Lisbon or Santiago de Compostela?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Lisbon makes a beach day much easier. The riverside train runs straight out to the surf at Carcavelos and the calmer bays of Estoril and Cascais, Costa da Caparica offers long stretches of sand across the river, and the season lasts from June to September.

Santiago is inland, so you need a bus or a car to reach the sea. The white sand in the sheltered inlets of the Ría de Muros e Noia and the Ría de Arousa is lovely, and the water is calmer than Lisbon's open Atlantic, but the warm weather is short and in practice limited to July and August.

Lisbon offers more variety to eat. Neighbourhood tascas serve grilled fish and bacalhau, and there are seafood halls, bifana sandwiches, custard tarts in every pastelaria, and wines from the Alentejo, the Douro and the Minho poured cheaply in ordinary places.

Santiago does one thing extremely well. Its Galician seafood, from octopus to razor clams and percebes, is some of the best on the Atlantic coast, and the Mercado de Abastos will cook what you buy. Beyond that cuisine, though, you will find little else.

Lisbon's sightseeing is spread across several separate areas: the Manueline monuments of Belem, the rebuilt grid of the Baixa and the medieval lanes of Alfama below the castle. It also has stronger museums, with the Gulbenkian and the National Tile Museum, and it needs three or four days.

Santiago's culture centres on one great monument. The cathedral, with its Pórtico da Gloria and the shrine of Saint James, stands on the Praza do Obradoiro, surrounded by a compact granite old town of monasteries and arcades. It is deeply atmospheric but quicker to see, and two or three days covers it.

Lisbon's night out is far bigger. Crowds spill into the lanes of Bairro Alto, Cais do Sodre runs later still, Principe Real has cocktail bars and the gay scene, and the warehouse clubs by the river keep going until dawn.

Santiago offers a friendly round of wine bars along Rúa do Franco, pub-like bars around the Praza de Cervantes and the odd folk session, with a few clubs for later. It depends on the university, though, and in summer it quietens as the pilgrims go to bed early.

Lisbon has the more varied outdoors on its doorstep. The misty Sintra hills lead down to Cabo da Roca and the windswept dunes at Guincho, Ericeira and Carcavelos draw surfers all year, and the Arrabida ridges offer hiking, kayaking and dolphin trips from Setubal.

Santiago's landscape is greener and gentler: oak woods, stone-walled fields and Camino paths that lead straight out of town. The Costa da Morte cliffs and the ancient Fragas do Eume woodland are rewarding, but they are further away, and rain shapes most days outdoors.

Both cities make good bases, and Lisbon has the more impressive list. Sintra's palaces fill a day by train, and further out are walled Evora and three UNESCO monasteries at Alcobaca, Batalha and Tomar, plus Obidos and Nazare.

Santiago's outings are easier to reach by rail. A Coruña and the Tower of Hercules are about half an hour away, and Lugo's Roman walls and Ourense's thermal springs are also within reach by train. The Albariño country and the fishing villages at the end of the Camino, however, really need a car or a tour.

Lisbon gives children much more to do. The Oceanario and the Pavilhao do Conhecimento sit together by the river with the cable car, and the trams, funiculars and Santa Justa lift are attractions in themselves. The trade-off is steep, slippery streets that are hard work with a pushchair.

Santiago is safe and relaxed, but its sights are churches and museums, and wet spells can last for days. Most families see it quickly and then head to A Coruña's aquarium or the coast.

Both cities are easy to manage, but in different ways. Lisbon spreads over seven hills, and getting around means steep climbs on foot, a clean four-line metro, slow and crowded historic trams, funiculars, ferries and suburban trains to Sintra and Cascais.

Santiago is simply a walking city. You can cross the pedestrian old town in about twenty minutes, buses cover the station and the airport, and you only need a car for the beaches and the Costa da Morte.

Lisbon has far more choice. There are the luxury labels of Avenida da Liberdade, the old shops of Chiado, the designers and antiques of Principe Real, the independent shops of the LX Factory and the Feira da Ladra flea market. Azulejo tiles, cork and Burel wool are the things to take home.

Santiago's shopping is limited to crafts and food: jet carvings near the cathedral, Sargadelos ceramics, tetilla cheese and tinned seafood. Beyond those, it is mostly pilgrim souvenirs and ordinary high-street shops.

Santiago is the cheaper city overall. Free tapas, generous set lunches, a free cathedral and a supply of pensiones and pilgrim hostels keep costs low, although rooms become scarce and expensive around the feast of Saint James in July.

In Lisbon, food, coffee and transport are cheap, but rooms in the central quarters cost as much as in other southern European capitals. Visitor-oriented restaurants in Baixa and Chiado also charge more than places a few streets away.

Lisbon has the richer stage. Fado is sung every night in Alfama, Mouraria and Bairro Alto, from polished dining rooms to tiny neighbourhood rooms. It also has the Gulbenkian orchestra, the São Carlos opera house and the Centro Cultural de Belem.

Santiago's performances are mostly folk and informal: bagpipe sessions in bars, student tunas in black capes in the streets and the Real Filharmonía de Galicia at the Auditorio. There is no real opera.

Neither city is built for rest, but Santiago has the edge. It is calm once the day's pilgrims have arrived, and the hot springs of Caldas de Reis, Cuntis and Ourense's riverside pools make easy outings.

Lisbon offers little beyond hotel spas. Its quieter moments come from shady gardens such as the Gulbenkian and Estrela and long afternoons at a viewpoint, and for restful nights you would need to stay out on the Cascais coast or in Sintra.