Cascais or Cordoba?

In Cascais the beach is simply part of the day. The coves of Conceição, Duquesa and Rainha sit right below the old centre, the promenade continues to the longer sands at Estoril, and Carcavelos is a few train stops away for surf. The south-facing bay keeps the water calm, though at Atlantic temperatures a swim is bracing rather than warm.

Cordoba lies inland in the Guadalquivir valley, and the beach plays no part in a stay there. A day trip to the Costa del Sol is possible by fast train, but it makes for a long day. In summer locals cool off in pools or at reservoirs in the Sierra Morena.

Cordoba is the better place to eat. Its tabernas, often old houses with tiled patios, serve dishes that belong to the city: salmorejo, flamenquin, rabo de toro and fried aubergine with cane honey, with the dry Montilla-Moriles wines poured alongside. A tapas round through Santa Marina or San Agustin beats sitting down near the Mezquita.

Cascais eats almost entirely from the sea, with grilled sardines and bass from the harbour catch, clams and long seafood lunches on the road to Guincho. Beyond that the choice is narrow, and the centre leans on tourist menus, so keen eaters often go into Lisbon for dinner.

Here the gap is wide, and it favours Cordoba. The Mezquita-Cathedral, with its forest of striped arches and a Renaissance cathedral built inside it, is one of the great buildings of Europe. Around it are the Juderia's lanes and synagogue, the Roman bridge, the Alcazar and the patios of San Basilio and the Palacio de Viana. Medina Azahara lies just outside the city.

Cascais has charm rather than monuments. There are the villas left by the royal summer court, the Citadel, and Paula Rego's paintings in their red pyramid towers. All of it fits into a single day's stroll, and for major sights people head to Sintra or Lisbon.

Neither is a clubbing destination, but Cordoba keeps going later. On warm nights the terraces around the Corredera, Las Tendillas and the river fill after ten, students keep weekend bars busy, and the May fair runs until dawn.

Cascais offers a quieter evening, with pubs, wine bars and cocktail terraces in a few old streets and the casino at Estoril if you want to dress up. Outside high summer the town is mostly asleep by midnight. A real night out means Lisbon and watching the time of the last train back.

Cascais is much the stronger choice outdoors. A cycle path runs west past Boca do Inferno and the dunes to Guincho, where the wind and waves draw kitesurfers and surfers, and the cliffs at Cabo da Roca mark the western edge of mainland Europe. Inland, the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park has misty trails through cork oak and pine.

Around Cordoba the countryside takes more effort. The wooded Sierra Morena, the birds of prey of Hornachuelos and the gorges of the Sierras Subbeticas mostly need a car, and summer heat leaves only the dawn hours for walking or cycling.

Both make excellent bases, and the difference lies in where you end up. From Cascais the outings are a capital and its hinterland: Lisbon by the coastal train past Belém, the palaces of Sintra over the ridge, and Mafra, Ericeira and Óbidos by car.

From Cordoba the high-speed trains link three great cities. Seville, Granada with the Alhambra, and Malaga are each roughly an hour or so away without changing hotel. A car adds the Renaissance towns of Ubeda and Baeza and the Montilla bodegas.

Cascais is the easier choice with young children. Its shallow, sheltered coves, a flat promenade suited to pushchairs and scooters, and the peacocks and playground of the Marechal Carmona park make for simple, unplanned days. The drawbacks are a cold sea and the lack of a zoo or aquarium short of Lisbon.

Cordoba welcomes children warmly, and its traffic-free lanes are safe to roam. The Alcazar fountains, the horse show at the royal stables and Almodovar castle go down well, but most sights are made for adults and summer heat is hard on small children.

On the ground the two are about level. In both, most of what a visitor wants is within walking distance, but the layout is different. Cascais stretches along the shore, so the seafront path carries you from the harbour and coves on to Estoril, and the train beside the water gives a direct line into Lisbon with no car needed. The wilder coast at Guincho and the Sintra hills are slower to reach by bus, and anyone touring the region for several days will be glad of a car.

Cordoba's sights sit close together in one tight old town, where the Mezquita, the Juderia and the Roman bridge are minutes apart on foot, and the fast-train station is close by. Its cobbled lanes are pleasant to walk but awkward with luggage, and in summer you have to fit walking around the shady hours. The caliphal ruins west of the city are too far to walk, so you need a taxi or an organised coach to reach them, and a car for the hill towns and the countryside.

Neither city is a reason to go shopping, but what you bring home differs. In Cascais it is beachwear, surf brands, azulejo tiles, cork and tinned fish in decorative tins, with Lisbon for anything serious.

Cordoba's speciality is craft: silver filigree, embossed guadameci leather, ceramics and guitars from local workshops. Cruz Conde and Las Tendillas cover high-street needs.

Cordoba is clearly the cheaper stay. Rooms are good value for most of the year, and a glass of Montilla with a tapa costs very little. The only real price spike comes in May, with the patio festival and the fair.

Cascais is one of Portugal's pricier resorts. Seafront hotels and harbour restaurants charge accordingly, above all in July and August. Eating in the back streets and coming outside high summer help a good deal.

Cordoba gives you more to see in the evening, and almost all of it is flamenco. There are tablaos in the old town, rougher nights in the peñas, a respected guitar festival and the free Noche Blanca performances in summer, with the Gran Teatro for the city orchestra and touring shows.

Cascais has Portuguese-language theatre in Estoril, casino cabaret and a summer jazz tradition. For fado or opera you go to Lisbon.

Cascais has the slight edge for a restful stay. Estoril's history as a spa town carries on in thalassotherapy and hotel spas, and quiet mornings on the promenade with sea yoga in summer set the pace, though summer weekends bring Lisbon crowds.

Cordoba relaxes in its own way. There are Arab-style bath houses under horseshoe arches, courtyards of orange trees and fountains, and a forced midday rest in summer. Neither is built for a dedicated spa vacation.