Albuquerque or Boulder?

Neither city is a beach destination. Both lie far inland, so swimming means a pool or a summer afternoon at a reservoir.

What differs is the kind of cooling off. Around Albuquerque it means a drive to a lake such as Cochiti, since the Rio Grande isn't safe for swimming. Boulder makes it easier, with a small sandy swim area at its reservoir on the edge of town and inner tubes on Boulder Creek, right in the centre.

Albuquerque eats better, because it has a cuisine of its own. Red and green chile, carne adovada, posole and sopaipillas come from long-running family places in the South and North Valleys and along Route 66. In late summer the whole city smells of roasting chile.

Boulder offers a healthier, more seasonal table: farm-to-table menus, plenty of vegetarian cooking, good bakeries and the Saturday farmers' market by the creek. Both cities pour plenty of craft beer, but Boulder has nothing as distinctive to taste, and diners after depth end up in Denver.

Albuquerque has the richer cultural layer. Its adobe Old Town and 18th-century church, the Pueblo-run cultural centre and the National Hispanic Cultural Center tell the story of three peoples. The nuclear museum, the neon of Route 66 and Petroglyph National Monument fill a second day.

Boulder's appeal is atmosphere rather than sights. The wooden cottages of the Chautauqua, the sandstone and red-tile university campus and I.M. Pei's atmospheric research laboratory are good to see, but a single day covers them and the small museums.

Evenings out are modest in both, and the difference is one of tone. Albuquerque splits between a downtown strip of bars and a few dance clubs that can get rowdy late at weekends, and the calmer cocktail bars and taprooms of Nob Hill.

Boulder's nights centre on Pearl Street pubs and taprooms and the loud student bars of University Hill during term. They start and finish early, since so many people head for a trailhead at dawn. Its advantage is Denver, about 40 minutes away, for a proper night out.

Both sit against mountains, but Boulder's outdoors is in another league. The Flatirons rise straight behind town, with a protected ring of open space and over 200km of trails. It also has Eldorado Canyon's world-class climbing, cycling at altitude and Rocky Mountain National Park's tundra and elk about an hour away.

Albuquerque has the Sandia tramway to a 3,000m crest, the long climb of the La Luz Trail and the cottonwood bosque with its wintering cranes. It is a good landscape, but more of it needs a car, and the summer heat at low elevations narrows the season.

Albuquerque has the stronger range of outings. Santa Fe alone, with its plaza, Canyon Road galleries and museums, fills a full day, and the commuter train can take you there. Acoma's Sky City, the cliff dwellings at Bandelier, Chimayo and the Turquoise Trail villages add places of real historical weight.

From Boulder, Denver's art museum and Union Station are an easy bus ride away. After that the choices are pleasant rather than memorable: Golden, Fort Collins, Estes Park and the silver towns of Georgetown and Idaho Springs.

Both are relaxed places for children, but they keep them busy in different ways. Albuquerque has the larger attractions: the BioPark's zoo, aquarium and gardens, Explora and the dinosaur halls, the tramway ride and the October Balloon Fiesta at dawn.

Boulder's family days are outdoors and on a small scale: the creek path, Chautauqua meadow, gentle trails, tubing and the street performers on Pearl Street. Its big zoo and science museum are in Denver. In both, the high-altitude sun calls for hats and water.

Boulder is far easier without a car. Downtown, the university and Chautauqua are a short walk or bike ride apart along excellent off-street paths, there is bike share, and an express bus runs to Denver. Only the outlying trailheads and the national park really require a hire car.

Albuquerque is spread low across a wide valley and built for driving. The Central Avenue bus links Old Town, downtown and Nob Hill, and a commuter train runs to Santa Fe, but the mountains, the petroglyphs and almost every day trip mean renting a car at the nearby airport.

Neither is a shopping destination, and each is worth visiting for one specialism. In Albuquerque it is Native and Southwestern craft: turquoise and silver, Pueblo pottery and Navajo weaving, bought around Old Town or at the Pueblo centre from artists or reputable dealers.

In Boulder it is outdoor gear, with climbing, running and cycling shops unusually good for the town's size. The brick-paved Pearl Street Mall is also more pleasant to browse than Nob Hill's short strip of boutiques.

Albuquerque is noticeably kinder to the wallet. Hotels are plentiful and fairly priced most of the year, and New Mexican plates are generous. A rental car is the largest cost, and rates jump during Balloon Fiesta week.

Boulder is one of the wealthier towns in the country. Its few hotels charge heavily, especially in summer and on university weekends, and meals come at affluent prices. Its saving grace is that the trails are free, and many visitors cut costs by staying in Denver.

The two are broadly level, with very different stages. Albuquerque's distinctive offerings are flamenco, with an institute and an annual festival, and traditional Pueblo dances on weekends. Touring Broadway shows play at Popejoy Hall, and the Pueblo Deco KiMo Theatre is a striking room. The open-air opera above Santa Fe is within a summer evening's drive.

Boulder is stronger on live music: bluegrass, roots and rock most nights in small rooms. In summer there are orchestral concerts in the 1898 Chautauqua Auditorium and outdoor Shakespeare on campus, with Red Rocks Amphitheatre about 45 minutes away.

Boulder is the better place to slow down. Yoga and meditation studios, a contemplative Buddhist-inspired university, easy massage and unhurried sunny mornings run through daily life, although its soaking is limited to the Eldorado Springs pool and the hot springs at Idaho Springs.

Albuquerque has little wellness culture in town beyond resort spas on Pueblo lands. Its real strength is a drive away, in the mineral pools of Jemez Springs and the bathhouses around Santa Fe.