Girona or Seville?

Neither city has a beach of its own, but Girona is much closer to one. The Costa Brava begins about 40 minutes away, from the resorts around Sant Feliu de Guíxols to the clear coves near Begur and L'Escala, so a swim fits easily into a day.

From Seville the nearest sand is Matalascañas or Mazagón on the Atlantic, more than an hour by car, and it takes most of a day. In town, swimming means a rooftop or municipal pool, so beach lovers should split the stay.

Seville eats better, mainly because of tapas. Grazing from counter to counter through Triana, El Arenal and Santa Cruz on salmorejo, fried fish and pork cheek, washed down with manzanilla, is a reason to visit in itself.

Girona's strengths are different: sit-down Catalan cooking, mar i muntanya dishes, Empordà wine and a serious tasting-menu reputation for a city its size. Both are weak on international food, and in both the menus near the main monuments are the ones to skip.

Seville is on another scale. The Alcázar, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the Archivo de Indias form a UNESCO trio, and the Bellas Artes, Casa de Pilatos and Plaza de España still lie beyond them. Three or four days go quickly.

Girona offers a compact, atmospheric medieval quarter instead: the cathedral stairway, the walls with views towards the Pyrenees, the Arab Baths and the Call, one of Europe's best-preserved Jewish quarters. It is a rewarding day or two on foot, with modest museums.

Evenings last much longer in Seville. Dinner starts around ten and the night moves on to the Alameda de Hércules, Triana and the Alfalfa squares until the early hours, with riverside bars in summer. Clubbing is limited in both cities, so the appeal here is long outdoor evenings rather than dance floors.

Girona's evenings are a terrace and a slow dinner, with student bars in term time and a few late music bars at weekends. For a proper night out, people take the train to Barcelona.

Girona is far ahead for the outdoors. Cyclists ride straight out to Rocacorba and Els Àngels, the old railway greenways run to Olot and the coast, and the Gavarres hills begin at the edge of town. Within an hour or so you reach volcanic beech forests, the cliff paths of Cap de Creus and the Pyrenees.

Seville is surrounded by flat farmland and orchards. Its great asset is Doñana, one of Europe's major wetlands, where you can see flamingos on a guided 4x4 trip, and the Sierra de Aracena offers gentle walking. Summer heat rules out most activity.

Both are excellent bases, and Girona has a slight edge for variety. Barcelona is under 40 minutes by fast train, and the Dalí museum in Figueres, Besalú, the stone villages of the Empordà and the ruins of Empúries are all close, with France across the border. A car helps a lot for the villages.

Seville's day trips are grander but more spread out. Córdoba's Great Mosque is under an hour by train, Itálica and Carmona are close by, and Jerez and Cádiz lead on to the white villages. Granada and Ronda work better as overnight trips.

Seville gives children more to do. María Luisa Park has rowing boats and horse carriages, the Alcázar gardens have a maze, and La Cartuja adds a theme park, a summer water park and an aquarium. The flat centre is easy with a pushchair, but July and August heat is a real problem with small children.

Girona is calm and safe, and children enjoy walking the walls, but almost nothing is built for them, and the stepped Barri Vell is hard work with a pushchair. Families usually treat it as a base for beach days.

Seville is easier to get around. Its centre is flat and largely pedestrianised, with a tram, a metro line, buses and a practical public bike scheme as back-up. Heat, not distance, is the obstacle.

Girona is small enough to walk, but the old town is a climb of stairs. Its strength is the station, with fast trains to Barcelona and Figueres. Beyond those lines, infrequent buses mean many visitors rent a car to reach the coves and villages.

Seville has more to buy, and much of it is distinctive: hand-painted tiles from the Triana workshops, and flamenco dresses, shawls, fans and guitars around Sierpes. Sierpes and Tetuán also have the high-street chains.

Girona's shopping is a pleasant hour on the Rambla among independent boutiques and delis, plus Empordà produce from the Mercat del Lleó and plenty of cycling kit. For anything bigger, people go to Barcelona.

Seville is a little easier on the budget. Tapas make eating out cheap, the walkable centre keeps transport costs low, and rooms are good value in the summer heat, although rates jump during Holy Week and the April Fair.

Girona is mid-range, with good set lunches, but its old town has few rooms, and they get expensive in summer and the cycling season. A hire car for exploring the region adds to the cost.

Seville is much stronger here, above all for flamenco. You can see it every night in the tablaos of Santa Cruz and Triana and in the local peñas, and the Teatro de la Maestranza stages opera in the city where Carmen is set.

Girona's stage life is thin for most of the year. Temporada Alta, its long autumn festival of international theatre and dance, is the exception, and summer brings outdoor concerts on the coast. Many plays are in Catalan.

Neither city is a place to come just to unwind, and both offer a slow pace rather than a spa scene. Seville has atmospheric Arab-style bath houses in old mansions, but its narrow streets are noisy at night.

Girona's Arab Baths are a monument, not somewhere to bathe. Its real option is the thermal-spring hotels of Caldes de Malavella, about 20 minutes away, and its quiet morning lanes are calmer than anything in Seville.