Breckenridge or South Lake Tahoe?

For swimming, these two are worlds apart. Breckenridge has no beach to speak of: Lake Dillon is for sailing and paddling, the snowmelt lakes up the Blue River valley are numbingly cold, and a swim means the recreation centre pool or a hotel hot tub.

South Lake Tahoe has proper sandy beaches right at the edge of town, from Pope, Baldwin and Kiva under the pines to Nevada Beach and Zephyr Cove across the state line, with the boulder coves of Sand Harbor further round the shore. The water is cold even in high summer and choppy on windy afternoons, but in July and August it is swimmable and strikingly clear.

Both towns are about resort eating, and neither is a place to travel for its food. Breckenridge has the more focused offer, with steakhouses, sushi and chef-led kitchens using Colorado elk, trout and bison along one walkable street, a local habit of green-chile breakfast burritos and its own whiskey as well as beer.

In South Lake Tahoe meals are scattered along Highway 50 and through the casino hotels, which add buffets and late-night diners that Breckenridge lacks. Small breweries are the local speciality, quality varies more, and many visitors end up cooking in their cabin.

Neither is a culture destination, but Breckenridge has a slight edge because its history is the town itself. The gold-rush district of Victorian storefronts and miners' cabins makes a pleasant walk, and the gold-panning mine tour and old river dredges complete the story.

South Lake Tahoe's history sits outside the town, in the lakeside estates of the Tallac Historic Site and Vikingsholm at the head of Emerald Bay, reached on a steep path. The centre itself is motels and casino towers, with only a small museum on the Washoe people and logging days.

Evenings are equally limited in both towns, but the style differs. Breckenridge has an après-ski crowd in ski boots, brewpubs and saloons in old Victorian buildings, and a couple of dance bars that stay open late on winter Saturdays, all within walking distance on Main Street. The thin air also makes drinks hit harder.

South Lake Tahoe offers less street life but later hours. Across the Nevada line the casino floors and lounges never close and a club or two fills on busy weekends, though there is no bar district to wander, and anyone wanting a bigger night out drives to Reno.

Both are outstanding mountain bases, so the choice comes down to the kind of landscape. Breckenridge is higher and more alpine, with five peaks of the Tenmile Range above town, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin and Vail close by, Quandary Peak for a summit day and a paved path to Frisco for cycling.

South Lake Tahoe adds water to the mountains. The deep blue lake, Emerald Bay and the granite basins of the Desolation Wilderness give it kayaking, paddleboarding and lakeside hiking as well as skiing at Heavenly and Kirkwood. At about 1,900m it is also far gentler on the lungs.

South Lake Tahoe has slightly more variety within reach. Virginia City's boardwalks, Genoa, Coloma's gold-discovery site and the Amador wine country can all be reached in about an hour or so, and Reno and the loop round the lake through Tahoe City and Truckee are other options.

From Breckenridge the best trips are mining history too, with high Leadville over Hoosier Pass, the narrow-gauge railway at Georgetown and the hot springs at Idaho Springs. Beyond those and Vail it is mostly other ski resorts, and Denver's museums are a long drive that I-70 traffic can make longer.

Families do about equally well in each, for different reasons. Breckenridge suits ski families who would rather not drive: ski schools, a free gondola and a summer activity park with an alpine coaster, plus a recreation centre with pools and an ice rink for bad-weather days. Altitude sickness in the first days is the main worry.

South Lake Tahoe gives children shallow sandy beaches in summer, salmon at Taylor Creek in autumn and sledding hills in winter, at a lower and easier altitude. It has nothing indoors for a stormy day, though, and every outing means the car, while the casino strip is no place to linger with children.

Breckenridge is far easier to get around. A compact historic centre, a free gondola from Main Street and free town and county buses to Frisco, Keystone and Copper Mountain let many visitors spend a whole week without a car. The weak link is the drive of around two hours from Denver's airport.

In South Lake Tahoe only the small area around Stateline and the gondola is walkable. Beaches, trailheads and Emerald Bay are spread out, summer weekends clog Highway 50, and winter storms bring chain controls on the roads in, so a car and some patience are part of the trip.

For an evening browse, Breckenridge's Main Street is the better bet, though shopping is not a reason to visit either town. Its small side courtyards mix ski and outdoor shops with galleries of Western landscapes and photography, a few clothing boutiques and sweet shops, and serious shoppers can drive a short way north to the Silverthorne outlets.

South Lake Tahoe's shops are practical: rental outfitters, outdoor gear, a supermarket for cabin supplies and a cluster of souvenir stores around the gondola base. There is no shopping street to wander.

Both are expensive in peak season, but South Lake Tahoe gives you more ways to save. Casino hotels on the Nevada side drop their rates midweek and in spring and autumn, cabin kitchens cut the cost of eating out, and the beaches and lake views are free.

Breckenridge ranks among the dearest ski towns there are, especially over Christmas and spring break. Free buses and the gondola help, and staying in Frisco or Silverthorne or coming in summer brings the bill down, but even then you will pay a resort premium.

The two are close here, but their programmes are very different. Breckenridge's offer is classical and seasonal: the open-sided Riverwalk Center by the Blue River hosts a summer festival orchestra and a national academy of young players, and a small theatre company performs in the arts district.

South Lake Tahoe's live entertainment runs all year in the casino showrooms, mostly touring rock and country acts, comedians and tribute shows. In summer it adds Shakespeare on the beach at Sand Harbor and evening concerts at the Tallac estates.

South Lake Tahoe is the more restful choice. Grover Hot Springs, a mineral pool in an alpine meadow, is under an hour south, the Carson Valley springs are half an hour over the pass, and quiet mornings by the lake set a slower pace once you step away from the casinos.

Breckenridge's wellness is mostly a nightly hot tub in the snow and the spas in its resort hotels, and the nearest natural springs are about an hour away at Idaho Springs. Its full ski days and thin air leave many visitors more tired than rested.