Cadiz or Fes?

This is where the two differ most. Cadiz is almost surrounded by the Atlantic, with the sheltered cove of La Caleta in the old town, kilometres of fine sand at Playa Victoria and the wild beaches of El Palmar, Conil and Bolonia a short drive away. The one catch is the levante, which can whip sand across the beaches for days.

Fes is inland, about three hours from either coast, so swimming means a hotel pool or a small plunge pool in a riad. Anyone who wants the sea should not choose it.

Both cities have a strong but narrow kitchen with little international choice. Cadiz cooks the sea: fried fish in paper cones, shrimp tortillitas and almadraba tuna in the tapas bars of La Viña, all with chilled manzanilla or fino. That gives it the edge for grazing and for a drink with dinner.

Fes cooks slowly and mixes sweet with savoury, from pastilla to tagines with quince or preserved lemon, with bissara at breakfast counters. Its best meals are long dinners in riads, and outside hotels and the Ville Nouvelle alcohol is hard to find.

Cadiz has ancient roots and a compact set of sights: Phoenician sarcophagi in the Museo de Cádiz, the Roman theatre in the Barrio del Pópulo, the gold-domed cathedral and the oratory where Spain's 1812 constitution was signed. Together they make two or three good days.

Fes goes much further. Fes el-Bali is a working medieval city in its own right, with the carved cedar and zellige of the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas, the Chouara tannery and the coppersmiths of Seffarine. Here the old city itself is the sight, more than any museum.

Cadiz has a real if modest night out: late tapas in La Viña, squares that fill on warm nights, and summer terraces along the Playa Victoria promenade open into the early hours. For ten days each February, Carnival turns the whole city into a street party.

Fes has almost nothing to match it. The medina empties once the shops close, alcohol is scarce, and most evenings end with tea on a riad roof.

Cadiz has more within reach and more variety. There are flamingos and spoonbills in the salt pans of the Bahía de Cádiz, clifftop pine forest at La Breña, kitesurfing and whale-watching from Tarifa, and the Sierra de Grazalema for proper mountain walking.

Fes offers greener, cooler country in the Middle Atlas, with cedar forests near Azrou where Barbary macaques live wild, small plateau lakes and the caves of Tazekka. All of it needs a car or driver, and the summer heat cuts down outings.

Cadiz makes the better base. Trains reach the sherry bodegas of Jerez in half an hour and Seville in under two hours, and a ferry crosses the bay to El Puerto de Santa María. With a car you can reach white towns such as Vejer and Arcos and the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia.

Fes has one outstanding day out, combining Meknes, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss, plus Ifrane and Sefrou to the south. Beyond those, the famous names such as Chefchaouen are too far for a comfortable day.

Cadiz is far easier with children. Playa Victoria has lifeguards and space, the old town is flat and mostly closed to traffic, and nobody minds families out late in the squares. There is little built for children, though, and the midday heat needs planning.

Fes is hard going with young ones: steep lanes shared with donkeys, persistent touts and very hot summer afternoons. Older children who like watching craftsmen and trying street snacks may love it, and a riad with a pool helps.

Cadiz is simpler to handle. Its old town is flat and largely car-free, buses run out to the beach, and trains to Jerez and Seville leave straight from the old town. You will still need a car for the coast and the white villages.

The Fes medina is car-free too, but its lanes climb, twist and dead-end, and many first-time visitors hire a guide. Petit taxis link the medina gates with the Ville Nouvelle and the station, and most trips beyond Meknes need a driver.

Cadiz is for small souvenirs: hand-painted fans, ceramics, flamenco fashion and sherry, plus chains and family-run shops around Calle Ancha. Anything more means a trip to Seville.

For crafts, Fes is the clear choice. Leather, copper and brass, blue Fassi pottery, zellige and woven textiles are made in workshops right behind the counters. Expect to bargain, and wander without a guide to avoid the shops that pay commission. Neither city is the place for fashion or luxury brands.

In Cadiz the food and drink are good value, with freidurías, tapas and sherry cheaper than in most of Western Europe. Rooms in the small old town are the costly part, especially in summer and during Carnival.

Fes is cheaper across the board, from street food and petit taxis to entry to the madrasas and riads in the medina with plenty of character. The money goes on grand riads, private guides and drivers, and alcohol is the one thing that costs a lot.

Cadiz has more going on stage. Flamenco peñas in the Santa María quarter perform alegrías for audiences who know the forms, and the Gran Teatro Falla puts on plays and concerts all year, as well as the satirical choirs of the Carnival contest.

Fes has a deep tradition of Andalusian classical and Sufi music, best heard at the Festival of World Sacred Music. Outside the festival there are only occasional concerts and music at riad dinners, and no regular theatre.

Cadiz offers a slow rhythm rather than treatments: long lunches, siestas and sunset walks by La Caleta. If you want treatments, there are resort spas at Novo Sancti Petri and Arab-style baths in Jerez, but they need planning.

In Fes, bathing is part of daily life. Every medina quarter has a public hammam for steam and black-soap scrubs, riads offer calmer versions, and the thermal springs of Moulay Yacoub are about half an hour away.