Ischia or Sardinia?

Ischia has good swimming for the Bay of Naples. There is dark volcanic sand at Maronti, sunset bathing at Citara and calm water at San Montano, but much of its coast is rock and small coves, and the popular bays are crowded with sunbeds and day boats in high summer.

Sardinia has the better beaches, and more kinds of them: pale sand and turquoise water in the granite coves of the northeast, white pebble bays under the Orosei cliffs, and shallows at La Pelosa and Chia where you can wade far out. Because the island is so large, there is nearly always a sheltered side when the mistral blows.

Both islands cook more from the land than visitors expect. Ischia's signature is rabbit stewed in terracotta, with grilled fish in the harbours at Sant'Angelo and Forio and its own Biancolella whites. But the range is narrow, and many guests eat on half-board in their hotels.

Sardinia goes further and tastes more distinct: suckling pig roasted over myrtle wood, culurgiones, pecorino, bottarga and Cannonau. It is best eaten as long set menus at agriturismi in the hills, and Cagliari's San Benedetto market gives the island the market life Ischia lacks.

Ischia has few sights, but good ones: the Aragonese Castle on its causeway, and Nestor's Cup from ancient Pithekoussai in the museum at Villa Arbusta. A couple of days covers them.

Sardinia has a whole ancient culture to explore. There are the Bronze Age nuraghi, with Su Nuraxi at Barumini as the greatest, sacred wells and giants' tombs, the Mont'e Prama stone figures in Cagliari, the Phoenician and Roman ruins of Nora and Tharros, and Catalan Alghero. The catch is distance, since the sites lie far apart across the countryside.

Neither island is made for regular late nights, but Sardinia gives you more choice. On Ischia most evenings end after dinner and a stroll, with a few wine bars and a couple of summer discos around Ischia Porto in July and August.

Sardinia has the glamorous and costly beach clubs of Porto Cervo in high summer and aperitivo crowds on Alghero's ramparts. Cagliari adds a modest scene of wine bars that keeps going all year.

Ischia's nature is compact: chestnut woods and vineyards up Monte Epomeo, steam vents on the south coast and snorkelling in the Regno di Nettuno marine area. It is enough for a week of easy outings.

Sardinia is wilder and far larger. It has the limestone Supramonte and the Gorropu canyon, Gennargentu forests with mouflon, wild horses on the Giara plateau, kitesurfing at Porto Pollo and flamingos in the lagoons. Hikers, climbers and sailors will find much more to do there.

Ischia wins here because the Bay of Naples is on its doorstep. Procida is a short hop away, Naples is about an hour by fast ferry, the Phlegraean Fields are reached through Pozzuoli, and summer boats run to Capri and Sorrento, all without a car.

Sardinia's outings are pleasant but smaller, slower to reach and tied to your base. You can cross to Bonifacio in Corsica from Santa Teresa Gallura, take the boat to Carloforte from the Cagliari side, or drive to the mountain villages of Barbagia from the east.

With children, both islands work best as beach vacations, and Sardinia does it better. It has many more shallow, sandy beaches, such as Chia, the Costa Rei and La Pelosa, and resort villages with pools and children's clubs.

Ischia has gentle water at San Montano and Maronti, and its thermal parks make easy pool days. But villages full of steps and crowded summer buses can leave older children restless. In Sardinia, plan instead for long drives and the midday heat.

Getting around is awkward on both islands, in opposite ways. Ischia is small enough to pick a base, walk within it and take the slow, crowded buses around the coastal loop, with water taxis to the coves. A car is more nuisance than help, and you arrive by ferry from Naples or Pozzuoli.

Sardinia needs a hire car and patience on winding roads. In return it has three airports, and flying into the one nearest your base saves hours.

Neither island is a place to come for shopping, though Sardinia has more worth taking home. On Ischia it comes down to one evening walk between Ischia Porto and Ischia Ponte, past linen, sandals, ceramics and cosmetics made with the thermal waters. Sardinia has Alghero's red coral, filigree gold, woven rugs and Pattada shepherd's knives, plus the luxury boutiques of Porto Cervo in summer.

Overall costs are much the same, but the spending works differently. Ischia is priced as an ordinary Italian resort, full of family-run spa hotels selling half-board, and the extras such as sunbeds, thermal parks and boat trips add up over a week.

Sardinia's prices vary far more. The Costa Smeralda in August is among the most expensive coasts in the Mediterranean, while rooms around Cagliari, Alghero and inland are moderate and agriturismo meals are generous. On both islands, June and September cost noticeably less than August.

Ischia offers little beyond summer: chamber concerts in the Mortella gardens, film screenings at the castle during its summer festival and band music on village saints' days. For opera you have to cross the water to Naples.

Sardinia has more of its own. Cagliari's Teatro Lirico runs an opera and concert season, the deep shepherd singing of canto a tenore and the launeddas pipes turn up at village festivals, Berchidda hosts Time in Jazz and Cagliari holds the Sant'Efisio procession. Away from Cagliari, though, there is little most of the year.

Ischia is the place for this, and Sardinia cannot match it. On Ischia, hot springs feed most hotel pools and the terraced thermal parks at Citara, Lacco Ameno and Casamicciola, where a whole day goes by between warm pools and the sea. For wilder bathing there are the ancient steam caves of the Cavascura gorge near Maronti, and Sorgeto, where a spring heats rock pools in the sea that stay warm enough to use even on winter evenings.

Sardinia has some thermal water, beside the Roman baths at Fordongianus and at Sardara, but it plays a small part in most visits. A spa there usually means a beach resort's thalassotherapy centre. The island's calm comes instead from the slow pace of Ogliastra and the inland agriturismi.