Andorra la Vella or Benidorm?

You can't do a beach vacation from Andorra la Vella. The sea is about three hours away by road, the mountain lakes are too cold for a proper swim, and warm water means a hotel pool or the thermal lagoons next door.

Benidorm is built around its beaches. Levante and Poniente stretch for several kilometres of groomed sand, and the shallow water warms to around 26°C in August. There are quieter coves under the Serra Gelada cliffs and at Albir for a change.

Neither place is worth the trip for its food alone, and in both the main tourist streets serve uneven, practical meals. The difference is in what you find once you look further. In Andorra la Vella it is mountain cooking: stews, lamb and sausages grilled over wood fires in the old stone bordas of the side valleys, with trout and wild mushrooms in autumn.

In Benidorm the good eating is coastal. Try the rice dishes of the Alicante coast, such as paella and arroz negro, along with fresh fish and the tapas lane in the old town that fills with Spanish diners in the evening. Avoid the package-style menus along the seafront.

Andorra la Vella has more real history, though you can see it all in a day. Its stone old quarter above the river holds the fortified Casa de la Vall, where the Andorran parliament met for centuries. Romanesque churches such as Santa Coloma, with its round bell tower, are a short ride away.

In Benidorm, culture means a short walk through the whitewashed lanes of the old fishing village to the blue-domed church and the Balcón del Mediterráneo lookout. The towers on the skyline are the main sight, and for real history you have to head to the inland villages.

This is where the two differ most after the beach. Evenings in Andorra la Vella are quiet, with a few pubs and wine bars, and most visitors are in bed early after a day on the slopes. The real après-ski happens up in the resort villages.

Benidorm stays up late all summer. Around the Rincón de Loix there are karaoke, drag cabaret and themed pubs full of stag and hen groups, the old town has Spanish tapas terraces, and the clubs on the edge of town keep going until dawn. It is loud and cheap rather than sophisticated, and it quietens down outside high season.

Andorra la Vella is surrounded by high mountains, with peaks close to 3,000m. In winter there are lift-linked ski areas a bus ride away. In summer you can follow trails to glacial lakes or ride long road climbs, and the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley starts almost on the edge of town.

Benidorm has less scenery on that scale, but it has both sea and mountains. You can walk the cliff path in the Serra Gelada park, climb Puig Campana, visit the Algar waterfalls, or go snorkelling and kayaking off the island. Its walking season is spring and autumn rather than summer.

Benidorm has much more within easy reach. Altea and Villajoyosa are minutes away, Guadalest sits on its rock inland, and the tram runs to Alicante. Elche's palm grove and the coast towns up to Dénia make good longer outings, and Valencia is possible in a long day.

From Andorra la Vella the choice is short and the roads cross mountains. The best options are the cathedral town of La Seu d'Urgell, half an hour south, Puigcerdà and Llívia on the Cerdanya plateau, and the drive over the pass to Ax-les-Thermes and the castle at Foix.

Benidorm is much easier with children. Its beaches shelve gently into calm water and the promenades are flat for buggies. On the edge of town there are theme, water and marine parks and a zoo, and staying near Poniente keeps you away from the adult nightlife behind Levante.

Andorra la Vella works for families who come to be active. It has large ski schools, toboggan runs and rope courses in summer, and Caldea's family pools for wet days. There are no big attractions for children, though, and the busy main road through town is not much fun with young ones.

Both centres are easy to walk, and Benidorm is a little easier overall. Its long, flat promenades connect the two beaches and the old town, and the coastal tram runs to Alicante and Altea, although you need a car or a tour to reach the inland hills.

Andorra la Vella's centre runs straight into Escaldes-Engordany along the river, and buses serve the valleys. There is no train, though, so arriving means a long drive from airports in Spain or France, and the main valley road often jams in ski season.

For many visitors, shopping is one of the main reasons to go to Andorra la Vella. Low taxes keep the department stores and shops selling ski gear, perfume, watches and spirits going in a continuous line into Escaldes-Engordany. It is good for bargains rather than style.

Benidorm's shops are practical and aimed at the beach: sunglasses, swimwear, souvenirs, and weekly markets of clothes and leather goods. Anyone who wants more catches the tram to Alicante.

Benidorm is the cheaper of the two. There are so many rooms and all-inclusive packages that rates stay low for much of the year, everyday meals and drinks are inexpensive, and winter is especially cheap. Only July, August and Spanish long weekends push hotel prices up.

Andorra la Vella sits in the middle for Western Europe. Rooms are fair value outside the main ski weeks and spirits are cheap, but lift passes, equipment hire and the spa cost what they would at any mountain resort.

Andorra la Vella saves its live music for summer, while Benidorm has a show on somewhere every night, so on most dates Benidorm gives you more to go and see. In Andorra the summer brings a jazz festival in Escaldes-Engordany, a classical festival in Ordino and open-air shows in the capital. The rest of the year, the congress and cultural halls put on only the odd concert or play.

Benidorm's shows are light entertainment rather than serious art. A large dinner-show venue stages song-and-dance spectaculars, and dozens of bars have drag cabaret, comedians and tribute acts. For opera, orchestral music or drama, you need to look to Alicante or Valencia.

Andorra la Vella has the better offer here, almost entirely because of Caldea. The thermal complex next door is fed by natural hot springs and has lagoons, saunas and an adults-only section, and it makes a good end to a day in the mountains. For real quiet, though, you need to head to the villages in the side valleys.

Benidorm has no hot springs, just hotel spas with indoor pools and massage. Its restful side is the season rather than a place. From November to March the town settles into mild days of promenade walks and long lunches, especially around Poniente.