Antigua Guatemala or Granada, Nicaragua?

Neither town has a beach of its own, but Granada has far better swimming within easy reach. Lake Nicaragua at the waterfront is too murky to swim in. Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake half an hour away, has clear, warm, calm water and lodges where you can spend a whole day going in and out of the water.

Antigua has nothing comparable. In town, swimming means a hotel pool. The Pacific at Monterrico is two hours off, with black volcanic sand, heavy surf and strong currents, so it is better as an overnight change of scene than a beach day.

Antigua gives a food lover more to explore. Coffee from the volcano slopes can be followed from farm to cup, chocolate makers run tastings, and highland stews such as pepián and jocón sit alongside tamales and the set lunches in the central market's comedores.

Granada's best eating is on the street: vigorón on a banana leaf from the park kiosks and grilled meat from the evening fritanga stalls. The restaurants on La Calzada are uneven. In both towns fine dining is scarce and the menus start repeating after a few days.

Both are low, colourful colonial grids, but Antigua has much more to look at. When the capital moved after the 1773 earthquakes it left behind churches and convents in ruins, and wandering through Capuchinas, San Francisco or the cathedral's broken vaults is the town's great experience. The Santa Catalina arch and the Santo Domingo museums complete it.

Granada is more about atmosphere than monuments. You get the yellow cathedral, the view from La Merced's bell tower to Mombacho, and the pre-Columbian basalt statues in the San Francisco convent. Two days covers it, and much of the pleasure is just being in the painted streets.

Antigua's evenings come in more styles. You can pick a rooftop bar facing the volcanoes, a candlelit mezcal or craft-beer room behind a colonial doorway, or a salsa night full of language students. The catch is the early finish: most places shut well before the small hours, although weekends bring a livelier crowd up from the capital.

In Granada a night out mostly means one street. Tables spill onto La Calzada, cheap rum and local beer keep people there late, and a few small clubs play reggaeton and salsa at weekends. It is easy and sociable, but a night or two covers it.

Both towns are surrounded by volcanoes, and Antigua's edge is in serious hiking. The overnight climb of Acatenango to a camp facing Fuego's night-time lava is one of the region's great walks, and Pacaya is an easy half-day over black lava.

Granada mixes volcanoes with water. You can follow the cloud-forest trails on Mombacho, kayak among the islets of Las Isletas looking for herons, and drive right to the rim of Masaya's active crater. It suits people who want variety more than a big climb, but the lowland heat makes early starts essential.

The outings are about as good in both towns. What differs is the distance. Antigua's valley villages, such as San Antonio Aguas Calientes with its backstrap weaving, are a short tuk-tuk ride away, and the Maya ruins of Iximché are about an hour and a half west. The big names, Lake Atitlán and the Chichicastenango market, are two and a half hours or more away, so the round trip fills a very long day and many visitors stay the night.

From Granada almost everything is close: the Masaya craft market and the Monimbó quarter, the pottery town of San Juan de Oriente, and the Catarina lookout over Apoyo. These are pleasant towns rather than major heritage sites.

Neither town is made for children, and Antigua is slightly easier with them. Its mild air helps, and the hands-on activities work well: chocolate workshops, coffee farms, horse rides and the Pacaya walk for school-age children. The cobbles are hard going with a pushchair, though.

Granada has fun moments with children, including carriage rides, the monkey island among the islets, swimming at Apoyo and peering into Masaya's crater. The constant heat and basic medical care outside the capital make it better for older, adaptable children than for toddlers.

The real difference is in leaving town. From Antigua, tourist shuttles run to the airport, the lake and the capital, and chicken buses reach the valley villages. In town, tuk-tuks handle the short hops and everything in the grid is a short walk, with the volcanoes as landmarks. Wear sturdy shoes for the big cobbles.

Granada's centre is just as compact, but the afternoon heat sends you into taxis and horse carriages. Going further is harder, because the local buses leave from informal terminals and take some working out. Most visitors book shuttles or drivers for Apoyo, the volcanoes and the coast.

Antigua is the better place to shop for crafts. Handwoven huipiles from the highland villages, jade carving and embroidery fill the market by the bus terminal and the streets near the arch, and courtyard boutiques sell more refined versions. Bargain at the stalls and check quality closely.

Granada's crafts are bulkier and more domestic: hammocks, rocking chairs, painted pottery from the Pueblos Blancos, cigars and rum. The town shops have a thin selection, and the real choice is at the Masaya market. Neither town has any fashion shopping.

Granada is clearly the cheaper of the two. Guesthouses, street food, taxis, buses and even tours to the volcanoes and islets cost little, and the restored-mansion hotels still look modest to visitors from North America or Europe.

Antigua is not expensive by Western standards, but it is Guatemala's priciest town. Its boutique hotels and the restaurants around the park charge close to Western rates. A careful traveller still does well on hostels, comedor lunches and chicken buses, but guided hikes and shuttles add up.

Neither town has a theatre or concert season, and Antigua offers slightly more live music. Marimba plays in the central park, bands and salsa nights fill the bars, and concerts are sometimes staged in the ruined cloisters. Its Holy Week processions, with brass bands walking over sawdust carpets, are a sight in their own right.

Granada's music comes mostly to the dinner table, with marimba players and folkloric dancers on La Calzada. Patron saint festivals add costumed dances.

Antigua is the better place to unwind properly. Quiet courtyard hotels look out on the volcanoes, yoga studios are common, and several boutique hotels have real spas using local coffee and cacao. Temazcal sweat baths turn up too, though church bells and saints'-day fireworks can wake you early.

Granada's version of rest is simpler: a rocking chair in a shaded courtyard, a hotel pool, an evening walk once the heat lifts. For yoga and massage, the lodges at Laguna de Apoyo are the place to go.