Andalusia or Ibiza?

Ibiza has the edge for swimming, though the two coastlines are different in kind. Andalusia offers distance and variety: wide golden Atlantic beaches at Bolonia, Zahara and Conil backed by dunes, cooler water and the levante wind, or the calm but heavily built Costa del Sol with its grey sand and promenades.

Ibiza is a coast of coves rather than long strands, with water kept unusually clear by the seagrass offshore. Cala Comte's sandbars, the dunes of Ses Salines and the white spit of Ses Illetes on Formentera make the sea itself the attraction, and the quieter northern calas help when the famous ones fill up.

Andalusia is the far better place to eat. Its tapas culture, from the counters of Triana to Granada's free plate with every drink, is a way of spending the evening, and the sherry bodegas of Jerez and Sanlúcar, coastal fried fish and the covered markets of Cádiz and Málaga give it real depth.

Ibiza's own cooking, such as bullit de peix and flaó, is worth seeking out in inland country restaurants and fishermen's coves. Most coastal eating, though, is polished and costly beach and marina dining, with the resort strips and the lack of markets leaving little in between.

There is little contest. Andalusia holds the Alhambra, the Mezquita and Seville's vast cathedral and Alcázar, then adds Ronda, Cádiz and the Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza, enough for a whole trip spread across several cities.

Ibiza's heritage is compact and specific: the walled old town of Dalt Vila, the Phoenician tombs of Puig des Molins and the island's fortified white churches. It is a good day or two, a pleasant break from the beach rather than a reason to come.

Ibiza's nights are what it is known for: large clubs open every night from late spring to early autumn, with famous DJs in residence, boat parties, and sunset bars on Sant Antoni's rocks before it all begins. People cross Europe for the season's opening and closing parties.

Andalusia's nights are a different thing, built on late dinners and crowded street terraces around Seville's Alameda and Triana, Granada's student bars and Málaga's old town. For clubs it relies on Marbella and Puerto Banús in summer, glossy but nowhere near Ibiza's scale.

Andalusia's landscapes are on a different scale. The Sierra Nevada climbs to nearly 3,500m above Granada, with skiing in winter and the Alpujarras villages below, while the Caminito del Rey gorge, El Torcal's limestone, the Doñana wetlands and Tarifa's kitesurfing waters add real range.

Ibiza is low and pine-covered, and its best scenery is along the western cliffs facing Es Vedrà and in the flamingo salt pans of Ses Salines. Its strength lies on and under the water, with clear seas for snorkelling, diving and paddleboarding.

From any Andalusian base the options run on and on: Roman Itálica near Seville, Jerez for sherry and horses, Ronda and the Antequera dolmens from Málaga, the white villages of the Cádiz hills, Gibraltar, and even a ferry from Tarifa to Tangier.

Ibiza's list is short. Formentera, a half-hour ferry away, is the one excursion everyone makes, and beyond it there are the inland villages and the hippy markets near Es Canar and Sant Carles.

Andalusia gives families more to do. The Costa del Sol combines gentle beaches with water parks, the Fuengirola zoo and the Benalmádena aquarium, and Granada's hands-on science museum and the Tabernas film sets add variety, though inland heat in high summer rules out city sightseeing with small children.

Ibiza works for children only as a beach vacation. The calm, shallow bays around Santa Eulària, Es Canar and Cala Bassa suit young swimmers, but there is little else built for families, and parts of Sant Antoni and Platja d'en Bossa are best avoided.

Andalusia is the easier of the two to travel around without a car. High-speed trains join Seville, Córdoba, Málaga and Granada, with Córdoba under an hour from Seville, and Seville and Málaga add trams and metro lines, while a coastal train runs along the Costa del Sol. A city-to-city trip works well by rail alone, though the white villages, the mountains and the Costa de la Luz still call for a hired car.

Ibiza is small, with nowhere much more than 45 minutes from Ibiza Town, and buses link the main resorts, but it has no rail and the smaller coves and rural north need a car or scooter. In July and August its roads, beach car parks and late-night taxis come under real strain.

Neither is a shopping destination, but Andalusia has more that is genuinely made locally: Triana's ceramics, flamenco dresses and fans bought for wear, Ubrique leather, and Málaga's elegant Calle Larios, with luxury boutiques in Marbella.

Ibiza's offer is a single style, the loose white Adlib linen and boho clothing sold around the marina and in Santa Gertrudis, plus the hippy and evening craft markets. Beyond that it is mostly beachwear and souvenirs.

Andalusia is much the easier on a budget. Tapas, wine and set lunches cost little, especially where a free tapa comes with each drink, and inland towns and the Almería coast are cheap to stay in; only Holy Week in Seville and the Costa del Sol in high summer push rooms up sharply.

Ibiza in summer is among the most expensive places in the Mediterranean, with costly rooms, club entry, beach restaurants and sunbeds. Apartments in Sant Antoni, the bus and the free coves help, as do June and late September, but it rarely feels cheap.

Andalusia is the home of flamenco, from nightly shows in Santa Cruz and Triana to the peñas of Jerez and the zambra in Sacromonte's caves, and Seville's Maestranza and the summer festival in the Alhambra's gardens add opera and concerts.

On Ibiza the famous music comes from DJs rather than stages. Live performance is limited to summer open-air concerts, jazz on terraces, the odd flamenco night and village folk dancing.

Ibiza is the better place to switch off. Its north and interior around Sant Joan and Santa Gertrudis are full of farmhouse hotels among olive and almond groves, and yoga and meditation retreats have been part of island life since the hippy years.

Andalusia's version leans on bathing: Moorish-style bathhouses in Granada, Córdoba and Seville, though modern recreations, and old spa towns such as Lanjarón. Marbella's resort spas and quiet country houses in the hills give a slower rhythm away from the cities.