Fort Myers or Naples, Florida?

Both share the same calm, shallow, warm Gulf, but Naples has the better arrangement. In Fort Myers the beaches sit on the barrier islands, a drive away across bridges, with busy Fort Myers Beach, quieter Lovers Key and the shelling grounds of Sanibel and Captiva.

Naples has its sand right along the city, reached on foot from Old Naples, with the pier as a sunset gathering point. Further north, Clam Pass, Delnor-Wiggins and the undeveloped dunes of Barefoot Beach give it wilder options too.

Both are built on Gulf seafood, grouper sandwiches and stone crab claws, and neither is a place to travel for food. Naples is a little more polished, with white-tablecloth dining rooms and wine bars along Fifth Avenue South and dockside fish houses around Tin City.

Fort Myers is more casual: fish tacos on waterfront decks, a small cluster of independent places and craft breweries in the River District, and a lot of chain dining along the highways.

Neither city will fill more than a day with sights, but they offer different things. Fort Myers has the stronger single landmark in the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, plus the brick streets of the River District and palm-lined McGregor Boulevard.

Naples leans towards collections rather than history: modern and American art at the Baker Museum and the historic racing cars of the Revs Institute, which enthusiasts travel for, alongside Palm Cottage and the Mediterranean-style houses of Old Naples.

Fort Myers is the livelier of the two, though that is a modest claim. The River District has pubs, rooftop and cocktail bars and a monthly art walk, and the pier area on Fort Myers Beach draws sunset crowds and spring-break energy in March.

Naples evenings are about dinner, a glass of wine in a piano lounge on Fifth Avenue South and bed before midnight. Its own residents drive up to Fort Myers Beach when they want a proper night out.

Both sit in the same flat country of mangroves and cypress swamp, and both share Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Fort Myers has the edge for birdwatching, with the Ding Darling refuge on Sanibel, and for winter manatees on the Orange River and paddling the Great Calusa Blueway.

Naples is closer to the bigger wilderness: Big Cypress, the Fakahatchee Strand and the western Everglades, with kayaking through Rookery Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands as the standout outing.

Fort Myers sits in the middle of the coast, which gives it the wider choice. Naples, Sanibel and Captiva, and the old railroad town of Boca Grande are all within easy reach, and Sarasota's Ringling museum is an hour and a half away.

From Naples, Sarasota stretches to about two hours, and the nearer outings are Marco Island, Everglades City and Fort Myers itself for the Edison and Ford estates. Miami across the Everglades is possible but makes a long day. Both need a car for every trip.

Children will be happy in either, with calm shallow water, shell hunting and dolphin spotting. The extras differ: Naples has a zoo with a boat tour past primate islands, a children's museum for the under-tens and a children's garden at the botanical garden.

Fort Myers offers the Shell Factory with its animal park, a hands-on science centre and spring-training baseball in March. Neither has a theme park closer than Orlando.

Both need a car, but Naples is easier on foot once you are there. Staying in the compact grid of Old Naples puts the beach, pier, restaurants and shops within a walk or a short cycle.

Fort Myers spreads its pieces further apart: the walkable River District is a long drive from the beaches, and winter traffic over the bridges to Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel backs up badly.

Naples is the better place to shop, especially for resort fashion. Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South mix jewellers, galleries and linen boutiques under palms, and an open-air luxury mall carries the designer names.

Fort Myers is mostly suburban centres and the outlet mall towards Estero, which Naples shoppers also drive up to. Its pleasant browsing is out on Sanibel's Periwinkle Way and in the Captiva villages.

Fort Myers is noticeably easier on the wallet. Beachfront stays on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach are dear in winter, but rooms in town or by the interstate are much cheaper, and restaurants charge ordinary American rates.

Naples is expensive almost across the board, from Old Naples resorts to restaurants priced for a wealthy crowd. Its own cheapest tactic is to stay in Fort Myers and drive down. In both, a rental car is a fixed extra and summer brings rates down sharply.

Both have a winter season and very little in summer. Naples has a somewhat richer calendar thanks to its wealthy seasonal residents, with its own philharmonic in a dedicated hall on the arts campus, chamber music and jazz nights in restaurants.

Fort Myers relies more on touring Broadway shows at the Barbara B. Mann hall, a repertory company in a restored 1908 theatre and bands in beach bars.

Naples is the better place to slow down properly. Its big beachfront resorts run large spas that welcome non-guests, day spas are scattered around town, and golf and sunset walks set the rhythm.

In Fort Myers the calm is found on Sanibel and Captiva, with bike paths and early nights, but spas are confined to resort hotels and relaxing mostly means a pool and a quiet condo.