Bilbao or Segovia?

Neither city is a beach destination, but only Bilbao has beaches you can reach easily. The metro runs out to Ereaga and Arrigunaga in Getxo, to the surf beaches of Sopelana and to the sheltered bay at Plentzia, all in under an hour. Late summer is the time for a proper swim.

Segovia is a long day's drive from any coast. Cooling off there means a pool, or the cold reservoirs and river pools of the Guadarrama foothills.

Bilbao is one of the main reasons people visit northern Spain to eat. Moving from bar to bar for pintxos and txakoli is a nightly habit, the Ribera market shows off the region's fish and cheeses, and the cooking runs from grilled hake and txuleta steaks to several Michelin-starred restaurants.

Segovia is worth a meal rather than a whole trip built around food. Its fame rests on cochinillo and lechazo roasted in wood-fired ovens, with judiones beans from La Granja and the marzipan-topped ponche to finish. Beyond these the choice is narrow, and the best meals are often in the side streets rather than by the aqueduct.

Segovia has the richer historic centre. The aqueduct, the late Gothic cathedral, the Alcázar on the tip of the ridge, the Romanesque churches with their arcaded porches and the old Jewish quarter make up one UNESCO site that you can walk through in a day.

Bilbao's strength lies in its museums rather than its streets. Gehry's Guggenheim and the old masters of the Bellas Artes outclass anything in Segovia's modest museums, but the Casco Viejo is pleasant rather than grand. The Vizcaya Bridge down the estuary is its own UNESCO site.

Going out in Bilbao has more range than the pintxo crawl alone suggests. The old-town streets near the Ribera market hold the more alternative bars, and a small club scene picks up once the bars wind down, though most weeknights stay quiet. In August, Aste Nagusia, the Great Week, fills the riverbanks with bar stalls and crowds for nine days.

Segovia offers far less after dark. A handful of student bars stay open later at weekends, but there are hardly any clubs, and on weeknights and through the cold months the old town falls silent fairly early. For a proper late night, people head to Madrid.

Both cities have mountains on their doorstep, but the landscapes differ. Around Bilbao the country is green and wet: the beech woods of Gorbea, the limestone of Urkiola, cliff paths along the coast, the Urdaibai reserve and Mundaka's famous surf wave.

Segovia faces a higher, drier sierra. The pine forests of Valsaín and the passes of Navacerrada lead up to Peñalara's glacial lakes, with snow in winter, and the Duratón gorge has griffon vultures.

Both make excellent bases, and the choice depends on which part of Spain you want to see. From Bilbao the trips are Basque and coastal: San Sebastián, Gernika, the fishing ports from Bermeo to Lekeitio, Vitoria-Gasteiz and the bodegas of Rioja Alavesa.

From Segovia you see Castile and the royal palaces. La Granja is twenty minutes away, Madrid is under half an hour by fast train, and Ávila, El Escorial and the walled villages of Pedraza and Sepúlveda are within reach.

Bilbao is the easier city with children. Its centre is flat along the river, which suits pushchairs and scooters, Doña Casilda Park and the funicular to Artxanda break up the day, and in summer the metro reaches the beaches.

Segovia has one great attraction for children, a cliff-top castle with a tower to climb. Its steep cobbles are hard work with a pushchair, though, and a day or two covers it. Neither city has a zoo, aquarium or theme park.

Bilbao is the easier city to get around. A flat riverside walk links the old town to the Guggenheim, a tram runs the same route, and Foster's metro runs down both banks of the estuary to the coast.

In Segovia everything lies along one ridge that you can walk in a morning, but it is steep and cobbled. The high-speed station is some way out of town, and the villages and mountain trailheads really need a car.

Neither city is a shopping destination, but Bilbao offers more choice. The Gran Vía has the chains and a department store, and the old family shops of the Casco Viejo sell berets, espadrilles and linen. Segovia has souvenirs along Calle Real, some ceramics and embroidery, and boxed ponche or La Granja beans to take home. In both cities the best souvenirs are things to eat.

Bilbao costs more than Segovia, and more than most Spanish cities. Hotel prices are highest around the Guggenheim, during the Great Week in August and when a big concert is on. Dinner at an asador or one of the Michelin-starred restaurants also costs a good deal.

Segovia is the cheaper stay overall, but it has expensive moments too. Roast suckling pig or lamb in the well-known dining rooms by the aqueduct is a treat rather than an everyday meal. Old-town rooms also cost more at weekends and in summer, when visitors come out from Madrid.

Bilbao has a far fuller stage. ABAO's opera season and the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra play at the Euskalduna, the Arriaga and the Campos Elíseos theatres stage drama and dance, and each July BBK Live brings international bands to Mount Cobetas.

Segovia's live arts come mainly from its festivals. The best known are the Titirimundi puppet festival in spring and summer concerts in churches and palace gardens, with touring shows at the Teatro Juan Bravo. For opera you have to go to Madrid.

Neither city has a spa tradition, and in both a spa means a hotel spa. The difference is in the pace. Bilbao relaxes over long lunches and riverside walks, and its historic balnearios lie in the Basque interior, a separate trip. Segovia slows down once the day-trippers leave in the late afternoon, leaving quiet walks along the walls and pine-scented air from the sierra.