Santa Barbara or Sedona?

Santa Barbara has an actual coastline, and that settles it. East and West Beach lie on either side of Stearns Wharf, Arroyo Burro and Leadbetter are a short drive west, and Carpinteria's long, shallow beach is ideal for small children. The cool water keeps most swims brief.

Sedona is high desert, and its swimming is Oak Creek: the sandstone chute at Slide Rock and deeper holes at Grasshopper Point and Red Rock Crossing. They are cold, small and crowded on hot weekends, a break during a day of hiking rather than a beach day.

Santa Barbara eats noticeably better. Spot prawns and sea urchin come off the harbour boats, the farmers' markets are superb, and you can walk between tasting rooms in the Funk Zone pouring Santa Rita Hills pinot noir. The taquerias of Milpas Street give it an honest, everyday side as well.

Sedona's kitchens lean on the view: resort terraces facing the red rock, Southwestern plates of chilli and grilled meat, and plenty for vegetarians. The choice runs out after a few good meals, and the hearty breakfast before a hike is the meal it does best. Verde Valley tasting rooms add some interest.

Santa Barbara's main sight is its centre: whitewashed stucco and red tile rebuilt after the 1925 earthquake, the County Courthouse with its clock tower view, the Old Mission above town and the Presidio. Add the art and natural history museums and you have two or three full days.

Sedona's sights fit into an afternoon. The Chapel of the Holy Cross, set into a butte, is the highlight, and the Sinagua cliff dwellings at Palatki and Honanki are older than anything in Santa Barbara but sit out in the backcountry. Most of the town's galleries are commercial rather than museums.

Neither is a party town, but Santa Barbara at least has an evening. Funk Zone breweries and tasting rooms fill up after work, and lower State Street has bars and a few small dance floors where students gather at weekends.

In Sedona, a brewpub or a resort lounge after dinner is about all there is, and the town goes to bed early because hikers set off at dawn. The best thing to do after dark is look up at a sky dark enough for serious stargazing.

Both towns sit at the foot of great walking country, but Sedona's is the more extraordinary. Trails lead straight to Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Devil's Bridge and Boynton Canyon, the slickrock singletrack draws mountain bikers from far away, and Oak Creek Canyon and the Grand Canyon's South Rim extend the range.

Santa Barbara's strength is variety rather than spectacle. Canyon trails such as Rattlesnake and Seven Falls climb the Santa Ynez Mountains to views over the channel, and the sea adds whale watching, kayaking, the surf at Rincon and boats to the Channel Islands, none of which Sedona can offer.

The outings are about equally good, and both regions lead with wine. From Santa Barbara the drive over the mountains to the Santa Ynez Valley takes in tasting rooms, Danish Solvang and the restored mission at La Purisima, with Ojai and Ventura as quieter extras.

Sedona's outings lean more on history and landscape. The mining town of Jerome on its mountainside, the cliff dwelling at Montezuma Castle, the Tuzigoot pueblo and the Verde Canyon Railroad through a roadless canyon are all close, and Flagstaff opens up Walnut Canyon and Wupatki beyond.

Santa Barbara is far easier with children. The small hillside zoo, the touch tanks at the Sea Center on the wharf, the MOXI science museum and the planetarium give them plenty for rainy or tired days, and Carpinteria's shallow water is safe for little ones.

Sedona works for active families who enjoy Slide Rock, jeep tours and short trails, but there is little made for children beyond that, and summer heat and exposed paths need care. It suits a stop on a Grand Canyon road trip better than a long family base.

In Santa Barbara you can manage without a car for the core of a stay. State Street runs flat from the centre to the sea, a shoreline path links the wharf, harbour and East Beach, buses and a downtown shuttle cover the middle, and the coastal train stops near the beach. The wine country and outlying beaches still mean driving.

Sedona is spread along two highways meeting at the Y, and only Uptown is walkable. Trailheads, the chapel and every day trip need a car, weekend traffic and full trailhead car parks are common, and the journey up from Phoenix takes about two hours.

Santa Barbara gives you more variety: chains and independents on State Street, boutiques and galleries around the fountain courtyards of La Arcada, upmarket fashion in Montecito and design shops in the Funk Zone. Wine and market produce are the best things to take home.

Sedona's shopping is narrower but more distinctive. Tlaquepaque's courtyards and the galleries along the main road sell Western art and Native American jewellery, pottery and rugs, and the crystal and metaphysical shops are part of the town's character. There is no fashion shopping at all.

Both are costly places to stay, with little to choose between them. Santa Barbara's beachfront and Montecito rooms are among the dearest on the coast, though taquerias, farmers' markets and free beaches and hikes help, as does staying in Goleta or Ventura.

Sedona charges resort rates, especially in spring and autumn, and jeep tours, balloon flights and spa treatments add up quickly. Its relief is the trails, which need little more than a parking pass, and cheaper beds in Cottonwood or Flagstaff.

Santa Barbara has a genuine stage life for a town of its size. The restored Granada hosts the local symphony, opera and ballet, the historic Lobero has chamber music and jazz, the Santa Barbara Bowl brings major touring bands into a canyon amphitheatre, and the Music Academy of the West fills summer with concerts.

Sedona has no concert hall or theatre season. Its calendar is a few chamber concerts, local theatre, acoustic sets and Native American flute in resort bars, and its long-running film festival in late winter.

Sedona is built for this kind of trip. Destination resorts with spas facing the canyons, yoga, meditation, breathwork and alternative therapies are everywhere, and sunrise walks to the vortexes are a local ritual. Treatments are expensive, and there are no thermal baths.

Santa Barbara is restful mainly because of its pace and mild weather. It has resort spas in Montecito and many yoga studios, plus a hike up to small hot pools in the hills. For a dedicated retreat, people there usually drive to the Ojai Valley.