Albuquerque or Denver?

Neither city is a beach destination. Both sit high up and far inland, so a swim means a pool or a reservoir. The difference is how close that water is: Denver has sandy reservoir beaches at Cherry Creek and Chatfield right on its edge, while in Albuquerque the Rio Grande is not for swimming and Cochiti Lake is a drive out of town.

The two are close, but the reasons to eat in each are different. Albuquerque has a cuisine of its own. The question is red or green chile, the dishes are carne adovada, posole and stuffed sopaipillas, and the best cooking comes from long-running family places in the valleys and along Route 66. In late summer the whole city smells of roasting chile.

Denver puts beer first, with taprooms filling warehouses in RiNo. Green chile turns up here too, but its strength is a broader casual scene: Vietnamese and Mexican cooking along Federal Boulevard, chef-run places in Highland and food halls. Neither city offers much fine dining.

Each city fills two or three days of sightseeing, but they tell different stories. Albuquerque's past is Native and Hispanic. You get the adobe plaza of Old Town, the Pueblo-run cultural centre, the National Hispanic Cultural Center and thousands of carvings at Petroglyph National Monument, with Route 66 neon on Central Avenue on top.

Denver's sights date from the 1858 gold rush. They centre on the art museums around Civic Center Park, including the Clyfford Still and the Denver Art Museum's strong Native collection, along with the Victorian brick of LoDo and Larimer Square.

Denver gives you more choice on a night out. LoDo fills on game nights, RiNo has warehouse taprooms and cocktail bars, East Colfax keeps its dive bars open late and Highland and South Broadway are good for a relaxed neighbourhood evening.

In Albuquerque, going out is limited to two stretches of Central Avenue. Downtown's bars and few clubs come alive at weekends, and Nob Hill is quieter. Midweek the city goes still. Neither is a clubbing city.

Both cities have mountains on the doorstep, but Denver's are on a much larger scale. Red Rocks and the Golden foothills are half an hour away, the Flatirons not much further. Then come dozens of peaks over 4,000m, the alpine tundra and elk of Rocky Mountain National Park, and the ski resorts in winter.

Albuquerque still has plenty. The tramway lifts you to the Sandia crest, the La Luz Trail climbs it on foot, and cranes winter along the cottonwood bosque. Summer heat on the low ground narrows the best seasons to spring and autumn, though.

There is little to separate them on range, but they offer different kinds of day out. From Albuquerque you head into deep history. Santa Fe is an hour away and the only one reachable by train, and the cliff dwellings of Bandelier, the mesa-top Sky City at Acoma and the church at Chimayo are all within a drive.

Denver's trips are about the mountains and the mining age instead: Boulder under the Flatirons, Victorian Georgetown with its narrow-gauge railway, the spa town of Manitou Springs and ski towns like Breckenridge. The great heritage sites of the Southwest are out of reach in a day.

Denver has a little more for children, and more of it is grouped together. City Park holds both the zoo and the nature and science museum with its dinosaurs and planetarium. By the South Platte, the Children's Museum, an aquarium and an amusement park sit side by side, and scenic railways run into the hills.

Albuquerque covers the basics well, with the BioPark, Explora and the Sandia tramway. If you visit in October, the dawn launch of hundreds of balloons at the Fiesta is something Denver cannot match. In both cities you need a car, and the strong sun at altitude needs care.

Denver is easier without a car, at least in the centre. Its flat downtown puts Union Station, LoDo and the museums within walking distance, a free shuttle runs along the 16th Street Mall and a train links the airport to Union Station.

In Albuquerque, Old Town can be walked and the Central Avenue bus reaches downtown and Nob Hill, but little else works without a car. Its consolations are an airport close to the centre and easy driving. In both, the mountains and day trips mean renting a car.

Albuquerque sells the Southwest and Denver sells life in the mountains. In Albuquerque the purchases worth the effort are Native silver and turquoise jewellery, Pueblo pottery and Navajo weaving. They are best bought from the artists or reputable dealers around Old Town and the Pueblo cultural centre, and Nob Hill adds a short run of vintage shops.

Denver is where you stock up on outdoor gear in large flagship stores, or on cowboy boots and hats. It also has blocks of boutiques and galleries around the upscale Cherry Creek mall, and vintage and record shops on South Broadway. Neither city has a luxury shopping street.

Albuquerque is somewhat easier on the wallet. Hotels are fairly priced for most of the year and casual New Mexican meals are generous, though Balloon Fiesta week is a costly exception. Denver's downtown hotels are expensive, especially during conventions and ski season, so staying out along the light rail helps. In both cities car hire, sales tax and tipping add up, and the trails cost nothing.

Denver is far ahead here. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, set between sandstone monoliths, is a reason to plan a summer trip around a concert. Downtown, the performing arts complex houses theatre, Broadway tours, the symphony, the opera and the ballet, and Five Points keeps its jazz roots.

Albuquerque's stage is smaller but has character. Touring musicals play at Popejoy Hall, the Pueblo Deco KiMo Theatre is worth seeing, and the city has real strength in flamenco. Weekend Pueblo dances at the cultural centre are something Denver has no equivalent for.

Neither city has a bathing tradition, but Denver makes it a little easier to unwind. Idaho Springs, under an hour away, has historic mineral pools and steam caves, and the city has plenty of yoga studios, day spas and green parks.

From Albuquerque the hot springs take more effort, with Jemez Springs over an hour away and the bathhouses around Santa Fe further still. In town, relaxing mostly means a resort spa on Pueblo lands with a mountain view.