Mexico City or Nuevo Vallarta?

Mexico City has no beach at all. It sits high on a plateau, and swimming means a hotel pool, with Acapulco a separate trip of several hours.

Nuevo Vallarta is built along kilometres of golden sand on Banderas Bay, where the sea is warm and usually calm enough for children. Sayulita's surf and the coves of Punta Mita are within reach for a change of scene.

Mexico City is one of the great places to eat in the Americas. There are al pastor stands working late, breakfast tamales from carts, and cheap counter lunches in markets such as Medellín and La Merced. Further up the scale come cantinas, coffee and much-admired tasting menus in Roma, Condesa and Polanco.

Nuevo Vallarta has good regional cooking, such as pescado zarandeado, aguachile and ceviche, but you mostly have to leave the resort strip to find it. Plan evenings in Bucerias or Puerto Vallarta rather than relying on the hotel buffet.

Mexico City has one of the largest historic centres in the Americas. The Zócalo, the cathedral and the Templo Mayor stand side by side, and the anthropology museum alone can fill a day. Coyoacán, San Ángel and Xochimilco's canals add more than a week can hold.

Nuevo Vallarta has hotels, condominiums and a marina but no landmarks of its own. The nearest old streets and parish church are in Puerto Vallarta, half an hour away.

In Mexico City, nights start late and offer plenty of choice. You can walk between cocktail bars and mezcalerías in Roma and Condesa, sit in an old cantina in the Centro, dance salsa in a hall or stay in an electronic club until morning. The Zona Rosa adds a large LGBTQ scene.

In Nuevo Vallarta the evening is a lobby bar or a drink at the marina, and the strip is asleep by midnight. A proper night out means a taxi to Puerto Vallarta's malecon and Zona Romantica.

Nuevo Vallarta has the better wildlife on its doorstep. Humpback whales calve in the bay in winter, you can snorkel among the arches of the Marietas Islands, turtles nest on the beach, and there are crocodiles in the Ameca mangroves, with jungle foothills behind.

Mexico City has Chapultepec and the Xochimilco wetlands inside the city, and serious volcano walking at Paso de Cortés and Nevado de Toluca. Getting out through the traffic takes a large part of the day, though, and the dry-season air can be poor.

Mexico City has the stronger day trips because of what lies around it. There are the pyramids of Teotihuacan an hour away, Puebla's tiled centre, Cholula's pyramid, and the colonial towns of Taxco and Tepoztlán. Early starts are needed to beat the traffic.

From Nuevo Vallarta the trips are easier but lighter: Puerto Vallarta, the surf and galleries of Sayulita and Bucerias, Yelapa by boat, and San Sebastián del Oeste in the mountains. There is nothing of comparable historic weight within easy reach.

Nuevo Vallarta is the easier choice with children. Shallow pools, kids' clubs and a gentle beach are all within the resort, and whale trips and turtle releases make memorable outings. Summer heat limits time outdoors to mornings and evenings.

Mexico City has more to actually visit, such as the Papalote museum, the zoo in Chapultepec, a trajinera in Xochimilco and lucha libre. Long journeys, crowded trains and the altitude make it hard work with young children.

Mexico City is easier, though not easy. The Centro, Roma, Condesa and Coyoacán are pleasant to walk, and a large metro and the Metrobús link them. Ride-hailing fills the gaps. The catch is the long distances and packed rush-hour trains.

Nuevo Vallarta is a long boulevard of resorts where little is within walking distance except along the beach. Visitors rely on taxis, shuttles or a hire car. The short ride from the airport is its one clear convenience.

Mexico City is a real shopping destination. La Ciudadela gathers crafts from across the country, La Lagunilla is a Sunday flea market, San Ángel's bazaar sells art and design, and Polanco has the luxury houses and grand department stores.

In Nuevo Vallarta the shopping is swimwear and souvenirs. The Huichol beadwork worth taking home is found in Bucerias and Puerto Vallarta.

Mexico City is clearly the cheaper stay. Street food, metro rides and museum entry cost little, and only the hotels and restaurants of Roma, Condesa and Polanco approach European prices.

Nuevo Vallarta is almost entirely resorts and condominiums priced for North American visitors. All-inclusive deals keep the bill predictable, and eating in Bucerias saves a lot.

Mexico City has a full calendar of performances. Bellas Artes hosts opera, the symphony and the Ballet Folklórico, the Auditorio Nacional stages big concerts, and there are mariachis in Plaza Garibaldi and lucha libre at Arena México. Most theatre is in Spanish.

Nuevo Vallarta offers poolside shows, folkloric dinners and one acrobatic dinner theatre. Puerto Vallarta adds cabaret and drag stages, but there is no orchestra or opera nearby.

Nuevo Vallarta is the place to slow down. Resort spas with hydrotherapy circuits, beach yoga and massages under palapas fill unhurried days, though the quality depends on your hotel.

Mexico City is noisy and fast, and the calm comes in pieces: a Polanco day spa, a temazcal or a shaded plaza in Coyoacán. Many visitors who want a proper retreat go south to Tepoztlán.