Athens or Kusadasi?

Athens has more coast than people expect. Lidos and rocky free stretches run along the Riviera from Faliro to Vouliagmeni, a tram ride from the centre, and Aegina is a short ferry away for calmer water. Still, it is an afternoon added to a city stay.

In Kusadasi, the beach is the point of being there. Ladies Beach and Long Beach are sandy and right by town, Pamucak offers a wider and quieter strip, and the Dilek Peninsula coves have the clearest water. If swimming every day matters, Kusadasi gives you more of it with less effort.

Food is a real reason to choose Athens. Tavernas and mezedopoleia serve grilled octopus, fava and slow-cooked dishes with ouzo, tsipouro or Attica savatiano. The Varvakios market is worth a morning, and neighbourhoods like Koukaki and Exarchia cook better than touristy Plaka. There is serious fine dining too.

Kusadasi eats well enough on Aegean Turkish meze, grilled fish and olive-oil vegetables, best found in Kaleiçi meyhanes and lunchtime lokantas. Much of the resort strip, though, runs on international menus and hotel buffets, and fine dining is limited.

The gap here is very wide. Athens has the Parthenon above the city, the Ancient Agora, Hadrian's Library and the Kerameikos along one pedestrian promenade, and museums like the Acropolis Museum and the Benaki to fill several days.

In Kusadasi the sights in town are Pigeon Island's small fortress, the Ottoman caravanserai and a few lanes in Kaleiçi, and an hour or two covers them. Its history is out at Ephesus and the other ancient sites inland, not in the town.

Athens goes out late all year. There are rooftop bars facing the lit Acropolis in Monastiraki, clubs and a long-standing gay scene in Gazi, student bars in Exarchia and smarter drinking in Kolonaki. Bouzouki clubs still run until morning, and in summer the clubbing moves to open-air venues on the coast.

Kusadasi's night out is narrower and more seasonal. Bar Street has pubs, karaoke and dance bars for a mostly young package crowd, and a few big open-air clubs run in July and August. Out of season the town goes to bed early.

The two are about level, but the landscapes differ. Athens has mountains around its basin: pine trails on Hymettus, fir forest and deer on Parnitha, and the Saronic Gulf for sailing or a chartered boat.

Kusadasi's best nature is the Dilek Peninsula. A forested ridge drops to the sea there, with a canyon walk, wild horses and clear water for diving and snorkelling, and the granite Latmos mountains above Lake Bafa are about an hour away. In both, summer heat pushes serious walking into spring and autumn.

Both are excellent bases for day trips, and both lead into the ancient world. From Athens the range is wider: Delphi on Parnassos, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio across the Corinth Canal, Sounion at sunset, and ferries from Piraeus to car-free Hydra or Poros. Most of the mainland sites take a long day and work best with a car or tour.

Kusadasi's great asset is that Ephesus is so close, about twenty minutes away and reachable by dolmuş. Selçuk and Şirince are next to it, Priene, Miletus and Didyma make a full day to the south, and in summer there is a ferry to Samos.

Kusadasi is the easier family choice, as long as the trip centres on the beach. Ladies Beach and Long Beach have sand and gentle entry into the water, and there are resort hotels with kids' clubs and two water parks. Beyond that there is little made for children, and Ephesus is hard work in summer.

Athens has more for rainy or restless days, with the planetarium, Hellenic Cosmos, the zoo and the park at the Stavros Niarchos centre. But broken pavements, steep steps and the hot climb up the Acropolis make it more tiring with small children.

Athens is easier to get around without a car. The metro runs from the airport and Piraeus into a compact centre, a tram goes to the coast, and taxis are plentiful. Narrow, blocked pavements, the hills and summer heat are the downsides.

Kusadasi's harbour and bazaar are walkable, and dolmuş minibuses handle the beaches and Selçuk. Many hotels sit far out along the coast road, though, and Priene, Didyma or the national park really call for a hire car or a tour.

Athens gives shoppers more range. Ermou has the high-street chains, Kolonaki has Greek designers, and the Monastiraki flea market is good on weekends for antiques and records. Leather sandals, worry beads, honey and jewellery modelled on ancient designs make good souvenirs.

Kusadasi's shopping revolves around the cruise port. The bazaar sells carpets, leather, jewellery and imitation designer goods, with a hard sell and bargaining expected. The weekly market is better value for spices, dried figs and olive oil.

Kusadasi stretches a budget slightly further, mainly on where you sleep. Mid-range hotels and all-inclusive packages cost less than comparable Aegean resorts, and dolmuş rides and lokanta meals are cheap. The harbour-front restaurants and beach clubs are priced for tourists, though.

Athens is a little cheaper than most Western European capitals, and souvlaki, bakeries and the metro are good value. Central hotels with Acropolis views cost a lot in summer. Both cities charge entry fees at the ancient sites that add up over several outings.

Athens is far ahead here. In summer the Athens Epidaurus Festival stages opera, dance and ancient tragedy in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the theatre at Epidaurus. The rest of the year there is the Greek National Opera and the Megaron, and late-night rebetiko in small tavernas is the music most worth hearing.

Kusadasi has no theatre or concert season. Its live entertainment is Turkish-night dinner shows, cover bands in bars and the odd summer open-air concert.

Neither is a natural retreat, and both town centres are loud and crowded in summer. They relax in different ways. Athens has Lake Vouliagmeni, a spring-fed lake under a limestone cliff that stays mild all year, along with hotel spas and long coffees in shaded squares.

Kusadasi's version is the hammam scrub and foam massage, offered in the old-quarter bath and in most large resort hotels. In May, June and September, the quiet coves to the south are good places to slow down.