Costa Brava or Costa del Sol?

These are two equally strong beach coasts, but they offer different kinds of beach. The Costa Brava is a coast of coves: small inlets of clear green water under pine-covered cliffs around Begur and Calella de Palafrugell, with long open sand at the Bay of Roses and the Pals dunes for anyone who wants space. The tramontana wind can churn up the northern beaches for days.

Costa del Sol is one long, almost continuous strip of wide, coarse grey-gold sand lined with sunbeds and beach grills. It is easy to use but packed around Torremolinos and Fuengirola in summer. For clearer water, go to the coves below the cliffs at Maro and Nerja.

If you travel to eat, the Costa Brava has the edge. Empordà cooking pairs seafood with meat in mar i muntanya dishes, and the red prawns of Palamós and the anchovies of L'Escala are known across Spain. Girona's countryside has long been a destination for serious fine dining.

Costa del Sol's food is simpler and centred on the sea: sardine espetos grilled over beach fires, fried fish and Málaga's sweet wines. The best eating is in Málaga's old taverns and the fishing districts of Pedregalejo and El Palo. On both coasts, food in the big resorts is aimed at tourists and not worth the money.

The Costa Brava's sights are spread across the whole province, and seeing them is a matter of driving from one to the next. The Dalí triangle links Figueres, Portlligat and Púbol, Girona's medieval quarter lies inland, and on the coast there are the Greek and Roman ruins at Empúries and the walled old town of Tossa. Seeing it properly takes a car and several days.

On Costa del Sol nearly all of it sits in Málaga, close enough together to cover on foot. The Alcazaba and Roman theatre are a short walk from the Picasso Museum, the Carmen Thyssen collection and the Pompidou branch on the port. Apart from Marbella's old town and the Nerja cave, the resorts have little heritage of their own.

Costa del Sol offers far more choice after dark. You can pick between yachts and beach clubs at Puerto Banús, the long-established gay scene in Torremolinos, cheap bar strips in Fuengirola, and Málaga's late tapas rounds, which carry on all year.

On the Costa Brava, nightlife mostly means Lloret de Mar's party clubs and the late bars of Platja d'Aro. In the nicer villages, evenings end with dinner and a drink in the square, and outside summer most of the coast closes early.

On the Costa Brava the best scenery is the coastline itself. The Camí de Ronda follows red cliffs and pine woods between the villages, Cap de Creus is a bare, wind-carved headland, and the Medes Islands give some of Spain's best snorkelling and diving. Inland there are the Aiguamolls wetlands and the Garrotxa's volcanoes, and the coast is easy to explore by kayak.

On Costa del Sol the landscape lies behind a built-up shore. Its highlights are the Río Chíllar gorge walk above Nerja, the Caminito del Rey and the rock formations of El Torcal. Summer heat makes these hard going, so they are better in spring and autumn.

Both coasts are good bases for day trips, but Costa del Sol has the bigger names within reach. From Málaga, the fast train reaches Córdoba's Mezquita and Seville, Granada's Alhambra is an easy drive, and Ronda and Gibraltar are reachable from the western resorts.

The Costa Brava's main day trip is Barcelona, quick by fast train from Girona. Its other outings are on a smaller scale: Collioure across the French border, the medieval bridge at Besalú, the Empordà wine villages and Montserrat.

On the Costa Brava a family vacation usually means a campsite or resort behind a shallow bay at Roses, L'Estartit or Pals, with days spent paddling and building sandcastles. The outings are low-key: glass-bottom boats to the Medes Islands and the cliff-top gardens at Blanes and Lloret. The prettiest coves are down long flights of steps, which is hard work with small children.

Costa del Sol has more ready-made attractions, mostly close together between Torremolinos and Fuengirola: a zoo, an aquarium, a marine park, water parks and the Calamorro cable car. Hotels there are built around pools, and Málaga's car-free centre is easy with a pushchair.

Costa del Sol is easier without a car. A commuter train runs from Málaga through the airport to Torremolinos and Fuengirola, and Málaga's centre is flat and walkable. Beyond that, slow coastal buses and a car take over.

On the Costa Brava, a car is close to essential. The fast trains stop inland at Girona and Figueres, none of the beach towns has a station, buses are sparse, and the roads down to the coves around Begur and Cadaqués jam in August.

For shopping, Costa del Sol is well ahead. Puerto Banús has a harbourfront row of luxury fashion houses, Marbella's old town has boutiques, and Málaga's Calle Larios has the main Spanish chains, with big malls by the motorway as well.

On the Costa Brava, the best buys are the ceramics workshops of La Bisbal d'Empordà, local produce from weekly markets and the independent shops of Girona. Anyone who wants more makes the trip to Barcelona.

Overall costs are similar, and on both coasts the bill depends mostly on where you stay. The expensive end is Begur, Cadaqués and S'Agaró on the Costa Brava, and Marbella and Puerto Banús on Costa del Sol. The cheaper options are Lloret de Mar and the big campsites in the north, and the package resorts of Torremolinos and Fuengirola in the south.

The real difference is transport. On the Costa Brava, a hire car and parking at the coves add to every day's cost. On Costa del Sol, the cheap commuter train and buses let you skip the car for much of the stay.

On the Costa Brava live performance is a summer festival season in unusual settings: opera and ballet in the castle grounds at Peralada, big-name acts in the cliff-top garden at Cap Roig, and havaneres sea songs sung on the beach at Calella de Palafrugell. Outside July and August there is little beyond Girona's own stages.

Málaga gives Costa del Sol a stage that runs all year. The Teatro Cervantes hosts the city orchestra and opera, and the flamenco peñas hold weekend shows that are more genuine than the dinner shows in the resorts.

Costa del Sol is better set up for a restful or spa-focused stay. Around Marbella there are large spa hotels and residential retreats for longer fasting and detox stays, Málaga has Moorish-style bathhouses, and the mild winters draw visitors who come simply to slow down.

What the Costa Brava has that the south lacks is a genuine bathing tradition at Caldes de Malavella, with Roman baths and mineral springs. Apart from that, rest here mostly means a farmhouse in the Baix Empordà and quiet coves in June or September.