Hilton Head or Islamorada?

Hilton Head has the real beach. On the Atlantic side there is about 19km of wide, hard-packed sand, from busy Coligny to the quieter stretches at Driessen and Folly Field. The surf is mild and the slope gentle, though the water is greenish from the tides and marshes rather than clear.

Islamorada's shore is mostly mangrove, rock and seagrass, and public beaches such as Anne's Beach are narrow strips where you wade a long way out. Its water is clearer and stays warm in winter, and an afternoon standing in the shallows at the Whale Harbor sandbar is a pleasure of its own. For a proper day on the sand, though, you drive to Bahia Honda or Pennekamp.

Both places eat simply and well from the sea, and neither has much range beyond it. Hilton Head means Lowcountry cooking: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, May River oysters and the shared Lowcountry boil, with Old Town Bluffton for a more local meal.

Islamorada means reef fish. Snapper, grouper and hogfish come in the same day, kitchens will often cook what you caught on your charter, and conch fritters, winter stone crab and key lime pie complete the meal.

Neither is a place for sightseeing, and each fills only a half day or two. Hilton Head's history is Gullah, told at Mitchelville Freedom Park and in the old family neighbourhoods, with plantation ruins and a Civil War fort nearby. For historic architecture you go to Savannah or Beaufort.

Islamorada's story is the sea and the 1935 hurricane. The History of Diving Museum is the best stop, and the wrecking settlement ruins on Indian Key can be reached by kayak.

Both go to bed early. Evenings in each centre on a sunset drink by the water, and neither has a club. Hilton Head's bars cluster around Coligny and the marinas, with cover bands and a crowd of families and golfers. Islamorada's tiki bars along the highway get louder at weekends with boaters and fishing crews. For a late night, Hilton Head people head to Savannah and Islamorada people to Key West.

Islamorada is the stronger choice outdoors, as long as outdoors means water. Its Florida Bay flats are famous for bonefish, tarpon and permit, and the Gulf Stream brings sailfish and tuna. Alligator Reef offers clear-water snorkelling and diving, which Hilton Head does not have at all.

Hilton Head's nature is gentler. You can kayak the marsh creeks, watch dolphins feeding in Calibogue Sound, and look for herons and alligators on Pinckney Island. More than 100km of paved paths make it the better place for days on a bike, and golf is the other big draw.

Hilton Head has the better outings, and they are closer. Savannah's oak-shaded squares are about 45 minutes away and Beaufort less than an hour. Daufuskie Island is a short ferry ride, and Charleston makes a long but rewarding day.

From Islamorada everything lies along the one highway. One realistic plan is a day south to Key West across the Seven Mile Bridge, stopping at Marathon on the way. The other is a day north to Key Largo or Miami. The list is shorter and the drives are longer.

Hilton Head was largely laid out for family beach weeks, and with young children it is the easier choice. It has wide, gentle beaches, safe bike paths, crabbing off docks and the playground beside the Harbour Town lighthouse.

Islamorada suits older children better. They will enjoy snorkelling at Pennekamp, the sea lion shows at Theater of the Sea and feeding the tarpon at the docks. The small beaches and days built around boats give toddlers less to do.

Both are reached by car, and both depend on one main road that slows badly on busy weekends. The difference is that on Hilton Head you can mostly leave the car parked. Bike paths link the beaches, shops and villas, rental bikes are everywhere, and the hard sand at low tide makes its own cycle route.

Islamorada stretches across about 30km of keys, so the car stays in use. The Heritage Trail helps cyclists, and much of each day is spent on boats in any case.

Hilton Head has more to browse, though nobody comes for the shops. Open-air villages at Coligny, Shelter Cove and Harbour Town sell resort wear, golf gear and local art. The outlet malls just over the bridge in Bluffton can fill a wet afternoon, and Gullah sweetgrass baskets are the most distinctive thing to take home.

In Islamorada the shopping follows the fishing. Tackle and outdoor clothing come first, led by a long-established sporting outfitter that is a landmark in its own right. After that there are galleries of marine art and a roadside village of craft studios, and that is about all. For fashion or department stores you drive to Miami.

Neither is a cheap place to stay. Hilton Head is an upmarket resort island, and from June to August its beachfront houses, resort rooms and restaurant meals are all priced for peak demand, with tipping on top and golf, bike hire and boat trips adding more. You can soften the cost, though. A group sharing a rental house and cooking for itself avoids many resort meals, staying in Bluffton or further inland lowers the bill, and spring and autumn are noticeably cheaper.

Islamorada costs more again, and it is harder to save money there. Even simple motels charge high rates in the winter and spring high season, and fishing charters, dive trips and boat rentals each add a lot. These are the very things people come for. Fish shacks and self-catering help a little, and summer is cheaper, but that is also the hot, stormy season.

Hilton Head has a small but real arts life. The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina stages professional theatre and musicals, the island's symphony orchestra plays a winter season, and there is a jazz festival and a Gullah celebration of music and storytelling.

Islamorada has a guitarist playing covers on a tiki bar deck and the odd community concert. There is no theatre at all, so seeing a show means driving to Miami or Key West.

Both offer rest through their slow pace rather than through any bathing tradition. Each has resort spas and yoga, and neither has thermal waters. On Hilton Head that means beach walks and bike rides under the live oaks, at their calmest out of season. In Islamorada it means sunrise yoga on the docks, open-air spa cabanas and time in a hammock between early starts on the water.