Amman or Limassol?

These two are far apart on the beach. Amman is inland, and its nearest water is the Dead Sea, an hour away. The resort beach clubs there give you an afternoon of floating and mud rather than swimming, and real sea swimming means a separate trip to Aqaba.

Limassol is built around its shore. The city beaches from Dasoudi to Amathus are grey sand or fine shingle with calm, shallow water. Lady's Mile offers more space, and Governor's Beach, Kourion and Pissouri are better still and only a short drive away.

Both cities eat well, and the difference is in the style of the cooking. Amman's strength is cheap Levantine food in the downtown streets: falafel and fuul for breakfast, hot knafeh, late-night shawarma and mansaf for a family feast. Drink plays only a small part.

Limassol eats around the long meze in tavernas in the old town and the hill villages, with halloumi, kleftiko and souvla. Wine matters far more here, and the slopes towards Troodos make Xynisteri, Maratheftiko and the sweet Commandaria.

Amman has more to see in town. The Citadel combines the Temple of Hercules with views over the seven hills, the Roman Theatre and Odeon sit below it, and the Jordan Museum holds Dead Sea Scrolls and the 'Ain Ghazal statues. All of this fills two or three good days.

Limassol's own heritage takes about a day: the small medieval castle, the old mixed Greek and Turkish quarter, and the ruins of Amathus at the eastern edge. Most of the sights worth the journey lie outside the city.

Limassol is the livelier of the two after dark. Bars fill the lanes around Saripolou Square until the early hours, the marina has cocktail lounges, and in summer there are beach bars and a few large clubs. Even so, it is better for a relaxed evening of drinks than for a big club weekend.

Amman's evenings revolve around cafés, shisha and tea on Rainbow Street and in Jabal Amman. Drinking is limited to a handful of bars, rooftops and hotels, and it largely stops during Ramadan.

Limassol has more varied country close at hand. Within an hour you can walk under black pine near Mount Olympos or follow the trail to the Caledonia waterfall. Closer in, flamingos gather on the Akrotiri salt lake in winter, and there are cliff walks at Cape Aspro.

Amman's surroundings are dry and bare. Its best outdoor days are wading up the Wadi Mujib gorge in the warmer months and walking the spring woodland of Ajloun. Dana and Wadi Rum need an overnight stay.

Both are excellent bases, and they lead to different kinds of outing. From Amman almost every trip is about heritage: Roman Jerash, the mosaic map at Madaba, Mount Nebo, Ottoman Salt and the frescoed desert castles, with Kerak further south.

Limassol's list is more mixed. It takes in Kourion and the Paphos mosaics, painted mountain churches and wine villages in Troodos, lace-making Lefkara, and Nicosia, where you can walk across the Green Line.

Limassol is the easier place to bring children. Its beaches shelve gently into calm water, the seafront promenade suits scooters and pushchairs, and there are resort kids' clubs, a waterpark and a small zoo.

Amman is just as warm towards children and feels just as safe, but it has little made for them beyond a children's museum and the malls. Its steep, broken pavements also defeat pushchairs, so floating in the Dead Sea and exploring Jerash are the highlights for a family.

Neither is a city to cover on foot, but Limassol is somewhat easier. Its old town, port and marina sit close together, and the seafront promenade and coastal buses link much of the city along a flat line. Outside the city you will want a car, and there are no trains anywhere on the island.

Amman's hills and valleys break the city up, and walking stops beyond downtown and the stairways up to Weibdeh. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are the practical way around.

Neither city is a shopping destination, and what is worth buying differs. Amman has the more atmospheric markets: the downtown spice and gold souks, plus embroidered textiles, Hebron glass and work from women's cooperatives around Rainbow Street.

Limassol's shopping is mostly high-street chains and marina boutiques. Its best buys are edible or handmade, such as halloumi, carob syrup, Commandaria and Lefkara lace.

Amman is the cheaper of the two, provided you live as the locals do. Street food, coffee and taxis cost little, although alcohol and private drivers do not. Limassol's seafront hotels and marina charge Western European resort prices in summer. Costs there ease in the family tavernas inland and outside the peak months.

Amman's one real highlight is the Jerash Festival each summer, when Arab singers, folk troupes and dancers fill the ancient theatres. Outside that, there are only occasional oud recitals, indie bands and experimental theatre, mostly in Arabic.

Limassol spreads its smaller programme more evenly through the year. Greek-language drama and touring concerts fill the Rialto and Pattihio theatres in the cooler months. In summer, ancient plays are staged at sunset in the theatre at Kourion, and there are concerts on the seafront.

Amman has the more unusual ways to unwind, though they lie outside the city. In an hour you reach the Dead Sea spas, with their mineral mud and salt water, and the hot waterfalls at Ma'in. The city itself adds traditional hammams.

Limassol has no springs of its own, so wellness there means well-equipped resort spas. It also has a slower coastal pace and the cool pine air of the Troodos villages.