Ios or Lefkada?

These are two of Greece's best beach islands, but the swimming feels quite different. Ios is all sand: Mylopotas is the long, sociable bay with sunbeds and water sports, and the coves at Manganari have shallow, clear and sheltered water.

Lefkada wins on drama. Porto Katsiki, Egremni and Kathisma lie under white cliffs in turquoise water, though the open Ionian brings afternoon waves and a steeply shelving shore. For calmer swimming you go to the east coast or to Vasiliki.

Neither island has much of a food scene, and on both you eat simple Greek taverna food. Ios has fish in Yialos and its own skotyri cheese, but in summer many kitchens serve gyros and pizza to people heading out. Lefkada has a little more depth thanks to its own produce, the Eglouvi lentils and cured salami, and the more traditional cooking that survives in mountain villages such as Karya.

Neither is an island for sightseeing, and the few sights differ in character. On Ios the village of Chora is itself the attraction, with its windmills and white lanes, plus the Early Cycladic walls at Skarkos and the legendary tomb of Homer. Lefkada has more history from Venice and the Ionian islands: the fortress of Santa Maura, painted church ceilings in the town and the cliff of Sappho's leap.

This is the biggest difference between the two. Ios has been a party island for decades, and in summer the crowd moves from bar to bar through Chora's lanes and main square until dawn, with afternoon beach parties at Mylopotas warming things up. It is young, loud and cheap rather than stylish.

Lefkada's evenings are a different thing altogether: cocktails on the waterfront in Lefkada town, sailing crews along Nidri's harbour and windsurfers in Vasiliki's bars. It is pleasant, but it is not a reason to choose the island.

Lefkada has much more to offer outdoors. Its slopes are covered in olive and cypress trees, there are walks to the Dimosari waterfall and between the hill villages, and the water is its real strength. Vasiliki's reliable afternoon wind draws windsurfers from all over Europe, and the channels between the satellite islands are ideal for a week on a yacht.

Ios is barer and rockier. Its mule tracks to chapels and windmills make good walks in spring, and boat trips reach sea caves, but there is little to build a whole trip around.

Both rely on boats, and their range is about the same, though where you can go differs. From Ios the Cyclades are your choice: Santorini's caldera and Akrotiri are a short fast-boat ride away, and Naxos, Sikinos and Folegandros are there too, though out of season a same-day return can be impossible.

Lefkada combines islands and mainland. You can take a boat to Meganisi, Ithaca or Fiskardo on Kefalonia, or drive to Roman Nikopolis, Parga and the Acheron oracle.

Lefkada is clearly easier with children. The east coast and Vasiliki have calm bays where children can paddle, evenings are quiet, and there is no party crowd to work around, as long as you treat the steep west-coast beaches as an occasional outing.

Ios can work in June or September if you stay near Manganari. In high summer, though, late-night noise and Chora's endless steps make it hard work for families.

Once you have arrived, Ios is easier to get around. Yialos, Chora and Mylopotas are linked by a frequent summer bus and an old stepped path, so many visitors never need a car, although the remote bays still need a scooter or quad. The catch is getting there, because with no airport you have to arrive by ferry.

Lefkada is easier to reach, by a causeway from the mainland with an airport about half an hour away. After that you need a car, and the winding west-coast roads and parking at Porto Katsiki get busy in summer.

What you can take home is where the two islands differ. On Ios, Chora's lanes sell beachwear, sandals and gifts and stay open late for the evening crowd, and anything more is better left for Athens. Lefkada sells things made on the island: olive oil, honey and the island's own lentils along the pedestrian main street of Lefkada town, and hand embroidery in the mountain village of Karya.

The costs are similar, with different ways to save. On Ios the backpacker legacy lives on in hostels, campsites, gyros and drinks offers, though ferry fares add up. On Lefkada, family-run studios and taverna meals keep costs down, while car hire and boat excursions push them up. On both islands June and September are noticeably cheaper than August.

There is little to see on either island, but Lefkada has one real event. Its international folklore festival has filled open-air stages with dance groups from many countries every August for decades. On Ios you are limited to occasional concerts at the Odysseas Elytis theatre by the windmills and the saints' day festivals, and the bars provide the music.

Lefkada is the more restful island. Its interior villages and quiet east-coast harbours have a slow pace, and there are a few yoga and retreat stays in the hills. On Ios, rest means coming outside July and August, staying well away from Chora and relying on a boutique hotel's spa near Mylopotas or Manganari.