Medellin or Mexico City?

Neither city is a beach destination. Both sit high inland, and swimming means a pool. Medellín at least has the reservoir at Guatapé and country fincas with pools in the hills, while Mexico City's nearest sea, at Acapulco, is several hours away by road. In both cases the coast belongs on a separate leg of the trip.

Medellín's paisa cooking is filling rather than varied: bandeja paisa, sancocho and arepas all day. The real pleasures are the tropical fruit and the local coffee. El Poblado, Provenza and Laureles offer enough choice for a few memorable meals.

Mexico City is a food destination in its own right. Taco stands, breakfast tamale carts and markets such as San Juan and La Merced (there is even one called Medellín in Roma) lead up to cantinas, pulquerías and some of the most respected tasting menus in the Americas. Both have good coffee, but Mexico City is the one where meals shape the whole trip.

Medellín's interest lies in its recent story rather than old buildings. You can see the Botero collection at the Museo de Antioquia, the Casa de la Memoria on the decades of violence, and the murals and outdoor escalators of Comuna 13. Two or three days covers it.

Mexico City works on another scale. The Zócalo, the cathedral and the National Palace stand beside the excavated Templo Mayor, the Anthropology Museum holds the Aztec Sun Stone, and Coyoacán and San Ángel add Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Even a week leaves plenty unseen.

Both cities go out late and keep going, so the difference is one of style. Medellín is the reggaeton city, with loud clubs and rooftop bars around Parque Lleras and Provenza, and cheaper, more local salsa bars along La 70 in Laureles.

In Mexico City a night out is usually a walk between mezcalerías and cocktail bars on the tree-lined streets of Roma and Condesa. Old cantinas in the Centro, electronic clubs that run until morning and a large LGBTQ scene in the Zona Rosa add range. In both cities, take a ride-hailing car home at the end of the night.

Medellín has the mountains on its doorstep. The metro links to a cable car up to the cloud forest trails of Parque Arví, paragliders launch from San Félix, and the woods around Santa Elena are good for birdwatching. The mild climate makes all of this easy year-round.

Mexico City has Chapultepec, Xochimilco's canals and hiking at altitude in the Desierto de los Leones. Beyond the city lies grander scenery, from the volcanoes at Paso de Cortés to the monarch butterfly reserves in winter. Reaching it means a long drive through traffic, and the air can be poor in the dry season.

Medellín's outings are pleasant country towns: painted Guatapé beside El Peñol's rock, colonial Santa Fe de Antioquia in its hot valley, and the ceramics of Carmen de Viboral. The best coffee villages are worth an overnight stay rather than a day out.

Mexico City's day trips are among its main attractions. The pyramids of Teotihuacan are about an hour away, and Puebla and Cholula's church-topped pyramid about two. Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán and the silver town of Taxco lie to the south. Early starts beat the traffic.

In Medellín the children's attractions are grouped together in the north of the city. Parque Explora, a hands-on science museum with a freshwater aquarium, sits next to the planetarium and the botanical garden. Add the gondolas up to Parque Arví and the mild weather, and you have a couple of easy days, though steep streets and heavy traffic mean most families keep to El Poblado or Laureles.

Mexico City has more for children, but it is spread much further apart. There are the zoo, boating lakes and Papalote museum in Chapultepec, an aquarium in Polanco, trajinera boats at Xochimilco, lucha libre, and the pyramids outside town. It fills a longer stay better. The altitude and long rides in traffic mean planning each day around one neighbourhood.

Medellín's system is compact and easy to learn. The clean metro runs along the valley floor, with Metrocable gondolas climbing the hillsides and a tram to the east, so Botero Plaza and Comuna 13 are a short ride apart. El Poblado and Laureles are pleasant to walk, if steep, and a cheap taxi covers the rest. The airport is about forty-five minutes away on the plateau.

Mexico City's network covers a far larger area, with Metrobús lanes and bike-share alongside the colour-coded metro. The Centro, Roma, Condesa and Coyoacán are good on foot, but the distances between them are long. Trains are packed at rush hour and pickpockets work them, so most visitors also use ride-hailing cars.

Medellín's strength is clothing. As Colombia's textile centre, it sells local labels, swimwear and leather in the malls of El Poblado and the boutiques of Provenza, with wholesale chaos in El Hueco downtown. Crafts are mostly regional ceramics and carriel shoulder bags.

Mexico City goes much further. La Ciudadela gathers crafts from across the country, and San Ángel's Saturday bazaar and the Sunday flea market at La Lagunilla make for long browsing. Polanco's Avenida Masaryk has the luxury houses Medellín lacks.

Both are cheap by international standards, and in both what you spend depends on where you stay. Medellín stays inexpensive even in good mid-range hotels. Prices climb mainly in El Poblado and Provenza, and Laureles keeps costs low.

In Mexico City the gap between districts is wider. Roma, Condesa and Polanco charge close to European-capital prices, while market lunches, the metro and a bed in the Centro stay very cheap.

Medellín's live music is local and informal: salsa bands, and tango bars kept going since Carlos Gardel died here in 1935. The philharmonic plays at the Teatro Metropolitano, but there is no regular season of opera or musicals.

Mexico City offers the full range. The Palacio de Bellas Artes hosts the national opera and symphony and the Ballet Folklórico, which is easy to enjoy without Spanish. Around that are mariachis in Plaza Garibaldi, jazz in Roma and Coyoacán, and lucha libre at Arena México.

Medellín is built for energy rather than rest. Motorbikes and music keep it loud, and wellness means hotel spas, cheap massage and yoga, or escaping to a finca in the cool hills of Santa Elena.

Mexico City is hardly calmer, but it has more on offer. Spas offer the temazcal, a pre-Hispanic steam bath, and Polanco, Roma and Condesa have good day spas. Coyoacán's shaded plazas give quieter hours, and Cuernavaca and Tepoztlán to the south suit a real retreat.