Montevideo or Vina del Mar?

Both cities have a run of city beaches, but swimming is better in Montevideo. From Pocitos out to Carrasco the estuary warms enough in summer for a proper swim, even though the water is silty and brownish and sometimes closed after heavy rain.

Viña's sand is the more striking, with Reñaca the place to be seen and Las Salinas sheltered enough for children. The Humboldt Current keeps the Pacific cold, though, and the surf is strong, so most people sunbathe and take only short dips.

Montevideo has the stronger food culture, built on beef. Wood-fired parrillas in the iron hall of the Mercado del Puerto, the chivito and Tannat from the nearby wineries make a meal there something to plan a day around.

Viña cooks from the Pacific instead, with congrio, machas and shellfish empanadas along the Concón road and crisp whites from Casablanca. Away from that coast road its restaurants are ordinary, and the more interesting kitchens are in Valparaíso.

Montevideo gives you two or three days of real sightseeing. Plaza Independencia, the Palacio Salvo, the cathedral and the old-town museums, the moving Andes crash museum among them, plus the marble parliament further out, give the city a character Viña does not try to match.

Viña's sights are the villas of a garden city: Palacio Vergara, Wulff Castle, the flower clock and the Fonck Museum with its Easter Island moai. They fill an afternoon, and anyone after history goes on to Valparaíso.

The two are evenly matched and keep the same late Southern Cone hours. Montevideo spreads its going out across neighbourhood bars in Pocitos, the student streets of Cordón and the old-town cluster, and it carries on through the year at a relaxed pace.

Viña is a seasonal party town. In January and February the Reñaca clubs run until dawn and the Art Deco casino adds some old resort glamour, but the rest of the year is quiet unless you head to Valparaíso.

Viña has far more to offer outdoors. Within a short trip there are the high Concón dunes, pelicans and sea lions on the rocks, a surfable cold swell and, an hour inland, La Campana's native palm forest with views of the Andes.

Montevideo's main outdoor asset is the Rambla, a long, lovely promenade for evening runs and sunsets, along with some old parks. Beyond them the land is flat and farmed, and the gentle sierras near Minas are a long way to go for a short walk.

Viña is better placed for day trips, mainly because Valparaíso, with its funiculars, painted hills and Neruda's La Sebastiana, is about fifteen minutes away by metro. The Casablanca wineries, Isla Negra and Santiago are all easy outings too.

Montevideo's best excursions take longer. Colonia del Sacramento and Punta del Este are both a couple of hours or more away, although the Canelones wineries and Atlántida are close at hand.

Montevideo is a little easier with children. Its shallow, warm estuary beaches suit paddling, the long Rambla is good for scooters, and Parque Rodó has pedal boats and an old-fashioned fairground.

Viña welcomes families just as warmly and has calm Las Salinas, carriage rides and the moai that children love. With cold water and rough surf, though, a beach day there is mostly sand and paddling. Neither city has a big aquarium or theme park.

The two are about equal, and neither has a full metro system. Montevideo has flat, walkable areas in its old town and centre, but the city stretches a long way along the shore, so getting out to Pocitos or Carrasco means a confusing bus or a cab.

Viña's compact grid is easy on foot, and the Merval line makes Valparaíso effortless. Reñaca and Concón, however, depend on one coast road that clogs in summer.

Neither is a shopping destination, and in both you leave with crafts rather than fashion. Montevideo has more character, thanks to the Sunday sprawl of Tristán Narvaja and its leather, knitwear and silver-trimmed mate cups. Viña offers lapis lazuli and copper at beach stalls, plus malls stocked with international chains.

Viña del Mar is the cheaper of the two, especially in autumn, winter and spring, when its sea-view rooms are much easier on a budget than at the height of summer. Empanadas, set lunches and the metro keep everyday costs down.

Montevideo costs about what Southern Europe does all year, and Pocitos hotels charge capital-city prices in summer. Cheap buses, free museums and a good-value steak dinner help.

Montevideo offers far more live performance. Carnaval lasts over a month, with murga satire on the tablados and candombe drums in Barrio Sur. On top of that the Teatro Solís and SODRE host opera, ballet and orchestras, and milongas run all year.

Viña's moment is the February song festival in the Quinta Vergara amphitheatre, famous across the Spanish-speaking world. For the rest of the year the Teatro Municipal carries a modest programme.

Neither city has spas or baths of its own, so treatments mean a hotel spa in either. Montevideo is slightly more restful, with sunset mate on the Rambla walls and unhurried cafés all year. Viña's calm comes outside summer, when its gardens and Pacific promenades empty out.