Foz do Iguacu or Paraty?

Foz do Iguaçu has no coast. The nearest you get to a beach is the sandy lake shores on the Itaipu reservoir, half an hour or more away by car, so most visitors swim in the hotel pool between visits to the falls.

Paraty is a real beach destination, though the beaches in town are the weakest part of it. Boat trips go out to forested islands and coves with calm, warm water, and Trindade adds wider open-sea beaches and a clear rock pool. Wilder bays such as Praia do Sono are reached on foot through the forest or by boat.

Neither town is a place to travel for the food, and they differ more in kind than in quality. Foz eats like a border city: rodízio at the churrascarias, Lebanese esfihas and kibbeh from its large Arab community, and Argentine parrillas with Malbec across the bridge in Puerto Iguazú.

Paraty cooks from the sea, with grilled fish, shrimp and the local banana-tinted fish stew, served in candlelit townhouses in the old town. Its other draw is cachaça, which you can taste at small distilleries in the hills outside town.

Paraty is the stronger choice here because the town itself is the sight. Its grid of colonial houses, built on the gold trade and listed by UNESCO, is a pleasure to wander, with Santa Rita church on the waterfront and the fort on the hill as the landmarks.

Foz has no historic core. What it offers is unusual rather than old: a tour inside the huge Itaipu dam, a white-domed mosque, a Buddhist temple looking towards Paraguay, and the point where three countries meet across the rivers.

Neither town offers much of a night out, and in both an evening usually means a long dinner. Foz has a short strip of bars with a local student crowd, a few clubs open late at weekends and casinos over the borders. Paraty has no clubs but more atmosphere: live guitar in old-town bars, streets that stay lively on summer weekends, and beach parties for backpackers at Trindade.

Both are superb for nature, and Foz has a slight edge because few sights anywhere match the falls themselves: hundreds of cascades spread across rainforest in two national parks, with boats running into the spray and coatis, toucans and butterflies all around.

Paraty is more varied than spectacular. You can hike the old Gold Trail or slide down a waterfall in the Serra da Bocaina, then kayak, paddleboard or snorkel among the islands of the bay, and the fjord-like Saco do Mamanguá has a steep climb to a viewpoint.

The day trips are a modest extra in both towns. From Foz, the novelty is crossing borders: you visit Puerto Iguazú along with the Argentine side of the falls, and go to Ciudad del Este to shop. The Jesuit missions are too far for a day.

From Paraty, the obvious outing is the beaches of Trindade, and you can also visit the potters of Cunha in the hills or the larger beach town of Ubatuba. Ilha Grande deserves a night or two of its own.

Foz do Iguaçu is the easier place to bring children. The main walkway at the falls is short, with a lift at the end, the noise and the wildlife keep children interested, and the Parque das Aves lets them walk among macaws and flamingos. Resort hotels with pools make a comfortable base.

In Paraty children enjoy the boat days, the rock pools and the waterfall slide, but there is nothing built for them, and the old town's huge cobbles are hard work with a pushchair.

Paraty is slightly easier to manage. Its car-free centre takes ten minutes to cross, though the rounded stones slow you down. Boats leave from the quay for the bay, buses run to Trindade, and you need a taxi or a tour only for the waterfalls, the distilleries and Mamanguá.

In Foz the sights lie outside town. The falls are about 20km away on a direct bus route, Itaipu is on the other side of town, and visiting the Argentine side usually means a taxi or a transfer through two sets of border posts.

Shopping is a minor part of either trip, and the two offer different things. Foz is about bargains: the crowded discount galleries of Ciudad del Este across the bridge, duty-free shops at the border and gemstone souvenirs. Paraty is about browsing: galleries, linen boutiques, indigenous basketry and bottles of local cachaça in colonial shopfronts, which makes for a nicer evening stroll.

Foz do Iguaçu is cheaper to stay in. Mid-range hotels, buffet lunches, churrascaria dinners and buses all cost little, and what adds up is the park entry fees, boat rides and tours at the falls.

Paraty charges resort prices for pousadas and restaurants in the historic centre, and room rates climb steeply on long weekends and at festivals. Shared schooner trips, beach kiosks and staying just outside the old town keep the costs reasonable.

For a show in Foz, the main option is a folk-dance dinner staged for tour groups, running from samba to Argentine tango and Paraguayan harp music. Beyond a small municipal theatre and the odd concert, there is no orchestra and no music scene to speak of.

Paraty has more to offer, though most of it is informal. Samba and bossa nova are played in the old-town bars in the evenings, the town has a long tradition of puppet theatre, and its festivals bring concerts and street performance. Outside festival time, though, there is little formal programme to attend.

Paraty is better for switching off. Out of season the car-free old town is quiet, the best pousadas have gardens, hammocks and pools, and small retreats in the forest and along the bay offer real seclusion.

In Foz, relaxing means a rest day at one of the larger resort hotels on the road to the falls, which have spas and pools, between busy days of sightseeing among the crowds.