Como or Syracuse, Sicily?

The gap here is wide. Como offers a cool dip at a lido such as the one by Villa Olmo, or off a pebble jetty in Moltrasio, and the lake season barely fills the summer.

Syracuse gives you a proper sea vacation. You can swim off Ortigia's platforms in warm, clear water, spend the day on the sandy beaches at Arenella and Fontane Bianche, or drive to the undeveloped sand of Vendicari. Its season also runs about a month longer, into early October.

Both cook regional food rather than international dishes, but Syracuse eats better. Its Ortigia market, pasta with sea urchin, granita with brioche and local Nero d'Avola give a visitor far more to seek out than Como's perch risotto, missoltini and polenta.

Como's strength is the aperitivo on the squares by the cathedral and the family-run places in the hills. In both cities the tables with the best view are rarely the ones with the best food.

Como's walled centre rewards a day. It has the marble cathedral, Romanesque Sant'Abbondio, Terragni's Casa del Fascio for anyone interested in architecture, and the Volta temple on the shore.

Syracuse runs much deeper. A Greek temple built into the cathedral, Ortigia's baroque lanes, the rock-cut theatre at Neapolis, the Paolo Orsi museum and a Caravaggio fill two or three days, and they span a history from ancient Greece onwards that Como cannot match.

Neither suits a big night out, though Syracuse has more going on. On summer weekends Ortigia's lanes and sea walls stay busy past midnight, and beach clubs add some dancing in July and August.

Como winds down after dinner, with a few bars around Piazza Duomo and a stroll on the lakefront. Young locals who want clubs take the train to Milan, just as people in Syracuse drive up to Catania.

Both have real countryside, but Como's is closer to hand. The funicular lifts you from the lakefront to the ridge trails above Brunate in minutes, and the Via dei Monti Lariani, Monte Bisbino and the Ghisallo climb make it a fine base for walkers and cyclists.

Syracuse's outdoors is more spread out and leans towards the sea: snorkelling in the Plemmirio reserve, the green pools of Cavagrande, flamingos at Vendicari, and Etna as a long day out. Its summer heat makes midday hiking hard work.

Both are outstanding bases, and the real difference is how you travel. From Como, ferries and hydrofoils reach Bellagio, Varenna and Villa del Balbianello, and trains put Milan, Lugano and Bergamo within easy reach without a car.

From Syracuse, the main draw is the baroque towns of the Val di Noto: Noto, Modica, Ragusa Ibla and Scicli. Catania, Taormina and the mosaics at Piazza Armerina add to the list, but most of these trips are far easier with a hire car.

Syracuse has the edge with children, mostly thanks to its gently shelving sandy beaches. It also has the echoing Ear of Dionysius, papyrus boat trips and puppet shows, though in midsummer the days have to be planned around the beach.

Como is calm and safe, and children like the funicular, the ferries and the Villa Olmo gardens. Paddling at a lido is no substitute for sand, though, and the villas and churches are aimed at adults. Neither city has a zoo or a theme park.

Como is the easier place to manage without a car. The old town and lakefront are flat and walkable, two stations connect to Milan and the line north reaches Lugano, although the lake ferries are slow and the shore roads clog in summer.

In Syracuse, Ortigia takes fifteen minutes to cross on foot, but the archaeological park needs a taxi or a long walk and buses are sparse. Vendicari and the inland gorges are realistically reached only by car.

Neither is a shopping destination, but Como gives you the clearer reason to buy. It has silk scarves and ties from old-town specialists and mill outlets, a short run of Italian boutiques, and Milan close by for more. Syracuse's finds are crafts on Ortigia, such as hand-painted ceramics, coral jewellery and papyrus paintings, along with capers and pistachio products from the market to take home.

Syracuse is noticeably cheaper. Street food and simple trattoria meals cost far less than in northern Italy, though rooms on Ortigia get dearer in summer and a hire car adds to the bill.

Como is expensive, because its lakeside hotels and terraces are priced for an international luxury crowd. Rooms back from the water, trattorias in the old town and cheap trains and ferries all help, and in both cities spring and autumn are kinder to the budget.

Como offers a regular season, while Syracuse has one exceptional summer event. At the Teatro Sociale, the neoclassical opera house beside the cathedral, its season brings opera, orchestral concerts and ballet. In summer performances move to the open-air Arena next door, and chamber music fills Romanesque churches and lakeside villas. For anything grander, La Scala is a short train ride away.

Syracuse stages Greek tragedies and comedies in its ancient theatre each late spring and early summer, a tradition since 1914. Watching Euripides at sunset from the stone seats is the more memorable night of the two. Outside that season, the Sicilian puppet theatre on Ortigia is the main thing to see, and most evenings are quiet.

Neither has thermal springs, so relaxation comes from the setting rather than from spas. In Como that means still water, villa gardens, slow ferries and quiet villages, with the most polished spas in the grand lakeside hotels.

Syracuse offers long lunches, sunsets over the harbour and walks on Ortigia's sea walls. It is best outside August, when heat and crowds make it less restful, much as Como's lakefront fills up in midsummer.