Kos or Paros?

Both islands are serious beach destinations with sand rather than pebble, so the choice comes down to the kind of beach you want. Kos has long, open strands along the north coast from Tigaki to Mastichari, with shallow water and plenty of room. Its most beautiful bays are on the Kefalos peninsula, at Paradise Beach and Agios Stefanos.

Paros has a more indented coast of coves, such as Kolymbithres with its smooth granite boulders, plus wider bays at Golden Beach and Santa Maria and quieter sand across the water on Antiparos. Both islands get the summer meltemi wind. When it blows, head to the south coast on Kos, or to the south and west coasts on Paros.

Paros eats noticeably better. Naoussa's fishing harbour, with octopus drying in the sun, is one of the classic Greek island places to sit down to dinner. The island makes its own wines from Monemvasia and Mandilaria grapes, and you will also find chickpeas slow-baked in clay pots, local cheeses, souma and a few polished modern restaurants.

You can eat well on Kos too, especially in the hill villages of Zia and Pyli and at the fishing harbours of Mastichari and Kamari, where you can try chickpea fritters and cheese matured in red wine. Much of the resort food, though, is aimed at package and all-inclusive guests.

The history of Kos is classical and Roman, and most of it sits in the middle of Kos Town. On the way to the knights' castle at the harbour you pass the Ancient Agora, the restored Odeon and the mosaics of the western excavations. The Asklepieion, the old healing sanctuary, stands on the hillside a short ride above the town.

Paros has a more Christian history, and it is spread out across the island. Its centrepiece is the Ekatontapiliani in Parikia, one of the oldest surviving churches in Greece. Beyond that, you find it in the village lanes of Lefkes and Naoussa, and in the ancient quarries at Marathi that supplied marble for classical sculpture. On either island the sights fill a few days, not a whole week.

Kardamena, on the south coast of Kos, is a true party resort, with late clubs, cheap drinks and a young crowd, mostly from Northern Europe. In Kos Town, the bars in the lanes of the old quarter stay loud into the small hours. Elsewhere on the island the evenings end with a quiet drink by the sea.

On Paros, nights out centre on the cocktail bars around Naoussa's harbour, where the crowd dresses up and stays out past midnight without the night turning into a binge. Parikia's seafront is looser and younger. On both islands the scene closes almost completely once the summer season ends.

Kos has hills and woodland that Paros lacks. The Dikeos range rises to over 800m, with trails through the pine woods up to Mount Christos for the sunset. Peacocks wander the Plaka forest, and flamingos gather on the salt lake at Alikes in spring and winter.

Paros is dry Cycladic hill country, with no mountains or forests. Its best walks are the old marble path from Lefkes and the headland at Agios Ioannis Detis. Wind is its real outdoor draw. Golden Beach and Pounta are among the best windsurfing and kitesurfing spots in the Aegean, although Marmari and Tigaki on Kos are also good for the sport.

Paros has the better choice of trips, because it sits in the middle of the Cyclades. Antiparos and its cave are a short crossing away, Naxos's Chora is under an hour by fast boat, and in summer you can also reach Mykonos, Sifnos and Delos.

Kos has fewer choices, but one of them takes you to another country. Bodrum on the Turkish coast is a short ferry ride away if you bring a passport. You can also walk the rim of the volcanic crater on Nisyros, visit the sponge-diving harbour on Kalymnos, or take a quiet taverna lunch on Pserimos.

Kos works better with young children. Its resorts are built around pools, kids' clubs and all-inclusive dining, there is a large water park near Marmari, and the flat land and cycle paths around Kos Town make family bike rides easy. Just avoid Kardamena if you want quiet nights.

Paros has good shallow bays at Livadia, Golden Beach and Logaras, and children are welcome in its tavernas. Beyond the sea, though, there is little laid on for them, and on windy days you will need to pick the sheltered side of the island.

Getting around is similar on both, and both reward hiring a car or scooter for a day or two. Kos is long and narrow, so some trips take up to an hour by road. Buses run along the main road, and cycle lanes around Kos Town make bikes a practical way to reach the nearby beaches.

Paros is compact, under half an hour from coast to coast. Its summer buses fan out from Parikia, and small boats cross the bay from Naoussa to Kolymbithres. Outside the summer, though, the buses become sparse, and in August parking around car-free Naoussa is tight.

Neither is a shopping island, but Paros gives you more to browse. Naoussa's lanes have small boutiques selling linen, resort wear and Greek designer jewellery, and Lefkes has craft workshops. Expect high prices and shops that close when the season ends.

Kos Town's old quarter sells mostly souvenirs, leather and sponges. The real find is the Italian-era market hall on Eleftherias Square, good for herbs, spices and local produce.

Kos is clearly the cheaper island. Because it is built for package and all-inclusive travel, mid-range apartments are plentiful, and away from the seafront the tavernas, buses and archaeological sites all cost little.

Paros is expensive in July and August, above all in Naoussa, where the harbour restaurants and cocktail bars charge resort prices. Car hire and ferry hops add up over a week too. You can bring the cost down by staying in Parikia or the inland villages, or by coming in June or September.

Kos stages its performances in ancient settings. In summer, the Hippokrateia festival puts on concerts, theatre and dance at the Asklepieion, in the Roman Odeon and at the castle. The rest is village saints' days, resort shows and Greek nights.

Paros has folk music at village feasts, with island violin and lute while people eat and dance. The biggest of these is the mid-August feast of the Virgin at the Ekatontapiliani, and Naoussa re-enacts a pirate raid with fireworks. Neither island has any theatre or concerts outside the summer.

Both islands relax you mainly through their slow pace, but Kos has one natural extra. At Therma, a hot sulphur spring runs onto a pebble beach, and bathers build stone pools where it mixes with the sea.

Paros has no bathing tradition. It makes up for it with yoga and retreat centres and very quiet evenings in villages such as Lefkes and Prodromos, or across the water on Antiparos.