Benidorm or Ronda?

Benidorm is a beach town first and last. Levante and Poniente give several kilometres of groomed sand and shallow water below the towers, and the Serra Gelada coves and the pebbles at Albir add variety close by.

Ronda has nothing like this. The nearest sand is around Estepona, roughly 50km away down a mountain road full of hairpin bends, so a swim in the sea takes a whole day. Most visitors use a hotel pool instead.

The two eat about equally well, but from different kitchens. Benidorm cooks the rice dishes of the Alicante coast, from paella to arroz negro, and has fresh fish and an old-town lane of tapas bars. Ronda serves mountain food: oxtail stew, lamb, game, cured hams and autumn chestnuts, with wine tastings at wineries just outside town.

In both places the good meals are a short walk from the crowds. In Benidorm that means leaving the package-tourist menus of the Rincón de Loix behind. In Ronda it means skipping the gorge-view terraces for the tapas bars of the Mercadillo.

This is where Ronda pulls clearly ahead. The Tajo gorge, the Puente Nuevo across it, the Arab baths, Santa María la Mayor and the stairway cut into the rock at the Casa del Rey Moro fill one or two rewarding days.

Benidorm offers a short walk round its old fishing village, the blue-domed church and the view from the Balcón del Mediterráneo. After that, its most striking sight is the skyline of towers itself.

For a night out, Benidorm wins easily. The Rincón de Loix is packed with themed pubs, karaoke and drag cabaret, the old town has Spanish tapas terraces, and the big clubs outside the centre stay open until dawn in summer.

Ronda's evenings revolve around late dinners and drinks in and around the Plaza del Socorro. The town is quiet by the early hours, except during the September fair.

Benidorm has better outdoor options than its towers suggest. There is the cliff path through the Serra Gelada, hiking on Puig Campana and the Aitana range, and snorkelling, diving and kayaking at sea, which Ronda cannot offer.

Ronda has the stronger landscape all round, though. The green Sierra de Grazalema, the Spanish fir forests of the Sierra de las Nieves, climbing on the gorge walls and the Caminito del Rey make the countryside a reason to stay several days.

Both make good bases, and Ronda has the slight edge. From Benidorm, Altea, Villajoyosa and the castle village of Guadalest are close by, the tram reaches Alicante, and Valencia is a long but rewarding day out.

From Ronda, Setenil's houses under the rock, Zahara, the Roman ruins of Acinipo and the painted Cueva de la Pileta are all near, with Seville and Antequera's dolmens further out. Almost all of these need a hire car.

Benidorm is far easier with children. Its beaches slope gently into calm water and the promenades are flat. A theme park, a water park, a marine park and a zoo sit on the edge of town. Staying near Poniente keeps families away from the adult nightlife streets.

Ronda welcomes children in its squares, and older ones enjoy the gorge walk and the caves nearby. But it has no attractions built for them, and the steep cobbled lanes make pushchairs hard work.

Benidorm is the simpler place to get around without a car. The flat promenades link the beaches and the old town, buses run out to the parks, and the coastal tram connects Alicante and Altea.

Ronda's centre is small enough to cross on foot in minutes, though the lanes into La Ciudad are steep. Its trains and buses are fine for arriving but too slow and infrequent for exploring, so the villages and natural parks are really car territory.

Neither is a shopping destination, but Benidorm offers a little more. It has streets of beachwear, sunglasses and souvenirs, large weekly open-air markets, and Alicante's shops a tram ride away. Ronda has Carrera Espinel's ordinary chain stores and some ceramics and leather. Its best things to take home are edible: local wine, cured meats and convent sweets.

Costs are similar, but the money goes on different things. In Benidorm, all-inclusive packages and the sheer number of rooms keep prices low, especially in winter. July, August and days at the theme parks are the main expenses.

In Ronda, tapas, set lunches and sight entry fees are modest, and country houses are fairly priced. The hire car you need to see the area is usually the biggest extra, followed by a room overlooking the gorge.

Benidorm has more on, though it is all light entertainment. There are song-and-dance dinner shows, plus drag acts, comedians and tribute singers in its bars every night of the season. Ronda's evenings are mostly small flamenco shows and the occasional play at the municipal theatre. Its one standout event is the Corrida Goyesca, held in costume at the old bullring during the September fair.

Neither town has a bathing tradition, and spa time in both means hotel spas, so they are about level here. What sets them apart is how the quiet comes. Benidorm slows to a mild, sunny pace from November to March, and Poniente is its calmer side all year. Ronda grows quiet every evening once the day-trippers leave, and its country farmhouses with pools and olive groves suit a few days of doing very little.