Brač or Korčula?

Both islands are made for swimming in clear water, but their beaches are different. Brač has Zlatni Rat, the long pebble spit at Bol that changes shape with the wind. It is a well-known sight but crowded at midday, with quieter coves to the west and shallow town bays along the north coast.

Korčula has no single famous beach. Instead it offers rare stretches of real sand at Lumbarda, the deep clear bay of Pupnatska Luka down a steep road, and taxi boats to the flat rocks of Badija. On both islands most of the shore is pebble or rock, so pack water shoes for either.

Both islands serve the same Dalmatian konoba cooking, with grilled fish and octopus or lamb slow-cooked under the iron bell. The difference is what each does best. On Brač it is olive oil and lamb, especially spit-roasted vitalac, followed by walnut hrapoćuša cake from Dol.

On Korčula it is the wine: Grk from Lumbarda, Pošip from the vineyards around Čara, and handmade makaruni pasta from Žrnovo. Pelješac reds and Ston oysters are a short crossing away, which gives Korčula slightly more to explore at the table.

This is where Korčula pulls clearly ahead. Its walled town on a small peninsula is a complete historic townscape in its own right. The herringbone streets lead to St Mark's Cathedral and its Tintoretto, the treasury and the town museum, and at the far western end of the island the ancient cave of Vela Spila adds deep history.

Brač's heritage is more scattered and more rural. It includes the cliffside Blaca hermitage, reached only on foot, the Illyrian walls and Venetian tower at Škrip, and the stonemasons' harbour at Pučišća. These reward a slow drive more than a day of sightseeing.

Evenings on both islands mean a long dinner and a drink by the water, and neither is a party destination. Brač's livelier spot is Bol in July and August, with beach bars on the path to Zlatni Rat and a few open-air dance venues. Korčula has cocktails on the town walls and towers at sunset rather than dancing. For a real night out, people on either island take a boat to Hvar.

Both islands are good for walking and windsurfing, but the landscapes are different. Brač is high, bare karst. You can climb Vidova Gora in a morning for the view down to Zlatni Rat, and the windsurfing channel is right off Bol.

Korčula is greener, with pine, oak and vineyards along a gentler ridge. Its more dramatic country is across the water: the climb up Sveti Ilija above Orebić, the wind at Viganj, and Mljet's saltwater lakes. On Brač the best walking is on the island itself, while on Korčula a good part of it means taking a boat.

From Brač, the obvious outings are towns. The ferry from Supetar puts you in Split, its centre built into Diocletian's Palace, in under an hour, and walled Trogir on its islet is half an hour further. From Bol, a summer catamaran also crosses to Jelsa on Hvar. Bear in mind that crossings thin out once summer ends.

Korčula's trips lean towards wine and nature. A short ferry to Orebić opens up the Pelješac wineries and the medieval walls of Ston, Mljet's lake monastery is a full day by boat, and Lumbarda, Blato and Vela Luka on the island itself each fill a day. From Korčula, Split and Dubrovnik each mean a long day.

Brač is the more practical island for children. Several north coast towns have shallow, sheltered beaches next to promenades, so families can choose between Supetar, Sutivan and Postira rather than settling for a single area.

On Korčula, family life centres on the sandy bays near Lumbarda, and the island's main town, with its steps and walls, is tiring with small children. Neither island has attractions built for children, so on both the days revolve around the beach and the harbour.

On both islands you will want a car or scooter, because the buses are too infrequent to plan a day around. On Brač the drive over the plateau from the north coast to Bol is slow and winding, but the ferry to Split is short.

Korčula is long and narrow, with a single main road from Lumbarda to Vela Luka. Taxi boats make up for this around Korčula Town, Lumbarda and Orebić, and are a pleasant way to reach a beach.

Neither island is a place to shop. What you take home from Brač is its stone, with carved pieces from the workshops at Pučišća, along with olive oil and lavender. On Korčula the better buys are bottles of Grk and Pošip, cukarini biscuits, and the small craft studios and galleries in the old town lanes.

Both islands cost about the same, with resort prices in July and August around Bol and around Korčula's old town. On either island, the savings come from the same choices: a private apartment in a quieter village such as Postira or Lumbarda, meals at inland konobas, and a trip in June or September. Brač adds car ferry fares, while Korčula adds boat trips and drinks on the town walls.

Korčula has the edge thanks to the Moreška, a centuries-old sword dance that troupes perform in the old town through the summer. Some villages also keep up the Kumpanija on feast days. Brač has nothing comparable, only open-air concerts and klapa singing on summer evenings in Bol and Supetar, and anyone after a proper programme takes the ferry to the Split summer festival.

Neither island has a bathing tradition, and on both the spas are inside the larger hotels. Brač has a few more of them, in Bol and Supetar. The real draw on both is the slow pace in June and September. On Brač that means quiet harbours such as Milna and Povlja, and on Korčula it means vineyard villages and long, shaded lunches.