Dubai or Marrakech?

Dubai is a real beach destination. It has long stretches of pale sand on calm, shallow Gulf water, from Kite Beach and JBR to the private shores of the Palm Jumeirah resorts, and the sea is at its best in winter.

Marrakech has no beach at all. Swimming there means a riad plunge pool or a hotel pool, and the nearest sea is the cool, windy Atlantic at Essaouira, a long drive away. The Lalla Takerkoust reservoir makes a pleasant lakeside afternoon, but it is nothing like a day on the sand.

Dubai has the wider choice. The canteens of Deira and Karama serve cheap Keralan, Pakistani, Afghan, Iranian and Filipino cooking, and at the other end of the scale there are chef-led hotel dining rooms and the long Friday brunch, so a week of meals need never repeat itself.

Marrakech offers one cuisine with real depth: tagines, pastilla, harira, and tanjia slow-cooked in the embers of a hammam furnace, with the grill stalls of Jemaa el-Fna as the evening ritual. Its food is more rooted in the place than Dubai's, where Emirati cooking is hard to find, but medina menus start to repeat after a few days.

Marrakech is the richer city to explore. Its walled medina is a sight in its own right, and within walking distance lie the Koutoubia minaret, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Saadian Tombs and the Bahia and El Badi palaces, with the Majorelle garden just beyond the walls.

Dubai's appeal is modern spectacle: the Burj Khalifa, the Museum of the Future and the Downtown skyline at dusk. Its older layer is small and restored, mainly the wind-tower houses of Al Fahidi and the abra crossing to the Deira souks, so history takes up only a short part of a stay there.

Dubai has much more of a night out. Inside hotels and licensed venues there are DJ clubs, rooftop bars above Sheikh Zayed Road, beach clubs on Palm Jumeirah and the weekend brunch that runs into the night. It is all glamorous and costly, and there is no casual bar scene.

In Marrakech, an evening means dinner and the spectacle of Jemaa el-Fna, and alcohol is served only in licensed places. A few lounges and clubs in Hivernage and Gueliz stay open late, but the city suits a sunset cocktail on a roof terrace better than a long night.

Marrakech has the mountains. The High Atlas is visible from the city, with the Ourika valley, walks between Berber villages from Imlil, the climb of Toubkal and winter skiing at Oukaimeden. Closer in are the stony Agafay desert and dawn balloon flights over the plain.

Dubai's outdoors is desert and sea: dune drives in Al Marmoom and Lahbab, kitesurfing and paddleboarding, and flamingos at Ras Al Khor in winter. The only hills are around Hatta, and for about five months the heat limits most activity to dawn.

Dubai is the better base for a day away. Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque and Louvre, the heritage quarter and museums of Sharjah next door, and the oases and forts of Al Ain all fit comfortably into a day, though the options run out after those three.

From Marrakech, the towns that tempt most are too far for a day trip. Essaouira makes a long day, and Ait Benhaddou needs a night away. Closer to the city there are the village souks at Asni and Amizmiz and the old mosque at Tinmel, and most other excursions head into the mountains rather than to other towns.

Dubai is built for children: Legoland and the other theme parks near Jebel Ali, water parks, the aquarium in the Dubai Mall, indoor snow, a shallow sea and resort kids' clubs. The main drawbacks are the summer heat and the taxi rides between attractions.

Marrakech is much harder with young children. Crowded lanes shared with motorbikes, persistent sellers and few attractions built for children wear families down, so a riad or hotel with a pool matters as a calm base. The city works best for older children who enjoy markets.

Neither city is easy to get around, but the problems are different. Dubai has a clean, driverless metro along Sheikh Zayed Road and out to the Creek, plus a tram at the Marina and the abras. But the city sprawls along some 50km of coast, and the walks from the stations are long, hot and cut by wide roads, so taxis do much of the work.

Marrakech is the opposite. It has no metro or tram, but its compact medina can only be explored on foot, through a maze of unnamed lanes. Petit taxis link it to Gueliz and Majorelle if you agree the fare first, and trips out of town need a driver.

Dubai has more shopping, at every scale. The Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates carry almost every luxury and high-street brand, the choice of watches and jewellery is deep, and the gold, spice and textile souks keep the old trade going on both sides of the Creek.

Marrakech is the place for crafts rather than brands. Its souks are arranged by trade, with lanes of leatherworkers, metalworkers, carpet sellers and babouche makers, and bargaining over tea is part of the experience. Design boutiques in Gueliz and showrooms in Sidi Ghanem offer a calmer browse, but luxury fashion is almost absent.

Marrakech is much the cheaper stay. Street food, petit taxis, mint tea and entry to the palaces cost little, and a simple medina riad gives you real character for modest money, though in the souks your patience at bargaining decides what you pay.

Dubai is expensive in winter, from the beach resorts to the observation decks and theme parks, and its alcohol is among the dearest anywhere. The cheap eateries of Deira and Karama, the metro and the lower hotel rates in summer soften the cost, but never bring it down to Marrakech's level.

Dubai gives you more to book. In the cooler months the Dubai Opera hosts touring ballet, opera, musicals and orchestras, and the big arena brings international concert tours, though almost none of it is home-grown.

Marrakech's performers are free and in the open air: gnawa musicians, drummers and storytellers fill Jemaa el-Fna every evening, and the Popular Arts Festival brings folk troupes from across Morocco. These make memorable street life rather than a programme of shows, and most staged entertainment is dinner shows aimed at tourists.

Marrakech has a bathing culture you can join. Every quarter of the medina has a public hammam with black soap and kessa scrubs, and the spa hammams in riads add argan oil massages and rhassoul clay wraps. The riad itself, with its fountain courtyard and roof terrace, is where you escape the noise of the lanes.

In Dubai, rest means the luxury hotel spa. These spas are polished, offer a wide choice and stay comfortable in summer, but there is no local tradition behind them. Beyond the resorts and the desert retreats an hour inland, the city is too fast-paced to unwind in.