And what about fine dining?

Portugal’s cuisine is much underrated, with an emphasis on fresh fish, seafood and vegetables – indeed, a recent survey showed the Portuguese consume the least processed foods in Europe. Both cities have their fair share of upmarket eating places, where you can sample innovative, exciting food for less than you would pay for the same calibre of cooking elsewhere in Europe.

In Porto, the two-Michelin-starred Yeatman restaurant boasts amazing vistas to rival its food. Meanwhile in Lisbon, José Avillez has two Michelin stars at his Belcanto restaurant, but also runs a few more affordable and informal places – the theatrical, fun Mini Bar, for example, serves playful dishes such as exploding olives, and ice-cream cones made of seaweed and filled with tuna tartare.

Octopus at a Portuguese restaurant © Benoit Daoust/Shutterstock

What about the big sights?

There’s plenty to see in both Lisbon and Porto – the classic Porto sights are the pretty Torre dos Clérigos, the wacky Lello bookshop – whose lavish Art Nouveau interior is said to have inspired JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books – and the stunning Serralves contemporary art museum set in beautiful gardens.

However, Porto can’t really compete with Lisbon in terms of sheer volume of sights. Packed into the capital highlights include the Castelo de São Jorge, the Jeronimos Monastery and Berardo Collection in Belém, and the fantastic Gulbenkian art museum – and that’s just the start.

Jeronimos Monastery © Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock