Andorra la Vella or Valencia?

Andorra la Vella is landlocked in a Pyrenean valley, about three hours by road from the Mediterranean. Its mountain lakes are too cold for a real swim, so warm water there means a hotel pool or the thermal lagoons next door.

Valencia has the beach built into city life. Las Arenas and Malvarrosa are a short tram ride from the centre, with shallow, calm water and room to spread out. The pine-backed dunes of El Saler give a quieter alternative to the south.

The food is the most rewarding in Valencia. It is where paella comes from, and rice cooked many ways is eaten at lunch on the seafront or in the Albufera villages. The Mercado Central is one of Europe's great food halls, and Ruzafa adds tapas, vermouth and creative restaurants.

Andorra la Vella offers hearty Catalan mountain cooking, at its best in the bordas of the side valleys, where lamb and sausages are grilled over wood fires. In the town itself, meals on the shopping avenues are mostly fuel for skiers and shoppers.

In Andorra la Vella, a day is enough for the sights. The small Barri Antic holds the Casa de la Vall, the old seat of the Andorran parliament, and the most interesting heritage is spread through the valleys in Romanesque churches such as Santa Coloma.

Valencia has two or three days of sightseeing. In Ciutat Vella you can walk between the Gothic silk exchange of the Lonja, the cathedral with its Miguelete tower and the old city gates. At the far end of the Turia stand the white buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences.

Andorra la Vella goes to bed early. There are a few pubs and wine bars in the centre and in Escaldes-Engordany, but the lively après-ski happens up in the resort villages, not in the capital.

Valencia goes out late, in the Spanish way. The terraces and cocktail bars of Ruzafa stay busy past midnight, El Carmen has older, rougher bars, and in summer people move to the open-air clubs by the port and Malvarrosa. During Fallas, whole neighbourhoods party in the street.

Andorra la Vella sits in high mountains, at about 1,000m with peaks near 3,000m around it. In winter there are lift-linked pistes and ski touring. In summer there is hiking and mountain biking to glacial lakes, and the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley begins on the edge of town.

Valencia's nature is flat and watery. The Albufera lagoon has rice fields, herons and boat trips at sunset, and the Turia gardens run green through the city. For real hills, such as the gorge at Chulilla, you need to drive inland.

Valencia is the better base for excursions. Trains reach Roman Sagunto and the ridge-top castle of Xàtiva in about half an hour, and the high-speed line reaches the hanging houses of Cuenca in about an hour. Peñíscola and the Utiel-Requena wine cellars are also within easy range.

From Andorra la Vella every outing is by road over the mountains. The choice is limited: the cathedral town of La Seu d'Urgell, the Cerdanya with Puigcerdà and Llívia, and Foix castle in France about two hours away.

Valencia is much easier with children of any age. The Oceanogràfic aquarium, the hands-on science museum, Bioparc and the giant Gulliver playground in the Turia gardens fill several days, and the shallow city beaches suit small children.

Andorra la Vella works for families who come for the ski schools or the summer mountain parks with toboggan runs and rope courses, and Caldea covers a rainy day. Without those, the busy shopping street soon loses older children.

Getting there and getting around are simpler in Valencia. The flat centre is easy on foot or by bike, the Turia gardens are a car-free route across the city, and metro and tram lines go to the airport and the beaches.

Andorra la Vella has a compact centre, though some old-quarter lanes are steep. Buses run through the valleys. There is no train, it is a long drive from the nearest airports, and the main valley road clogs at weekends, so a car helps for trailheads.

The two are about level for shopping, but they suit different shoppers. Andorra la Vella's main avenues form one long, low-tax strip of perfume, electronics, spirits and above all ski and outdoor gear, often cheaper than over the borders. It is good for stocking up but short on character.

Valencia is the place for browsing. There are chains and luxury boutiques around Calle Colón, independent and vintage shops in El Carmen and Ruzafa, and things that belong to the region, such as Manises ceramics, painted fans and saffron from the Mercado Central.

Overall costs are similar, but the savings are in different places. In Andorra la Vella, rooms are good value outside the peak ski weeks and spirits and tobacco are cheap, but ski passes and the spa cost what they cost in any resort. In Valencia, the set lunch, tapas, bike hire and transport are cheap, while beach rice lunches and Fallas week push the bill up.

Valencia has a proper cultural season. The Palau de les Arts stages opera and ballet with its own well-regarded orchestra, the Palau de la Música hosts the city orchestra, and Ruzafa has a small jazz circuit.

In Andorra la Vella there is little live performance outside summer, when the jazz festival in Escaldes-Engordany and the classical festival in Ordino bring the calendar to life.

For pampering, Andorra la Vella has the edge thanks to its natural hot springs. They feed Caldea in neighbouring Escaldes-Engordany, whose lagoons, saunas and adults-only area are the obvious end to a day outdoors, and real quiet is found in the stone villages of the side valleys.

Valencia has no springs. Its old Moorish baths survive only as a monument, and modern Arab-style bath houses fill the gap. Its rest comes from long lunches, walks along the promenade and the mild air.