Corfu or Milos?

Both islands put the beach first, and both deliver, but the beaches are different in kind. Corfu offers long sandy stretches on the west coast with sunsets and the odd surf day, small clear coves under green cliffs at Paleokastritsa, and calm pebble bays in the northeast. Many beaches have sunbeds and resort facilities, and the ones near the busiest resorts get crowded.

Milos is about its volcanic coastline. You get the white pumice inlets of Sarakiniko, coloured sand and rock, and south-coast beaches such as Tsigrado and Firiplaka, some of which you can only reach by boat. The north wind decides each day which side of the island to swim on, and many beaches have no sunbeds or shade at all.

Corfu gives you more to eat for. Centuries of Venetian rule left dishes you won't find elsewhere in Greece, such as veal sofrito, pastitsada and peppery bourdeto, along with kumquat liqueur and the island's ginger beer. The reward goes to those who skip the resort menus for Corfu Town's back lanes and the inland villages.

Milos cooks honest Cycladic food: grilled octopus in Klima, pitarakia cheese pies, ladenia flatbread and fish on the Pollonia waterfront. It is enjoyable but narrower, with little choice beyond the taverna.

Corfu has far more to see. Its old town has the Liston arcades, two fortresses and the Church of Agios Spyridon, and feels more Venetian than Greek. Beyond the town are the Achilleion palace and the cliff-top ruin of Angelokastro, enough to fill several days.

Milos has interesting pieces rather than a centrepiece. There are the early Christian catacombs, the field where the Venus de Milo was found, a Roman theatre, the hilltop village of Plaka and the painted boathouses at Klima. Two days covers it.

On Corfu, nightlife is a matter of choosing your base. Kavos parties until dawn, Ipsos and Dassia have a mixed run of beach bars, and Corfu Town offers grown-up drinks under the Liston and in the old lanes.

Milos has nothing like that range. An evening there means the sunset from Plaka's castle hill, dinner, then a drink by the harbour in Adamas or at Pollonia. There are no clubs, and that suits the people who choose the island.

The two islands are equally rewarding outdoors, but in opposite ways. Corfu is green and best explored on foot: olive groves, Mount Pantokrator with views to Albania, the Corfu Trail running the length of the island, and birdlife on the Korission lagoon.

Milos is dry and bare inland, and its drama is on the coast. The volcanic cliffs at Papafragas, the sea arches and the rock towers of Kleftiko are best seen from a sailing boat or kayak, while its inland trails are pleasant rather than memorable.

Corfu has more varied outings, all by sea. You can spend a day on Paxos with a swim at Antipaxos, cross to Albania for the ruins of Butrint, or take a boat to Parga under its Venetian castle on the mainland.

From Milos, the obvious trip is the short crossing to quiet Kimolos, and in summer Sifnos is possible by fast ferry. Every plan depends on the wind and the boat timetable.

Corfu is the stronger family island. Roda, Acharavi and the southern sands shelve gently into calm water. Resorts are built around pools and kids' clubs, and the water park and pirate-style boats fill the odd day. The one thing to do is steer clear of Kavos and Ipsos.

Milos works only for simple beach days. Pollonia's sheltered village beach is the easiest base. Elsewhere, steep paths, dirt tracks, scarce shade and a long ferry make it harder going with small children.

On both islands you really need a hired car, and neither has buses good enough to rely on. On Corfu, the issue is size and traffic. The island runs about 60km on narrow, twisting roads, and it gets congested around Corfu Town in summer, but arriving is simple through its airport.

Milos is the opposite. Nowhere is more than about forty minutes from Adamas, though the west is reached by rough dirt roads and Kleftiko by boat. The hard part is getting there, either by a long ferry from Piraeus or a short flight from Athens.

Neither island is a shopping destination, but Corfu Town gives you more to browse. Nikiforou Theotoki and the lanes behind the Liston sell olive-wood boards, kumquat sweets and soaps, with Greek clothing chains nearby. On Milos, there are a few linen and ceramics boutiques in Plaka, and capers and honey make the best things to take home.

Corfu is the cheaper island. The package resorts on the north and east coasts keep rooms reasonable, and taverna meals and buses are fairly priced. The expensive exceptions are the villas around Kassiopi and Corfu Town in high summer.

On Milos, rooms are what cost the money. Pollonia, Plaka and Adamas are dear and book out early in July and August, and car hire and boat trips add to the bill. June, September and simple inland rooms soften it.

Corfu has a real musical tradition. Its historic philharmonic bands play in the Spianada and village squares in summer, and they lead the Easter processions through Corfu Town. Kantades serenades still turn up in tavernas.

Milos has almost no formal performance. What it does have is the village panigyria, saints'-day feasts with violin, lute and dancing late into the night.

Both islands are restful mainly because of their pace, not their spas. Corfu offers hotel spas and yoga retreats in the olive groves, plus the calm of a hill village or the quiet northeast coast.

Milos has something Corfu lacks: volcanic heat. You can soak in the rustic baths at Lakkos and the springs near Provatas, or feel warm sand at Paliochori. Its quiet evenings also add to the calm.