Huatulco or Sayulita?

Huatulco has the stronger beaches. Nine bays line its coast, mostly sheltered coves of golden sand with calm, clear water. They range from Santa Cruz and Chahué by town to the wilder bays of El Órgano and Cacaluta in the national park. Boat tours hop between coves that have no road.

Sayulita has one main beach, a curved bay of rolling waves made for surfing rather than calm swimming, and it gets crowded. After heavy rain the river mouth can carry runoff. For gentler water, people walk to Playa de los Muertos or Carricitos, or drive to the longer sands at San Pancho and Punta de Mita.

The two eat equally well, but in different ways. Huatulco has the more distinctive regional food: Oaxacan mole, tlayudas and tamales in banana leaf, with mezcal and coffee from the hills behind town. It is best eaten at the market and fondas of La Crucecita.

Sayulita is simpler and more varied. Fish tacos, aguachile and evening al pastor stands share the village with smoothie bowls, pizza and international cafés for the surf crowd. Neither does serious fine dining.

Neither is a sightseeing destination, but Huatulco has a little more to visit. The Copalita park has a small pre-Hispanic ceremonial site and a museum. La Crucecita's church has a great painted dome, and the old village of Santa María Huatulco is nearby.

Sayulita has no museums or notable buildings. Its cultural interest is Huichol beadwork and yarn painting in the galleries, plus a quiet walk through the hillside cemetery.

Sayulita has more of a night out. In winter the streets around the plaza fill after dark, and a few bars with DJs keep a young surf and backpacker crowd going past midnight, after sunset drinks on the sand. It is still only a few blocks of bars, with no proper clubs.

Huatulco's evenings are mostly a long dinner and a mezcal on La Crucecita's plaza, and the town is usually quiet by midnight. Anyone wanting a party heads up the coast to Zipolite.

Both are strong outdoors, in different ways. Huatulco's national park pairs dry tropical forest with cliffs, blowholes and coral that is easy to snorkel and dive. Inland there is rafting on the Copalita River, and the Sierra Sur foothills have waterfalls and coffee farms.

Sayulita's outdoor life is centred on surfing, plus boat trips to the Marietas Islands reserve, footpaths over jungle headlands and mountain biking in the hills. Humpback whales pass both coasts in winter.

Day trips are about equal, with different destinations. From Huatulco, the outing is west along the coast to small villages: turtle-focused Mazunte, the fishing port of Puerto Ángel and Zipolite, with the surf town of Puerto Escondido further on. Oaxaca city is too far for a day.

Sayulita has a real city within reach. Puerto Vallarta, about an hour south, has its malecón, cobbled old town and galleries. San Blas, with its colonial ruins and mangrove river trips, is a longer day out.

Huatulco is easier with children. The calm coves let them see fish close to shore, the Tangolunda resorts have pools and kids' clubs, and the small town is easy to manage.

Sayulita works best for older children who are keen on the water, with surf schools and the sheltered cove at Playa de los Muertos. Its cobbled lanes with no pavements and its golf-cart traffic make pushchairs hard work. Neither town has much for children away from the sea.

Sayulita is easier to get around because everything is in one place: you can cross the village on foot in about ten minutes. The catch is the cobbles, steep dirt lanes and missing pavements, and the centre jams in peak season.

Huatulco is spread over several bays. La Crucecita and the walk down to Santa Cruz are easy on foot, but Tangolunda or Maguey mean a taxi or colectivo, and the remoter coves need a boat.

Sayulita is better for browsing. Its boutiques sell linen clothes, embroidered dresses, swimwear and handmade jewellery, there are surf shops for boards, and Huichol beadwork is the best local buy.

Huatulco's shopping is a few craft stalls around the plazas of La Crucecita and Santa Cruz, selling Oaxacan textiles, black pottery, alebrijes, hammocks and mezcal next to beach souvenirs.

Huatulco is noticeably cheaper. Staying in a small guesthouse in La Crucecita, eating at the market and taking taxis between bays keeps costs modest. Only the Tangolunda all-inclusives and boat tours push the bill up.

Sayulita's rooms, villas and restaurants for visitors are priced for North American travellers, and surf lessons and yoga classes add up. You can still save with taco stands, the regional bus and a visit in the summer low season.

Neither town is a place for an evening of theatre or concerts. Huatulco's offering is folk dance shows in the resorts and music on La Crucecita's plaza at festival time. In Sayulita it is bar bands in high season, buskers and the occasional mariachi. Puerto Vallarta is near enough for anything more formal.

Sayulita has the deeper wellness culture. It has hillside shalas with daily yoga, week-long retreats in villas, sound healing and temazcal. Its centre can be noisy in high season, though, so for quiet you stay on the hillsides or out towards San Pancho.

Huatulco relaxes you mainly through its pace: low-rise, uncrowded and quiet by evening. Full resort spas in Tangolunda and Conejos and temazcal steam baths make up for its fewer yoga retreats.