Guadalajara or Zihuatanejo?

These two are not close. Guadalajara sits on an inland plateau, Lake Chapala is not a place to swim, and a dip means a hotel pool or a spring-fed balneario. If you want sand, you have to travel to the coast.

Zihuatanejo is built around its sheltered bay. Choose between the long, pale crescent of La Ropa, the small cove at Madera and the water at Las Gatas, kept calm by its reef, with Ixtapa's open beaches and the coves of Isla Ixtapa further up the coast. The sea is warm enough to swim in all year.

Guadalajara is the better place to eat. Several dishes known across Mexico come from here: birria for breakfast, the torta ahogada and carne en su jugo, with tequila and cantaritos close at hand. The food stalls at Mercado San Juan de Dios and the modern kitchens of Colonia Americana and Providencia add more choice.

Zihuatanejo cooks a narrower menu, and cooks it well: tiritas, fish grilled a la talla at palapas on the sand, and pozole on Thursdays. It is good eating by the water, but not a reason to make the trip.

Guadalajara has a real historic centre, a cross of plazas around the cathedral. The Hospicio Cabañas, a World Heritage Site, holds Orozco murals that alone justify a visit. Tlaquepaque and the mansions of Colonia Americana fill another day.

Zihuatanejo has a small archaeological museum on the waterfront and the whitewashed streets of a fishing town. An hour or two covers it. The appeal is the working pier, not monuments.

Guadalajara is a university city and stays out late. Mezcal bars and cantinas line the streets around Avenida Chapultepec, it has one of Mexico's best-known LGBTQ+ scenes, and the smart clubs of Providencia and Zapopan stay open past 3am.

In Zihuatanejo an evening means a sunset drink, a long dinner and one of a few small bars. Ixtapa has louder beach bars and some clubs in high season, but there is little going on late at night.

Zihuatanejo has the edge, and most of its outdoor life is on the water. There is snorkelling and diving at Las Gatas and Isla Ixtapa, sport fishing for sailfish, humpback whales in winter, wading birds and crocodiles in the lagoons, and turtles nesting in the second half of the year.

Guadalajara's nature is on land and suits walkers better. Bosque La Primavera has oak and pine forest, the path into the Barranca de Huentitán is a steep descent, and there are hills above Lake Chapala. Hiking is the one thing Zihuatanejo does poorly.

Guadalajara is the better base for days out. Tequila and its UNESCO agave landscape, Ajijic on Lake Chapala, the circular pyramids of the Guachimontones and the mountain villages of Tapalpa and Mazamitla are enough for a week of quite different days.

From Zihuatanejo the outings are small: a beach day at Troncones, lunch on the sand at Barra de Potosí or the Xihuacan ruins. Larger places such as Acapulco are too far for a day.

Both welcome children warmly, but they offer different vacations. Guadalajara has the attractions: a large zoo above the canyon with Selva Mágica beside it, the Acuario Michin and the Trompo Mágico museum, plus a milder climate. They are spread out, though, so you will need taxis.

Zihuatanejo is a beach vacation for families. La Ropa and Las Gatas have calm water where small children can paddle, the town is easy to manage, and the Ixtapa resorts have kids' clubs. For outings there are boat rides and turtle releases, and the strong sun takes some planning.

Neither city is easy without taxis, and in both they are the usual way to get about. Guadalajara's centre and Colonia Americana are good on foot, and light rail and the Mi Macro bus lines reach some districts. Beyond them the city spreads along busy avenues, and rush-hour traffic is heavy.

Zihuatanejo is small. You can walk the centre and the waterfront to Playa Madera, take a colectivo to La Ropa or Ixtapa, and go by boat to Las Gatas. Steep hill roads without pavements make it impractical to walk between beaches.

Guadalajara is worth a trip for crafts alone. Tlaquepaque has galleries of ceramics and blown glass, Tonalá has its pottery market, and Mercado San Juan de Dios fills three floors with leather and boots. For brands there are the big malls at Andares.

Zihuatanejo's artisans' market has good souvenirs, such as Taxco silver, Olinalá lacquer and hammocks, but little beyond that.

Both are inexpensive, but your money goes further in Guadalajara. Street food and rides across town cost little, and the hotels in the centre do not charge resort prices. Only Providencia and Andares are noticeably dearer.

Zihuatanejo stays cheap if you sleep in town and eat at the market and taquerías. The boutique hotels above La Ropa and the Ixtapa resorts cost more, and rooms are dearer in the winter high season.

Guadalajara is the home of mariachi, which you can hear in the Plaza de los Mariachis and El Parián. The Teatro Degollado stages the Jalisco Philharmonic and the university's Ballet Folclórico. Opera and drama are limited, but music is everywhere.

Zihuatanejo has one international guitar festival a year and some bands or trova singers in restaurants in high season. It has no theatre to speak of.

Zihuatanejo is the more restful place, because there is nothing to hurry for. Days are spent swimming, reading in the shade and eating slowly, and the boutique hotels and Ixtapa resorts offer spas and yoga.

Guadalajara is a large, busy city where rest mostly means hotel spas and long lunches. What it does have is hot springs: thermal balnearios near Bosque La Primavera and on the north shore of Lake Chapala, with quiet Ajijic nearby for a few calm days.