Halkidiki or Naxos?

Two of the finest beach destinations in Greece, but quite different in feel. Halkidiki's shore is spread over three peninsulas, where pine forest often comes right down to the sand. Kassandra has the organised beaches with sunbeds, and Sithonia has rocky granite coves. Its main drawback is crowds at summer weekends, when Thessaloniki heads for the coast.

Naxos puts nearly all its sand on one west-coast chain, from Agios Georgios through Plaka to Alyko, with dunes behind rather than trees. The water is a degree or two cooler. The bigger difference is the northern meltemi wind, which can make the open beaches choppy for days. Sithonia's sheltered bays rarely have that problem.

The two eat at a similar level, and both are taverna country without much fine dining. Halkidiki leans towards the sea: grilled octopus and mussels in Nikiti or Ouranoupoli, its big green olives, and wines from Athos and above Neos Marmaras.

Naxos is a farming island. Its potatoes, graviera and arseniko cheeses, slow-cooked mountain meat and kitron liqueur from Halki are the things to look for. In Halkidiki you can also make a day of eating in Thessaloniki, which an island can't offer.

Naxos has much more to see. The Portara, the Venetian kastro of Chora, the Temple of Demeter, the unfinished kouroi at Flerio and Apollonas and the early frescoes at Panagia Drosiani add up to several days of rewarding exploration around the island.

Halkidiki's great treasure, Mount Athos, is closed to women and permits are limited for men, so most visitors see it from a boat out of Ouranoupoli. Olynthos, Stagira and the Petralona cave fill a half-day here and there.

Halkidiki is the better choice for going out, as long as you stay on Kassandra. Kallithea's open-air clubs run late, and Pefkohori and Hanioti fill up after midnight with young people driving in from Thessaloniki. Sithonia is as quiet as anywhere on Naxos.

On Naxos the evening means dinner and then cocktails along Chora's harbour or a sunset at the Agios Prokopios beach bars. Only a couple of clubs stay open late, and serious party-goers take the ferry to another island.

Outdoors, Halkidiki is about the water and Naxos is about walking. In Halkidiki that means kayaking along Sithonia's granite coves, sailing out to the lagoon at Diaporos and snorkelling over rocky seabed. The pine-covered slopes of Mount Itamos are good for coast drives and shorter walks. The one serious hike, on the mule paths between the Athos monasteries, is open only to men with a permit.

Naxos is the most mountainous of the Cyclades, and the climb up Mount Zas, about 1,000m above Filoti, gives views across the whole archipelago. Old paths link the marble villages of the Tragaea valley, and the north and east coasts are rocky and empty. The meltemi makes Mikri Vigla a kitesurfing and windsurfing spot that Halkidiki's calmer sea can't match.

Both have good day trips, one by road and the other by sea. From Halkidiki you can drive to Thessaloniki, to the royal tombs at Vergina and Pella, or towards Kavala. They are long but reliable days in the car.

From Naxos the ferries reach Paros, the quiet Small Cyclades, Delos by way of Mykonos, and even Santorini on a long day. The island trips are more varied, but they depend on the boat timetable and the wind.

Both are easy with young children, with gently shelving sand and very little built for kids on either. Halkidiki has the large resorts on Kassandra, with pools and children's clubs, and the sea there is usually calm. The downside is long drives in midsummer heat.

Naxos is more about family-run studios and space on the beach. Agios Georgios is a sheltered beach within walking distance of Chora, but the meltemi can keep small swimmers out of the water on some days.

Naxos is the easier of the two without a car. Staying in Chora or Agios Prokopios, you can walk to the old town and take the summer buses along the beaches and up to the main villages. A car is only needed for the interior and the wild coasts.

Halkidiki really needs a car. The buses are too few to rely on, and because of the peninsula shape, getting from Kassandra to Sithonia or Athos means driving back up one and down the next. That eats into your day, especially when Kassandra's road is busy at summer weekends.

Neither is a shopping destination, but Naxos is a bit more enjoyable to browse. The market lanes below Chora's kastro have small ceramic, linen and jewellery shops, and Apiranthos and Halki sell weaving and marble work. Halkidiki's resort strips mostly sell beachwear, so the best buys are honey, olive oil and the icons and incense of Ouranoupoli.

Costs are broadly similar, and on both June and September give the same sea for less. Halkidiki has a large supply of simple apartments for Greek and Balkan families who drive in, though big Kassandra resorts and paid sunbeds push the bill up. Naxos relies on family-run studios. A car in August and the boutique hotels around Chora and Plaka are where it gets expensive.

Neither has a real concert or theatre season, and what there is happens in summer. Halkidiki's is more organised, with the open-air amphitheatre at Siviri and jazz and classical evenings at Sani. Naxos has a small festival in a Venetian tower, but its best music is at the village panigyria, where island violin and lute keep everyone dancing late into the night.

Halkidiki is better for real pampering. The Agia Paraskevi springs on Kassandra's southern tip have warm mineral pools above the sea, and the large resorts have full spas. For simple quiet, Sithonia and the area around Ouranoupoli are the places to stay.

Naxos has no bathing tradition and only a few resort spas and yoga retreats. Its kind of rest is a stay in the hills around Halki or on the southern beaches outside August.