop is also the perfect place to enjoy the good company of other travelers and plan your trip and activities for the next day.

At Casa da Madalena, we strive to create a relaxing, enjoyable, and fun atmosphere for our guests and discourage activities that run counter to that goal. We are not a party hostel and appreciate our guests abiding by our rules and helping foster the community that we have worked so hard to create. With that being said, we do have a lot of fun and encourage our guests to do the same!