Guangzhou or Macau?

Neither is a beach destination, but Macau at least has sand of its own. Hac Sa's long dark curve backed by pines and the smaller lifeguarded cove at Cheoc Van on Coloane make a pleasant afternoon, even if the silty Pearl River water keeps it brownish.

Guangzhou has nothing of the kind on its muddy, industrial estuary shore, so a swim means a hotel pool, a water park, or a trip of about two hours to the beaches east of Shenzhen.

Both are superb places to eat, but Guangzhou is where Cantonese cooking comes from, and it goes deeper. Morning tea in packed dim sum halls, roast goose and clay-pot rice in Xiguan and Liwan, live seafood cooked to order and night-market congee past midnight make food the main event of a stay.

Macau's strength is a different one: Macanese Creole dishes such as minchi and African chicken that you will barely find elsewhere, plus Portuguese bacalhau and wine, egg tarts on Rua do Cunha and a dense cluster of top-end restaurants in Cotai.

The two are evenly matched, but the experience differs. Guangzhou's two thousand years of history survive as scattered landmarks, such as the carved Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, the Nanyue King's jade burial suit and ancient Buddhist temples, joined by metro rides across a big city.

Macau's heritage is one continuous walk: the Ruins of St Paul's, the mosaic of Senado Square and A-Ma Temple form a single UNESCO-listed chain where Portuguese and Chinese buildings stand side by side. It is smaller in scope, but more atmospheric to wander.

Guangzhou offers more to do after dark: big clubs along the river and in Tianhe, cocktail and craft beer bars around Zhujiang New Town, karaoke, and the local siu yeh habit of seafood and beer at plastic tables until the small hours.

In Macau the night revolves around the casinos and the polished lounges inside the resorts. Away from gaming there is little bar life, and the historic centre goes quiet early, so it suits a drink with a view more than a night of roaming.

Here Guangzhou is far ahead. Baiyun Mountain's forested hills and cable car sit on the city's northern edge, the riverside promenades and Haizhu wetland give green space in town, and the streams of Conghua and the waterfalls of Dinghu Mountain are easy excursions.

Macau is almost entirely built up or reclaimed. A few short trails on Coloane's wooded hills and the loop around Guia Hill are about all it has, so anything more needs a border crossing.

Guangzhou is the stronger base. Foshan and Shunde are next door, Zhaoqing's limestone crags are an hour away by train, the Kaiping watchtowers make a full day, and both Hong Kong and Macau are reachable by fast rail.

From Macau the menu is shorter: Hong Kong by ferry or the sea bridge, and Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Guangzhou over the land border. Every option from Macau involves passport control, and a mainland visa may be needed.

Guangzhou gives children far more. Chimelong's drive-through safari park with pandas and koalas, plus its theme park, water park and circus, can fill several days, and the zoo, science centre and river boat trips add more.

Macau works for a day or two, with the Science Center's planetarium, the Giant Panda Pavilion on Coloane and elaborate resort pools. But casinos dominate the city, children are kept off the gaming floors, and the stairways of the old centre are hard with a pushchair.

Guangzhou's vast, English-signed metro reaches the airport, the rail stations and nearly every sight, though the city's size means forty-minute rides are normal. Have a mobile payment app ready, as cash is rarely used.

Macau is small enough that nothing is far, and the peninsula is best seen on foot, but beyond walking you depend on crowded buses with confusing routes, the Taipa light rail, resort shuttles and taxis that can be hard to find.

Guangzhou has a little more range, mostly thanks to its trading heritage: whole wholesale districts for clothing and electronics, the Fangcun tea market and Hualin's jade street, alongside Beijing Road and the Tianhe malls.

Macau is narrower but more polished, a serious stop for luxury watches, jewellery and fashion in the themed Cotai malls, with almond cookies, Portuguese tiles and tinned fish as the souvenirs.

Guangzhou is clearly the cheaper stay. Food, transport and most sights cost little, and comfortable hotels are good value, with prices jumping mainly around the big trade fairs in spring and autumn.

In Macau, walking the old town and eating egg tarts is cheap, but resort hotel rates climb steeply at weekends and during the mainland festival weeks, and casino restaurants are expensive. A midweek stay changes the bill a great deal.

Guangzhou has the fuller stage. The Opera House on the river takes touring opera and ballet, the Xinghai Concert Hall is home to a symphony orchestra, and Cantonese opera is still performed in neighbourhood halls in the old western districts.

Macau's offer depends more on dates: the autumn International Music Festival and spring Arts Festival, concerts at the historic Dom Pedro V Theatre, and big pop shows in the Cotai arenas, with little to drop into on an ordinary night.

Relaxation in Guangzhou is part of everyday life rather than a resort affair, and it comes in more forms. An hour north, the Conghua hot spring resorts set mineral pools among wooded hills, a good overnight escape in the cooler months. Back in town, reflexology parlours on nearly every block stay open late, and older locals show another way to slow down, lingering for hours over tea in parks and teahouses.

Macau's calm lives mostly inside its hotels. The big Cotai resorts hold polished spas with pools, saunas and long treatment menus, so a day of pampering is easy to arrange. Step outside, though, and the crowded lanes and gaming halls are anything but soothing, with Coloane village and Taipa's old streets the quiet exceptions.