Los Angeles or Tucson?

Los Angeles has more than 100km of shoreline, from the coves of Malibu through Santa Monica and Venice to the South Bay, with surf breaks, volleyball nets and a bike path along the sand. The Pacific is cool, though, so a beach day here is more about wading, surfing and people-watching than long swims.

Tucson has no beach at all. The nearest sea is at Puerto Peñasco in Mexico, about four hours' drive away, so in Tucson swimming means a resort pool.

Los Angeles has the wider range. Dozens of immigrant cuisines cook at full strength, from Koreatown's charcoal grills to Thai Town and Little Ethiopia, and there is also a serious chef-led dining scene. The downside is the long drives between the best places to eat.

Tucson does one thing very well: Sonoran Mexican food. Look for carne asada grilled over mesquite, paper-thin flour tortillas, and bacon-wrapped hot dogs from stands on South 12th Avenue. Desert ingredients such as tepary beans and cholla buds add a local note. Beyond that the choice soon runs out.

Los Angeles has far more to fill the days. The Getty Center on its Brentwood hilltop, LACMA, the Broad and the Huntington's library and gardens make a serious art circuit. Hollywood's old movie palaces, the Disney Concert Hall and the Art Deco downtown add the landmarks. What it lacks is an old quarter, and its sights are a long drive apart.

Tucson is smaller, but its history is easier to see. Mission San Xavier del Bac, with its painted and gilded 18th-century interior, outshines anything from the colonial era in Los Angeles. The Sonoran-style adobe row houses of Barrio Viejo reflect the city's Mexican and Spanish roots. With the Native American collections of the Arizona State Museum and the aircraft at Pima Air & Space added, two or three days covers it.

Los Angeles offers much more. There are velvet-rope clubs in Hollywood, one of the country's great gay strips in West Hollywood, cocktail bars in old downtown banks and dive bars in Silver Lake. The districts are far apart, though, so most nights stay in one neighbourhood.

Tucson's nightlife fits into two streets you can walk between. Fourth Avenue has cheap student bars and Congress Street has rooftops and cocktails. It is relaxed and pleasant on a warm patio, but there are few clubs, and it gets quieter still in summer when the students leave.

Both cities have wild country right on their edges, but of different kinds. Los Angeles has mountains and the coast together: ridge trails above Malibu, Griffith Park, surfing, winter whale watching and boats to the Channel Islands.

Tucson is all desert and mountains. Saguaro National Park lies on both sides of the city, and the road up Mount Lemmon climbs from cactus to pine forest. It is also a serious place for road cycling and birdwatching. The difference is the season: Tucson's summer heat pushes outings to dawn, while in Los Angeles you can be outside in almost any month, and its harder obstacle is traffic.

The two have equally good day trips, with a different character. From Los Angeles you head along the coast: Santa Barbara's mission and red-tile streets, the ferry to Catalina, or Laguna Beach. Traffic can easily add an hour to any of them.

From Tucson the trips go into frontier country. Tombstone has Wild West history, Bisbee is a steep old copper-mining town, and Tubac sits near the Tumacácori mission ruins. The roads are emptier, but you need a car for every one of them.

Los Angeles is one of the easiest cities in the country to keep children busy. It has Disneyland, Universal Studios and Magic Mountain, the space shuttle at the science centre, the tar pits and the Long Beach aquarium, plus beaches and mild weather all year.

Tucson has a shorter list that works well from October to April. The Desert Museum shows mountain lions and javelinas in desert settings, the giant aircraft at the air and space museum are a reliable hit, and there are stunt shows at the old western film set. In summer the heat makes most of this hard going for small children.

You need a car in both cities, but driving feels very different. In Los Angeles the freeways are often jammed, and parking costs money. Metro rail does reach Hollywood, Santa Monica and Pasadena, so a few trips work without a car.

Tucson has only one streetcar line through the compact centre. The main sights are out on the edges, but traffic is light and parking is easy, so driving is far less stressful than in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is a real shopping destination. It has the luxury houses of Rodeo Drive, the streetwear and vintage shops of Melrose, the independent shops on Abbot Kinney, and the Rose Bowl flea market for serious vintage hunting.

Tucson is the place for regional crafts rather than fashion. Look for Native American jewellery, Tohono O'odham baskets and Mexican folk art. Its one big event is the winter gem and mineral show, which draws collectors from around the world, but there are no luxury streets.

Tucson is clearly cheaper. Mid-range hotels cost less than in the bigger Southwest cities, and summer brings real bargains, although rates peak during the winter gem show.

Los Angeles is expensive. Hotels near the coast and in Beverly Hills cost a lot, and car hire, parking and theme park tickets add up. The cheap food and the free beaches and Getty collections help, but the overall bill stays high.

The difference is mainly one of scale. On almost any night in Los Angeles you can choose between the Philharmonic at the Disney Concert Hall, a band in a rock room on the Sunset Strip or a small club in Echo Park, and a set at a Hollywood comedy or improv theatre. In summer, an evening with the orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl is worth planning a trip around.

Tucson's choice is much shorter. It has the symphony, operas shared with Phoenix, Broadway tours at Centennial Hall, and concerts at the restored Fox and the Rialto. Its own voice is mariachi, plus local bands with a desert folk sound in the small rooms on Congress Street. The season runs mainly from autumn to spring, so a summer visit finds little on.

The two are about equal, but they offer different kinds of wellness. In Los Angeles it means bathing in a busy city: Koreatown's bathhouses, many open late or around the clock, with steam rooms, scrubs and heated floors, plus yoga studios everywhere. The city itself, though, is not restful.

Tucson is one of the original homes of the American destination spa. Its resorts in the Catalina foothills offer desert walks and meditation, with pools facing the mountains. It is much quieter, but there are no public bathhouses. Los Angeles residents looking for calm often drive to the desert spas around Palm Springs.