Corfu or Paros?

Both islands are true beach destinations, and the difference is in the kind of shore. Corfu offers more variety: long, sunset-facing sands with occasional surf on the west coast at Glyfada and Issos, clear coves under green cliffs at Paleokastritsa, and calm pebble bays facing Albania around Kassiopi. Its sea runs a couple of degrees warmer in late summer.

On Paros, the sand is set among granite boulders at Kolymbithres and stretches into wide, gently shelving bays around Golden Beach and Drios. The meltemi is what decides where you swim, since on windy days the south and west coasts stay calmer.

The two islands eat equally well, but they cook very differently. Corfu's table carries its Venetian history: pastitsada, sofrito and fiery bourdeto, with kumquat liqueur and ginger beer as local oddities. It is best found in Corfu Town's back lanes and inland villages rather than in the package resorts.

Paros is plainer and closer to the sea: octopus drying at Naoussa's harbour, clay-baked chickpeas, island cheeses and souma, along with local wines you can taste at the wineries. Naoussa also has more polished modern Greek cooking, but the choice thins out sharply once the season ends.

Corfu has far more to see. Corfu Town alone, with its Italianate lanes, the Liston arcades, the Old and New Fortresses, Agios Spyridon and the Archaeological Museum with its Gorgon pediment, makes a full sightseeing programme. Beyond the town there are the Achilleion and the cliff-top ruin of Angelokastro.

Paros has one outstanding monument in the Ekatontapiliani, one of Greece's oldest churches. The rest is village texture: the windmills of Lefkes, the small Venetian fort at Naoussa and the ancient marble quarries at Marathi, which make good outings of half a day each.

Corfu has a true party resort and Paros does not. At Kavos, on Corfu's southern tip, a strip of bars and clubs aimed at young visitors runs until dawn from late spring to early autumn, while Ipsos and Dassia on the east coast have a smaller, more mixed run of beach bars. Corfu Town is the grown-up alternative, with cocktails under the Liston arcades and bars in the old lanes. In winter it is about the only place on the island with much still open.

Paros goes out in a dressier, more contained way. On summer nights, Naoussa's harbour and the lanes behind it fill with cocktail bars and a well-dressed crowd until past midnight, and Parikia's seafront is looser, with a few late clubs for a younger crowd. You can have a sociable night out and still be on the beach the next morning, and the scene has largely faded by late October.

Corfu is the island for landscape. Olive groves and cypresses cover the island, Mount Pantokrator rises to about 900m above abandoned stone villages, the Corfu Trail runs its full length, and the Korission lagoon draws birdwatchers. Paleokastritsa's sea caves add snorkelling and diving.

Paros is dry, low Cycladic country with no forests or mountains. Its walks are short, such as the Byzantine path from Lefkes, and its outdoor strength is the wind, which drives the windsurfing and kitesurfing on the south-east coast.

Both islands are good bases for trips by sea, and the destinations are what differ. From Corfu you can pair Paxos with the turquoise bays of Antipaxos, cross to Albania for the ruins of Butrint, or sail to Parga on the mainland.

Paros sits in the middle of the Cyclades. Antiparos and its cave are a short hop, Naxos's Chora is under an hour away, and summer ferries reach Mykonos, Ios and Sifnos. On both islands, boats are thin outside the season, and on Paros a strong meltemi can cancel the smaller ones.

Corfu is the easier family island. Its north coast around Roda and Acharavi and the southern sands of Issos shelve into calm water, many resorts are built around pools and kids' clubs, and there is a large water park inland and pirate-style boat trips. Families simply need to steer clear of Kavos and Ipsos.

Paros has good shallow bays at Livadia, Golden Beach and Logaras, but beyond the sea there is very little built for children. The wind also means choosing a sheltered beach on blowy days.

Paros is much easier to get around. It is small enough to cross in under half an hour, summer buses from Parikia reach Naoussa, Lefkes and the main beaches, and little boats cross the bay to Kolymbithres.

Corfu is about 60km long, with infrequent buses and narrow, winding roads in the north and west, so most visitors end up hiring a car or scooter. Without one, it works best to stay in a single resort and add boat trips.

Neither island is a shopping destination, and each does small-scale browsing in its own style. On Corfu, it centres on Corfu Town's old lanes around Nikiforou Theotoki, with olive-wood bowls, kumquat sweets and soaps, and the town's ordinary clothing chains are useful for everyday needs.

Paros leans more towards style: linen, resort wear and Greek designer jewellery in Naoussa's whitewashed lanes, at higher prices, plus craft workshops in Lefkes. Most of these shops shut when the season ends.

Corfu is clearly the cheaper island. The large package resorts on the north and east coasts keep rooms reasonable, and taverna meals and buses are fairly priced. Only the villa coast around Kassiopi and Corfu Town in high summer push costs up, along with car hire.

Paros is expensive in July and August, especially in Naoussa, where both rooms and harbour bars charge resort prices, and sunbeds and ferry hops add up. Staying in Parikia or the inland villages, or coming in June or September, makes it much more manageable.

Corfu has a real musical life, which Paros lacks. Its philharmonic bands, a Venetian legacy dating back to the nineteenth century, play in the Spianada and village squares all summer and lead the Easter processions. You can also hear kantades serenades in tavernas and find classical evenings at the Old Fortress.

Live music on Paros comes almost entirely from village feast days, with island violin and lute, the great mid-August feast at the Ekatontapiliani and Naoussa's pirate-raid festival. Outside summer there is nothing to attend.

Neither island has a spa tradition. On both, wellness means hotel spas and a few yoga retreats, and rest comes from choosing a quiet base. On Corfu that means a hill village among the olive groves or the calm northeast coast, away from the resort strips.

On Paros, the restful choices are Lefkes, Marpissa or Prodromos, or crossing to Antiparos, rather than Naoussa in August.