Bilbao or Cordoba?

Bilbao has the edge, because the metro reaches real beaches. Ereaga and Arrigunaga in Getxo, the surf sands of Sopelana and the sheltered bay at Plentzia are all under an hour away, though the Biscay weather makes a beach day a gamble even in July.

Cordoba has no coast to speak of. The Costa del Sol is about 160km away, so a swim means a long day out by train, and summer cooling-off usually happens in a hotel pool or a Sierra Morena reservoir.

Both cities eat in small rounds at the bar, but Bilbao does it at a higher level. The pintxo counters of the Casco Viejo and Plaza Nueva, the fish and txuleta of Basque cooking, the Ribera market and a cluster of Michelin-starred kitchens make food a reason to travel there in its own right.

Cordoba's strength is a short list of local dishes eaten in patio tabernas: salmorejo, flamenquin, rabo de toro and fried aubergine with cane honey, washed down with chilled Montilla-Moriles. It is honest, satisfying cooking, but with less fine dining and less variety than Bilbao.

Bilbao's strength is modern art and architecture. Gehry's Guggenheim and the Bellas Artes collection come first, with the Basque Museum in the old town and the Vizcaya Bridge at Portugalete a metro ride away. The Casco Viejo is pleasant rather than monumental, though, so there is less history to see.

Cordoba is the richer of the two by some distance. The Mezquita-Cathedral is one of the great buildings of Europe, and the Juderia, the Roman bridge, the Alcazar gardens and the patios of Viana and San Basilio layer Roman, Islamic and Christian history within a short walk of one another. Just west of the city, the caliphal ruins of Medina Azahara are worth a separate outing.

Neither city is a clubbing destination, but Bilbao offers more on an ordinary weekend. The pintxo crawl runs late in the Casco Viejo, younger crowds gather around Licenciado Poza, and the Ribera streets hold alternative bars. Aste Nagusia takes over the riverbanks in August.

Cordoba's nights are long dinners and drinks on the squares of the Corredera and Las Tendillas, livelier in summer and wildest in the casetas of the May fair. Outside those times, little happens late.

Bilbao is far better for the outdoors. Artxanda and Pagasarri start at the edge of town, Urkiola and Gorbea offer real mountain walking, and the coast adds the cliff paths of Getxo, the Urdaibai reserve, Gaztelugatxe and the Mundaka wave for surfers. The cost is frequent rain.

Cordoba's countryside is gentler and needs a car: the oak-covered Sierra Morena, the birds of prey of Hornachuelos and the karst gorges of the Subbeticas. It is lovely for spring walks, but in summer the heat shuts it down.

Cordoba has the stronger list, because of the train. Seville, Granada and Malaga are each between one hour and an hour and a half away, so three major cities are easy outings without changing hotel, with Ubeda, Baeza and Carmona for drivers.

Bilbao's outings are excellent too, but smaller in scale. Its options include San Sebastián's pintxo bars, Gernika, the fishing ports of the Basque coast, Vitoria-Gasteiz, the bodegas around Laguardia and Haro, and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria.

Bilbao is the easier city with children, mainly because of its terrain and the season. The flat riverside promenade suits pushchairs, Doña Casilda Park and the Artxanda funicular fill an afternoon, and in summer the metro beaches add sand and sea, although there is no zoo or aquarium.

Cordoba's car-free lanes are safe for children to roam, and the Alcazar fountains, the horse show and Almodovar castle all appeal. But most sights are made for adults, and the summer heat is hard on small children.

Both centres are walkable, but Bilbao's is flatter and better served. The river walk runs from the Casco Viejo to the Guggenheim, a tram follows it, and the Foster-designed metro reaches the beaches and the Vizcaya Bridge.

Cordoba is a city for walking alone. Its sights cluster in tight, cobbled lanes that are easy on foot but hard with luggage, buses are basic, and Medina Azahara and the countryside need a tour bus or a car. The fast-train station, though, is close to the old town.

Neither is a shopping destination, though Bilbao offers a little more range. The Gran Vía has chains, a department store and some boutiques, while the old Casco Viejo shops sell berets and espadrilles, and the delicatessens stock anchovies, Idiazabal and txakoli to take home.

Cordoba is about crafts: silver filigree, embossed cordobán leather, ceramics and guitars from local workshops. These are worth seeking out away from the Juderia souvenir stalls.

Cordoba is the cheaper stay. Taberna tapas and Montilla cost very little, hotels are good value most of the year, and you rarely need transport. The exception is May, when the patio festival and fair push prices sharply up.

Bilbao costs more than most of Spain, especially for central hotels near the Guggenheim and during Aste Nagusia. A pintxo crawl stays reasonable, but the asadores and starred restaurants do not.

The two are fairly evenly matched, with Bilbao slightly ahead on range. The Euskalduna hosts the ABAO opera season and the symphony orchestra, the Arriaga and Campos Elíseos stage theatre, and BBK Live brings international bands each July.

Cordoba's speciality is flamenco, which Bilbao cannot match. It has tablaos in the old town, aficionado peñas, the guitar festival and the all-night Noche Blanca del Flamenco, while the Gran Teatro covers the orchestra and touring shows.

Cordoba is slightly better for unwinding. Its Arab-style bath houses, with warm pools under horseshoe arches, recall the caliphal baths, and the fountain courtyards and summer siesta set a slow pace.

Bilbao has only hotel and urban day spas. Its relaxation comes from long lunches and riverside strolls, and a proper spa stay means travelling out to the balnearios of the Basque interior.