Boca Raton or St. Petersburg, Florida?

These are two equally fine beach destinations on opposite coasts. Boca Raton's Atlantic shore is a run of low-rise public parks backed by dunes and sea grape, with a reef at Red Reef Park close enough to snorkel from the beach and a sea that stays swimmable all winter.

St. Petersburg's Gulf beaches are wider and whiter, with calm, shallow water at St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille and wilder sand at Fort De Soto. The trade-offs are a sea too cool for most swimmers in January and February, the occasional red tide, and a short trip out from downtown, which faces the bay rather than the Gulf.

St. Petersburg eats a little more interestingly. Its Gulf fish shacks, grouper sandwiches and smoked fish spread give it a local flavour, the Grand Central and Edge districts have some chef-led cooking, and a dense craft brewery scene sets it apart. Ybor City's Cuban food is just across the bay.

Boca Raton is more polished and more predictable, with steakhouses, Italian dining rooms and sushi in Mizner Park and the plazas. Its real local strength is the Jewish deli and bagel bakery tradition, and for more variety you have to drive up to Delray Beach.

St. Petersburg is far ahead here. The Dalí Museum is a sight worth travelling for, and the Museum of Fine Arts, the Western art collection, the Chihuly glass and the Arts and Crafts museum make a downtown cluster that easily fills two or three days, with street murals in between.

Boca Raton shares the 1920s Mediterranean Revival heritage, through Addison Mizner's Old Town Hall and the pink-towered hotel, and has a decent art museum. Its most memorable visit is the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens just to the north, and beyond that a culture-minded traveller will soon be heading to Miami or Palm Beach.

Neither city is a party town, but St. Petersburg gives you a proper night out without leaving town. Cocktail bars, rooftops, sports bars and taprooms line Central Avenue within walking distance of one another, and the beach tiki bars start the evening with a Gulf sunset.

In Boca Raton evenings rarely go beyond dinner and a glass of wine in Mizner Park, and most of the city is quiet before midnight. Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach is the nearest place that stays up late, and Ybor City plays the same role for St. Petersburg.

Both landscapes are flat and centred on water, but St. Petersburg offers more to explore. Its mangrove paddling trails at Weedon Island and Shell Key bring dolphins, rays and, in winter, manatees, and Fort De Soto and the long Pinellas Trail suit birding and cycling.

Boca Raton's edge is underwater: a nearshore reef for snorkelling and diving, and Gulf Stream charters for sailfish. Gumbo Limbo's turtle night walks and the Everglades wildlife of the Loxahatchee refuge, about half an hour inland, round it out.

The day-trip choice is about equal, and the difference lies in where the trips lead. From Boca Raton the trips run along one coastal strip: Palm Beach's Flagler Museum and Worth Avenue to the north, Fort Lauderdale's canals to the south, and Miami's Art Deco and Little Havana, which the train makes easy without a car.

St. Petersburg's outings vary more in character: Ybor City's cigar-factory streets in Tampa, the Ringling in Sarasota, and the Greek sponge docks of Tarpon Springs. Orlando's theme parks are just within reach for a long day.

St. Petersburg works better with children, mainly because of its big attractions. Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium and ZooTampa are across the bay, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is within an hour, and the Gulf's gentle, shallow surf is ideal for small swimmers.

Boca Raton is calm, safe and easy, with lifeguarded beach parks, the turtle tanks at Gumbo Limbo and the play areas of Sugar Sand Park. But its larger outings, such as Lion Country Safari or Miami's zoo, take a long drive.

You will want a car in both places, but St. Petersburg asks less of it. Its waterfront, pier, museums and Central Avenue sit close together on foot, a trolley loops the core, and a rapid bus runs out to St. Pete Beach.

In Boca Raton only the Mizner Park area is walkable, and everything else is spread along wide multi-lane roads with weak bus service. Its saving grace is the railway: Tri-Rail and Brightline make car-free days in Miami or West Palm Beach realistic.

Boca Raton is the place to shop. Its enclosed mall ranks among Florida's most upscale, full of designer labels and major department stores, and Mizner Park and Royal Palm Place add open-air boutiques and galleries. It is polished rather than distinctive.

St. Petersburg is the reverse: small, independent and characterful, with vintage and record shops on Central Avenue, local glass and prints, and the winter Saturday Morning Market. For brand names, though, you have to drive to Tampa.

Neither is cheap, but St. Petersburg is easier on the budget. The beaches, parks and waterfront cost nothing to enjoy, and staying downtown or slightly inland instead of on the sand brings costs down further.

Boca Raton is one of the wealthiest towns on the coast. In winter its resorts and restaurants charge big-city prices, and it charges visitors to park at the beaches. Both cities get much cheaper in the hot, stormy summer, and in Boca Raton delis and self-catering help.

St. Petersburg has the fuller programme. The Florida Orchestra and touring shows play the Mahaffey Theater, there are a professional theatre company, a church turned concert hall and an outdoor venue for rock and indie bands, and live music in bars is common at weekends.

Boca Raton's offering is seasonal and more genteel: musicals, conservatory recitals at Lynn University, a ballet company and open-air concerts at the Mizner Park Amphitheater, which go quiet in summer. For opera and big tours, each city sends its audiences to a larger centre nearby.

For rest the two are much alike. Neither has a bathing tradition, and both offer resort spas, day spas and yoga studios in place of one.

The kind of calm differs. Boca Raton's comes from a manicured, wealthy town that goes to bed early, while St. Petersburg's is more relaxed and outdoorsy: sunset on the Gulf beaches every evening, the sleepy streets of Pass-a-Grille and shaded benches under the banyans downtown.