Lisbon or Madrid? Which Iberian capital is best for a city break?

Q I am part of a group of former schoolfriends – now fortysomething women – who are planning an April weekend away. We are torn between Lisbon and Madrid. Which would you recommend? We live in Hampshire and would prefer to fly from Gatwick.

Name withheld

A Both Iberian capitals are rich in culture, though Madrid has the edge because of the dazzling trilogy of art museums: the Prado, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the modern art of the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which includes Picasso’s vast and powerful Guernica. The Spanish capital also presents the enticing option of a tapas crawl.

Lisbon is not so culturally blessed: my favourite art collection is the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, which I think is outclassed by the Prado alone. But of the two cities, Lisbon is ahead as an all-round weekend destination. Partly that is down to the sheer practicalities of the warmer weather in April, the generally lower prices in the Portuguese capital and the airport’s proximity to the city (10 minutes with a clear run by cab, far quicker and cheaper than Barajas airport to the centre of Madrid). Partly because of its spectacular setting on the Tagus estuary and dramatic three-dimensional terrain. And partly the ease of wandering through the fascinating and distinctive quarters of Chiado, Bairro Alto, Alfama and, at the heart of the city, Baixa.

Without wishing to add to your quandary, I would add two extra cities to the mix: Porto in northern Portugal and Valencia in southeast Spain. Both are waterside gems with great cuisine and places to stay, and without the hyperactivity and price levels of capital cities.

Every day our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder