Gatlinburg or Marco Island?

There is no real contest here. Gatlinburg is deep in the mountains, so swimming means cold, clear river pools, tubing on the Little River near Townsend, or a drive to the lakeshore at Douglas Lake. Treat the river currents with care after rain.

Marco Island is built around its beach. A long, gently curving crescent of pale sand faces calm, shallow Gulf water. Tigertail has a lagoon and sandbar for wading, and the wild barrier beach of Keewaydin is a short boat ride away.

Neither place is a food destination, but Marco Island eats a little better. Its strength is fresh Gulf seafood with a water view, from grouper sandwiches to stone crab claws in the cooler months. Goodland adds dockside fish platters eaten outdoors.

Gatlinburg feeds a resort crowd on pancakes, barbecue and hearty Southern plates, with fudge shops and moonshine tastings as the local signature. Good Appalachian cooking with trout, country ham and stack cake is there if you look for it. In both, a serious dinner means a drive, to Naples from the island or to Knoxville or Asheville from the mountains.

Both are thin on conventional sightseeing, and neither has historic streets or major museums. What there is differs. Gatlinburg's heritage is hands-on: the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community loop of working studios, and the old log cabins, mills and churches out in the park at Cades Cove and along the Roaring Fork. Marco Island's one real cultural stop is its historical museum, which tells the story of the Calusa people and the carved wooden figures found on the island.

Both go quiet early, and neither has clubs. In Gatlinburg the evening is a stroll down the lit Parkway with moonshine tastings and a few brewery terraces, then back to the cabin hot tub. On Marco Island it is a sunset drink on a waterfront deck and a late dinner, with the liveliest moments at Goodland's dockside bars on winter weekend afternoons.

Gatlinburg has the edge for anyone who wants to be on foot in the wild. The Great Smoky Mountains begin at the end of the Parkway, with hardwood forest, waterfall trails, the climb to Mount LeConte and the high road to Clingmans Dome. Black bears and elk are a regular sight, and the seasons bring wildflowers, fireflies and autumn colour.

Marco Island's nature is flat and watery. Visitors kayak through the mangroves of the Ten Thousand Islands, take boat trips to see dolphins and manatees, fish for snook and tarpon, and ride airboats into the Everglades and Big Cypress. Paddlers and anglers will love it, but it has nothing for hikers who want hills.

Gatlinburg has the better choice of outings. Asheville and the Biltmore Estate make a full day, and the scenic drive over Newfound Gap leads to Cherokee and its museum of the Eastern Band. Knoxville and Bryson City's heritage railway are also within reach.

From Marco Island, Naples is the easy half-hour trip. Fort Myers has the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, and Everglades City and Chokoloskee offer an old-Florida morning. Most of the best excursions from the island head into nature rather than towns.

Gatlinburg is designed for family vacations. The Parkway has an aquarium, mirror mazes, go-karts and alpine coasters, Dollywood and its water park are a short drive away, and the national park adds junior ranger badges and creek wading. The price of all this is crawling traffic and long queues in high season.

Marco Island works for families in a simpler way. Calm, shallow water, shelling and dolphin-spotting suit small children well, and the resorts run children's programmes. Anything built specifically for children, such as the zoo, is half an hour away in Naples.

Gatlinburg is a little easier without a car. The downtown strip is compact and walkable, and a trolley loops through town and out to Pigeon Forge. Still, cabins, trailheads and day trips all need wheels, and the park roads jam on busy weekends.

Marco Island is pleasant to cycle in the cooler months because it is small and flat. Apart from a limited bus to Naples, though, everything off the island assumes you are driving.

Handmade quilts, pottery, baskets and brooms bought straight from the maker are Gatlinburg's real draw, sold from the studios along the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community loop, while the Parkway itself is mostly fudge, T-shirts and souvenirs, with brand outlets a short drive away in Pigeon Forge. Marco Island's own plazas stick to resort wear, beach gear and shells. Its polished shopping is half an hour away in Naples, where Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South have upmarket boutiques and galleries.

Gatlinburg is noticeably easier on the wallet. A big cabin shared by a group stretches the budget, midweek and winter stays are good value, and the national park costs little. The paid attractions and Dollywood are where the bill climbs, and rates jump in leaf season and over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.

Marco Island is expensive across the board, especially from January to April, when resort rooms and dining are priced for a well-off winter crowd. Rooms cost less in the summer heat and condos with kitchens help, but you still have to budget for a hire car.

The two are broadly level, but the entertainment is very different. Around Gatlinburg it is mountain music and family showmanship: bluegrass in the tasting rooms, and dinner shows and country revues in Pigeon Forge most nights. Marco Island has a small community theatre and musicians in resort bars, and for classical concerts you drive to the Naples philharmonic, mostly in winter.

Marco Island is the more restful choice. Its beachfront resorts have full-service spas and pools looking out over the Gulf, there are yoga classes in the plazas, and the whole island moves at an unhurried pace.

Gatlinburg has only a few spas. Its calm comes from a secluded hillside cabin with a hot tub and mist on the ridges, provided you stay well above the noisy, crowded Parkway.