Under US$10

Antigua [1] has a number of excellent hostels offering comfortable accommodations at budget prices.

Hotel Mochilero’s Place (4a Calle Poniente #27, tel. 7832-7743, $14 d shared bath, $16 d private bath) is a friendly sort of establishment with 10 large, clean rooms. Among the amenities are free coffee and tea, laundry sinks, and luggage storage. The rooms facing south have decent views of Agua Volcano. Reservations are necessary, as it’s very popular.

Hostal Día Verde (1a Calle Poniente #14B, tel. 7832-3402) has seven clean rooms with shared bath ($7 p/p) or private bath ($8 p/p). Rates include breakfast and one free hour of Internet.

Another popular choice is Yellow House (1a Calle Poniente #24, tel. 7832-6646), where the mattresses are somewhat soft but the attractive, private shared-bath rooms ($16 d) are well decorated and have cable TV. Dorm beds go for $8 p/p. The single rooms are very small. Rates include breakfast and half hour of Internet daily. Guests have free use of the kitchen.

Ever-popular with Antigua’s budget scene is the attractive Black Cat Hostel (6a Avenida Norte #1A, tel. 7832-1229, www.blackcathostels.net [2]), where there are shared-bath dorm beds ($8) and private doubles ($20). Amenities include wireless Internet, a substantial free breakfast, a movie lounge with more than 350 DVDs, a living room and hammock patio for hanging out, a restaurant serving breakfast and light meals (8 a.m.–11 p.m.), and a full bar.

Jungle Party Hostel (6a Avenida Norte #20, between 3a and 2a Calle Poniente, tel. 7832-0463) is a lively backpacker hangout with clean dorm rooms and shared baths for $6–8 p/p. There’s a fun communal area that doubles as a bar and snack stand.

The cheerfully painted, tiled floor UmmaGumma Hostel (7a Avenida Norte #34, tel. 7832-4413) has a wide range of accommodations, including dorms ($5 p/p) and private rooms with ($13 p/p) or without ($8 p/p) private bath. Guests enjoy use of two fully equipped kitchens, communal lounge areas with DirecTV, laundry service, wireless Internet, international phone calls, and luggage storage. The staff can also help with travel arrangements.

Conveniently located near some of the town’s favorite watering holes, El Hostal (1a Avenida Sur #8, tel. 7832-0442, www.elhostal.hostel.com [3]) has cozy private rooms with shared bath ($13 d) or clean dormitories ($9 p/p) in a remodeled colonial house that includes a pleasant little courtyard. Guests won’t find electric water heaters here (yippee!), but rather the hot-water showers many visitors are used to. You can book and pay online in advance; wireless Internet is available throughout the house.