Culebra or St Barts?

Both islands are first-rate beach destinations, but the beaches differ in kind. Culebra's centrepiece is Flamenco, one long, sheltered sweep of fine sand with the old naval tanks at its western end. Around it are reef-fringed beaches such as Tamarindo and Melones, and Tortuga Beach on Culebrita is reached by water taxi.

St Barts has a string of smaller coves, each with a different character. Saline and Gouverneur are wild and can have surf, Grand Cul-de-Sac is a calm lagoon, Colombier can only be reached on foot or by boat, and St Jean is the social beach, with planes landing just overhead. Facilities on Culebra are a few kiosks, so bring shade and water. On St Barts lunch is served on the sand.

St Barts eats far better. It has fresh croissants and baguettes each morning, supermarkets stocked with French cheese and wine, long lunches at tables on the beach and refined French cooking on hillside terraces. The catch is that nearly every place aims at the same expensive register.

Culebra's food is simple and limited. Dewey has a few seafood places, open-air grills and food trucks serving mofongo and empanadillas. Supplies arrive on the ferry, so menus are short, and many visitors live out of a cooler.

Neither island is worth visiting for its sights, but St Barts has a little more to show. Its century of Swedish rule left the clock tower, the Wall House museum and the forts above Gustavia, and Corossol and Lorient show the older island. On Culebra there is the canal-side fishing town of Dewey, a small museum in a former navy powder magazine telling the story of the bombing years, and the ruined lighthouse on Culebrita.

This is one of the clearest gaps between the two. From Christmas into spring, St Barts has long afternoon parties at St Jean, harbour bars and late clubs in Gustavia, and a famously loud New Year week when the superyachts arrive. It is a glamorous scene but a seasonal one, and much of it closes by late summer.

Culebra has a few waterside bars in Dewey that fill at sunset, with an occasional weekend band. There are no clubs, and the island is asleep soon after dinner.

Culebra has the richer natural life, nearly all of it underwater or on the outer cays. Much of the island lies in a national wildlife refuge, and the Luis Pena reserve and Carlos Rosario offer snorkelling with green turtles and rays. Seabirds nest in large colonies, and in spring and summer leatherbacks and hawksbills come ashore on remote beaches to lay their eggs.

St Barts has a marine reserve with turtles too, but its strengths lie elsewhere. The wind in the Grand Cul-de-Sac lagoon is good for kitesurfing and windsurfing, and the cliff path from Flamands to Colombier is a fine short walk. On land, both islands are dry, scrubby and quickly explored.

St Barts at least has one proper day out: the ferry across to St Martin, where Marigot, Grand Case and Philipsburg offer a busier, more commercial contrast. From Culebra, the usual outings are boat trips to Culebrita and the uninhabited cays. Vieques and the main island are close but awkward to reach and back in a day, so most visitors stay put on either island.

For families the two are close, but they suit different ages. The sheltered lagoons at Grand Cul-de-Sac and Petit Cul-de-Sac, Shell Beach and villas with pools make St Barts easier with toddlers. Culebra is better for school-age children who love the sea, because the snorkelling at Tamarindo starts in waist-deep water with turtles close by.

Neither has attractions for children. Culebra also has limited medical care, and the ferry or small plane makes the journey harder.

Both islands take effort to reach, and St Barts is slightly easier once you are there. You arrive by small plane, usually from St Martin, or by ferry, and then rent a car for short drives on steep roads full of hairpin bends. Gustavia and St Jean are walkable.

Culebra's ferry from Ceiba is often full at weekends and does not always run on time, so the small planes from San Juan or Ceiba are the surer option. On the island, Dewey is walkable and shared vans run to Flamenco. A golf cart or jeep covers the other beaches, and the cays need a water taxi.

St Barts is the only one of the two worth shopping on. As a duty-free territory it has a dense cluster of luxury fashion, watch and jewellery boutiques around the Gustavia harbour, plus resort wear in St Jean and straw work from Corossol. Culebra has a few souvenir and beachwear shops and some local artists in Dewey, so buy what you need before the crossing.

Culebra is clearly the cheaper island, though prices are still at US levels and the ferry freight shows on restaurant bills. Guesthouses and rentals with kitchens, free beaches and snorkelling straight from the shore keep the daily budget under control.

St Barts is among the most expensive places in the world to take a vacation. Villas, beach lunches, the small-plane flight and the obligatory rental car all cost a great deal. Cooking in a villa helps a little, but there is no cheaper version of the island.

Neither island has a theatre or concert hall, but St Barts has more to offer. A long-established festival each January brings classical musicians, opera singers and dancers to the churches and open-air spaces of Gustavia, and carnival before Lent adds steel bands and parades. Culebra has the occasional weekend band in a Dewey bar and its annual patron saint festival.

St Barts is better for pampering. The luxury hotels have spas of a high standard, and massage therapists and yoga teachers will come to your villa. Spring is especially calm, though the New Year week is the opposite.

Culebra offers little beyond guesthouse yoga and a few independent therapists. Its restfulness comes from simplicity instead: no resorts, almost no traffic and long, empty afternoons.