Valencia or Malaga?

The two are evenly matched for beach time, but the beaches feel different. Malaga's sand is grey-brown and practical. La Malagueta is a short walk from the cathedral, the old fishing quarters of Pedregalejo and El Palo lie to the east, and the resort beaches of the Costa del Sol are along the train line. For clear water you go to the cliff coves at Nerja and Maro.

Valencia has wide bands of fine golden sand at Las Arenas and Malvarrosa, a tram ride from the centre, and the wilder dune beaches of El Saler further south. The water there is several degrees warmer in high summer, while Malaga's Alboran sea can turn cool when the easterly wind blows.

Both are places for relaxed eating rather than formal dining. Malaga's best food is beach fish: espetos of sardines roasted over driftwood, plates of pescaito frito in El Palo, and sweet moscatel poured straight from the barrel in its old bodegas.

Valencia has the deeper table and is the better trip for food. Rice is a whole cuisine here, from paella valenciana to arroz negro and all i pebre in the Albufera villages. The Mercado Central is one of Europe's great markets, and Ruzafa has a creative restaurant scene that goes well beyond what Malaga offers.

There is little to choose between them, and either rewards two or three days of sightseeing. Malaga's strengths are layered history and one great name: a Roman theatre at the foot of the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro above, and Picasso's museum and birthplace in the old town.

Valencia offers late Gothic grandeur in the Lonja de la Seda and the cathedral with its Grail chalice, then jumps centuries to the white futuristic buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences. It is a city of architecture, where Malaga is more a city of a fortress and its painters.

Both keep late Spanish hours, and in both a night out is more sociable than wild. Malaga's evenings are spent moving between terraces around Plaza de la Merced and Calle Granada. For bigger clubs and the gay scene you take the train to Torremolinos.

Valencia's going out is spread over more distinct areas: cocktail bars in Ruzafa, rougher student bars in El Carmen, and summer open-air clubs near Malvarrosa that keep going until dawn. In March the whole city takes to the streets for Fallas.

Malaga is much the stronger choice for the outdoors. Forested hills rise straight behind the city, and within reach are the gorge of the Caminito del Rey, the strange limestone stacks of El Torcal, serious hikes in the sierras above Nerja and, in winter, skiing in the Sierra Nevada.

Valencia's landscape is flat and watery instead. Its highlights are the Albufera lagoon with its rice fields and herons, sunset boat trips and the pine dunes of El Saler. It is lovely for cycling and birdwatching, but for real hills you have to drive to Chulilla or the Sierra Calderona.

Here Malaga has a real lead. Fast trains put the Mezquita of Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada within easy reach, Ronda and Antequera's dolmens are close, and Seville is just about possible. That is a run of Andalucia's greatest sights from a single base.

Valencia's outings are pleasant but less famous: the Roman theatre at Sagunto, Xàtiva's castle on its ridge, the hanging houses of Cuenca, and Peñíscola on its rock in the sea.

Malaga works well with children if you plan around the coast. In the city, older children get the most from the ramparts and gardens of the Alcazaba and the climb to Gibralfaro, and the flat, pedestrianised centre is easy with a pushchair. The days with animals are out of town, at the Selwo Marina dolphin park in Benalmadena and the Selwo safari park near Estepona, so a family stay means regular train rides west.

Valencia keeps more of the day in one place, which makes it a little easier with small children, and the Hemisfèric's films on its huge domed screen are a good way out of the sun on a hot afternoon. Neither city has a big theme park of its own, and in both the midsummer heat makes a long break in the middle of the day essential with children, so the shoulder months either side of July and August are the kinder time to go.

Malaga's centre is the more compact of the two. The cathedral, the market and La Malagueta beach are all a short walk apart, and the airport is ten minutes away by train. You need a car only for the villages and gorges inland.

Valencia gets around more easily overall. It is one of Spain's best cycling cities, with the Turia gardens as a car-free route across town, and its metro and tram lines reach the beaches and the port. That network matters, because the sea and the City of Arts and Sciences are further from the old town than they are in Malaga.

Neither city is a shopping destination, and the range is similar. Malaga's shopping centres on the marble length of Calle Larios and the port at Muelle Uno, and the real luxury shopping is out in Puerto Banus. Valencia has a few luxury boutiques of its own around Calle Colón, plus Manises ceramics, fans and silk. Both markets are good for edible souvenirs: sweet wine and almonds in Malaga, saffron and paella rice in Valencia.

Costs are much the same, and in both cities eating out is the bargain. The difference lies in when rooms are expensive. In Malaga, beds in the old town and by the beach are in demand from spring right through to autumn, so winter is when you save. In Valencia, central hotels are reasonably priced most of the year and prices jump mainly in high summer and during Fallas.

Valencia is the city for a night at the theatre. The Palau de les Arts gives it a proper opera and ballet season with a respected orchestra, and the Palau de la Música on the Turia hosts concerts.

Malaga's main stage is the Teatro Cervantes, and its real draw is flamenco, best heard in the peñas where locals perform for each other. If you want opera, Valencia is the choice.

Both are equally modest here. Neither has a living bathing tradition, so wellness means Arab-style bathhouses and hotel spas in town and the resort spas along the coast. Malaga's slow siesta rhythm and sunny winters suit an out-of-season rest. Valencia has the shady paths of the Turia gardens for unhurried walks.