Malaga or San Sebastian?

Malaga has the better beach vacation, and the reason is the climate rather than the sand. From La Malagueta east through Pedregalejo and El Palo, its city beaches have months of dependable sun. The Costa del Sol resorts are a short train ride west, and the clear coves at Nerja and Maro are about an hour away. The sand itself is grey-brown and plain.

San Sebastian has the more beautiful city beach. La Concha is a sheltered shell of pale sand in the heart of town, Ondarreta is quieter and Zurriola has Atlantic surf. In August the sea is no colder than Malaga's, but the season is short and summer days can be grey.

Food is where San Sebastian pulls ahead. Bar counters in the Parte Vieja and Gros are covered with pintxos, txakoli is poured from height, La Bretxa market shows off the produce, and a fine-dining scene of national fame sits in the hills. From January to spring the Astigarraga cider houses add another reason to come. The one weakness is that almost everything is Basque.

Malaga eats more simply and costs less. Sardine espetos roasted on the beach, plates of pescaito frito in El Palo and sweet moscatel from the barrel at old bodegas are the pleasures here, along with the counters at the Atarazanas market.

Malaga has more to see. A Roman theatre sits below the Moorish Alcazaba, Gibralfaro castle stands above, and the unfinished cathedral is in the centre. Picasso's birthplace and museum, the Carmen Thyssen and the Museo de Malaga give it real depth in art.

San Sebastian is more a townscape to enjoy than a list of sights. Its draws are the elegant streets around Buen Pastor, the baroque Santa Maria at the end of the Parte Vieja, the San Telmo Museum and Chillida's Peine del Viento on the rocks at Ondarreta.

Malaga goes out later and has more choice. Dinner starts around ten, and the terraces around Plaza de la Merced and Calle Granada stay full past two on summer weekends. The clubs and gay scene of Torremolinos are a short train ride away.

San Sebastian's evenings start earlier and centre on the pintxo crawl, which is very sociable until late. After that the choice narrows to a few bars and clubs, except in high summer and Semana Grande.

There is as much outdoors in one as the other, but the landscapes are very different. Malaga's country is dry and dramatic and mostly inland: the gorge walkway of the Caminito del Rey, the stacked limestone of El Torcal and the Sierra Nevada, with skiing in winter. In summer the heat means walking at dawn.

San Sebastian's is green and coastal, and it starts from the edge of town. Paths run over Monte Ulia to Pasaia and across Jaizkibel to Hondarribia, and there is surf at Zurriola. Rain is part of the deal in every season.

Both are excellent bases, but Malaga reaches more of the great sights. Granada's Alhambra, Cordoba's Mezquita and, at a stretch, Seville are all reachable by train, and Ronda and the Antequera dolmens are closer still.

San Sebastian's strength is being near a border. Bilbao's Guggenheim, Pamplona, walled Hondarribia and the French Basque towns of Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz are all easy outings, and the Rioja Alavesa vineyards are under two hours away.

Both are easy with children, and in both they are welcome in the squares late into the evening. The difference is where the attractions are. Malaga's are along the coast, including the Bioparc, Sea Life and Selwo, so a family stay mixes beach days with train trips, and July and August can be too hot.

San Sebastian keeps its attractions in town: the harbour aquarium, the Eureka science museum and the funicular to the funfair on Monte Igueldo. But a run of rainy days can rule out the beach.

San Sebastian is easier to get around. The Parte Vieja, La Concha, Gros and Zurriola are all linked by a flat promenade with bike lanes, and the Euskotren runs to the French border.

Malaga's pedestrianised centre is also compact, and the train to the airport takes about ten minutes. Many of its best outings, though, such as the white villages, El Torcal and the Caminito del Rey, are much easier with a car.

Malaga offers more. Calle Larios has the main chains on polished marble, El Corte Ingles is across the river, Muelle Uno lines the port, and Puerto Banus has luxury labels an hour away.

San Sebastian is smaller in scale. Its best buys are boutiques in the Centro and Basque goods such as espadrilles, berets, Idiazabal cheese and tinned anchovies.

Malaga is the far cheaper stay. Eating, drinking and local transport are reasonably priced, and the main expense is a room near the old town or the beach in high season.

San Sebastian is among the most expensive places to stay in Spain, as hotels are scarce and summer pushes rates to the levels of big capitals. Its famous restaurants are a splurge, so the free beaches and walks matter more here.

The two are level, but what they offer is different. In Malaga, flamenco is the thing to see, best in the peñas where locals perform for each other. The Teatro Cervantes covers concerts and drama, and Semana Santa fills the streets with brass bands.

San Sebastian's music is focused on summer festivals: Jazzaldia in July, with free concerts on Zurriola beach, and the Quincena Musical's orchestral and opera season in August, mostly at the Kursaal.

San Sebastian is slightly ahead for relaxation, thanks to its history as a royal seaside resort. The old bathing pavilion on La Concha is a seawater spa looking straight onto the bay, and the city's calm, orderly pace adds to the rest.

Malaga has an Arab-style bathhouse in the old town and resort spas towards Marbella. Its best restorative trick is a sunny winter of long lunches and evening strolls along the Paseo Maritimo.