Any tripeiro (yes, people from Porto are nicknamed tripe eaters) will quickly and proudly list all of the reasons that their hometown is so different from Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. From the outside the similarities are many – both are charmingly historic port cities with quick access to good beaches. But dig deeper and it becomes clear that Porto beats to its own pulse, completely independent from Lisbon’s rhythm. Home to about 220,000 inhabitants, the city has always been Portugal’s business heart, with many of the country’s industries based around its perimeter. Porto citizens are known for their hard-working and matter-of-fact attitude yet being business-oriented here doesn’t come at the cost of a sense of community and enjoying a glass of wine with colleagues over lunch.