Hermanus or Swakopmund?

Hermanus has the better beaches by a clear margin. Grotto's long white sweep, the surf at Voëlklip and the family coves at Kammabaai and Onrus are places to spend a whole day. The water in Walker Bay is chilly, but the Klein River lagoon and the rock pools give calmer, slightly warmer spots for a proper swim.

Swakopmund's beaches are long and sandy, but the Benguela Current keeps the sea a few degrees colder still, and morning fog and rough surf mean most people only paddle. Here the shore is for sunset walks and fishing, not for lying in the sun.

Both towns eat well rather than adventurously, and both lean on cold-water fish, but the flavour differs. Hermanus pairs line fish, mussels and abalone with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, so the best meals are long lunches on wine estates.

Swakopmund's table is shaped by its German past and the Namibian interior. Expect Black Forest cake and strudel in coffee houses, German-style beer, Walvis Bay oysters and game such as oryx and kudu on most menus.

Swakopmund has more to look at, mainly because the town itself is the sight. Its gabled and turreted colonial buildings, the old railway station, the lighthouse and the iron jetty fill a pleasant walk, and the museum and a Mondesa township tour add some depth.

Hermanus has the Old Harbour with its slipways and small museum, the Whale House Museum and a few stone cottages, which together take an afternoon. In both places the sights are a bonus to the landscape, not the reason to go.

Neither town is for going out. Evenings in Hermanus mean sundowners on wine-bar and restaurant terraces around the village centre, and anyone wanting more drives to Cape Town. Swakopmund has a little more beer-hall character, with German-style pubs and a few bars that liven up at weekends with overlanders, but it is still quiet well before midnight.

Both towns are chosen for the outdoors, and Hermanus has the edge. Watching southern right whales calve just below the cliff path is one of the great wildlife sights of the region, and Fernkloof's fynbos trails, lagoon paddling, surfing and the Stony Point penguins add variety, with mountains as well as sea.

Swakopmund's appeal is the desert. Dunes for sandboarding and living desert tours, flamingos in the Walvis Bay lagoon, kayaking with seals, Sandwich Harbour and the Cape Cross seal colony are memorable, but the landscape is harsher and there are no forests or mountain walks.

Hermanus is far the better base for outings. With a car you can reach Cape Town along the coast road, the Cape Dutch wine towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, small villages like Stanford, Greyton and Elim, and even Cape Agulhas at the southern tip of Africa.

From Swakopmund the trips are into empty country rather than to other towns. Walvis Bay and Henties Bay are modest, Spitzkoppe's rock paintings are the main cultural outing, and the big Namibian sights such as Sossusvlei need a night away.

For children the two towns come out much the same, with different kinds of pleasure. Hermanus offers whales from the cliffs, rock pools, the shallow Grotto lagoon and short trails, in a self-catering, car-based rhythm.

Swakopmund has the things built for children that Hermanus lacks, the marine aquarium with its tunnel and a snake park, and older children love the dunes. Its downside is the long gravel-road drives to many outings.

Swakopmund is easier to manage. Its centre is small and flat, with the seafront, jetty, museum and restaurants a few minutes apart, and most tour operators pick you up from your lodging, so you can get by for a day or two without driving.

Hermanus stretches for many kilometres along the coast. The village centre and cliff path work on foot, but the eastern beaches, the wine valley and every outing need a car, and there is no public transport to rely on.

Swakopmund gives you more to bring home. Craft markets near the lighthouse sell carvings, baskets, beadwork and Herero dolls, and specialist shops deal in Namibian tourmaline and amethyst, karakul rugs and kudu-hide shoes.

Hermanus has a few galleries, boutiques and a weekend market, and its best souvenir is wine bought straight from the Hemel-en-Aarde estates.

Both are good value for visitors from Europe or North America, with Hermanus a little easier on the budget, helped by cheap wine and roomy self-catering cottages. In both towns the extras cost the most: the hire car and boat trips in Hermanus, and the dune tours, flights and skydives in Swakopmund. Both also fill up over the December and January vacation.

Neither is a place for concerts or theatre. Hermanus has slightly more to plan around, with a yearly arts festival of chamber music and talks and outdoor stages during the whale festival. Swakopmund offers little beyond a small community theatre and weekend pub bands.

Neither town has a spa tradition, but Hermanus is the more restful place to unwind. Cliff-path walks, slow wine-farm lunches, a cold dip in the tidal pools and a few spas and yoga classes add up to a gentle stay.

Swakopmund's calm comes from cool sea air, promenade walks and afternoon coffee and cake. It is best for a few quiet days in the middle of a road trip rather than a whole restful vacation.