Lake Como or Sardinia?

This is where the two differ most. On Lake Como you swim from lidos, pebble strips and stone jetties at Bellagio, Lenno and Menaggio, or from the more open upper shore near Domaso. The water deepens and cools quickly, and a dip is a pleasure between ferry rides rather than the purpose of the trip.

Sardinia is a beach island first. It has granite coves with turquoise water around the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena, pebble bays below the Orosei cliffs, and fine, shallow sand at Chia, Tuerredda and La Pelosa. When the mistral blows, there is usually a sheltered coast to escape to.

Lake Como cooks lake and mountain food: perch fried in butter on risotto, salted missoltini, and polenta and cheese from the Valtellina. The best meals are in hill trattorias and crotti, while the lakefront terraces mostly charge for the view.

Sardinia gives you more to discover and more that you will not find elsewhere in Italy. There is suckling pig roasted over myrtle wood, culurgiones, pane carasau, and bottarga and lobster along the coast. Long agriturismo set menus and Cagliari's San Benedetto market are high points. Neither place offers much international range.

The two are level on culture, but the heritage is from different eras. Lake Como's sights are elegant and close together: aristocratic villas and gardens such as Villa Carlotta and Balbianello, mostly reached by boat, plus Como's marble cathedral and Terragni's 1930s rationalist buildings. There are no major museums.

Sardinia's heritage is far older and more unusual. It includes the Bronze Age nuraghi at Su Nuraxi, sacred wells, and the Mont'e Prama stone giants in Cagliari's archaeological museum, followed by the Phoenician and Roman ruins of Nora and Tharros and the Catalan old town of Alghero. Seeing it all means a lot of driving.

Lake Como is quiet after dark. An evening means a drink on a terrace, a few wine bars in Como town, and village waterfronts that empty after the last ferry. A real night out means taking the train to Milan.

Sardinia has more going on, though it depends on season and base. Porto Cervo's beach clubs and late venues draw a dressy crowd in July and August. Cagliari keeps its wine bars in the Marina and Castello quarters open all year, and Alghero's ramparts fill for aperitivo on summer evenings.

Both are excellent outdoors, but in different ways. On Lake Como the landscape is the main event: mountains rise straight from the water to over 2,000m. The Sentiero del Viandante, the Greenway and the Grigna summits are all close to a ferry pier, and the breva wind makes Domaso a windsurfing spot.

Sardinia is wilder and rougher. It has the limestone Supramonte, the Gorropu gorge and the demanding Selvaggio Blu trek, sea caves near Cala Gonone, diving in the La Maddalena marine park, and flamingos in the lagoons. It rewards effort more than gentle strolls.

Lake Como is the better base for day trips. Milan's Duomo and Last Supper are about an hour away by train, and Bergamo's upper town and Lugano are just as close. On days without a plan, ferry hops around the central triangle fill the time.

Sardinia's outings depend on your base, and the drives are slow. There is Bonifacio across the strait from Santa Teresa Gallura, the Alghero, Bosa and Capo Caccia circuit, Carloforte from Cagliari, and the Barbagia villages inland. These places are charming but small.

Lake Como gives children short, varied outings rather than a place built around them. They can take a boat between villages, ride the funicular up to Brunate, swim at a summer lido or explore a villa garden, which holds young attention better than the rooms inside. Older children can add kayaking and easy hikes. Many lake hotels are aimed at couples, so the campsites and flatter shores near Domaso and Colico make the easiest family base.

Sardinia works better for families, because the sea fills the day without much planning. Beyond a few water parks and island boat trips, though, little is made for children. Choose your beach with care: the cliff coves of the Gulf of Orosei can mean a long, steep walk or a boat with small children. You will also be driving where the lake gives you ferries, and in July and August the middle of the day is best spent in the shade.

Lake Como is simpler without a car. Ferries cross between Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia in minutes, and trains run from Milan to Como and up the eastern shore. Driving is the trouble here, on narrow, crowded shore roads with scarce parking.

In Sardinia, a hire car is essentially required. Trains and buses rarely reach the beaches, and winding roads take longer than the map suggests. Choosing the right one of its three airports saves hours, and many Orosei coves are reachable only by boat.

Neither is a shopping destination. What you buy reflects local trades. On Lake Como that means silk: scarves, ties and fabrics from Como's mills and outlets, with the Silk Museum to explain the trade and Milan nearby for fashion.

Sardinia offers crafts and food instead: red coral in Alghero, Pattada shepherd's knives, filigree gold, cork and woven rugs, plus pecorino and bottarga to take home. Porto Cervo's luxury boutiques only open for the summer crowd.

Lake Como is expensive across the central lake in summer. The villa hotels around Bellagio, Tremezzo and Cernobbio fill early, lakefront terraces charge for the view, and boat taxis and private tours add up. Como town, Lecco and the campsites of the upper lake soften the bill, and the ferries and trains are reasonably priced.

Sardinia generally costs less, with one large exception. The Costa Smeralda in July and August is among the Mediterranean's priciest stretches. Around Cagliari, Alghero and Ogliastra, prices are moderate for Italy, and agriturismo menus are generous. In both places high summer costs most. On the island, car hire and ferries also climb in August, while June and September stay warm enough for the sea.

The two are broadly level here, with thin programmes outside a single theatre. Lake Como has the handsome Teatro Sociale and summer concerts in villas and churches, and La Scala is close enough in Milan for an evening.

Sardinia's Teatro Lirico in Cagliari plays a similar role. What sets the island apart is its tradition: canto a tenore shepherd singing, launeddas pipes, the Time in Jazz festival at Berchidda and the costumed Sant'Efisio procession.

Rest on Lake Como comes from the setting and from good hotels. Once the day-trippers have left, the smaller villages away from Bellagio and Como go very quiet, and the grand hotels near Cernobbio and Tremezzo run full spas with lake views. For thermal baths you need a long drive up into the Valtellina.

Sardinia is about as restful, but the rest takes a different shape. Warm water still flows beside the Roman baths at Fordongianus, Sardara has thermal hotels, and the large beach resorts offer thalassotherapy. The deepest calm is inland and in Ogliastra, where farm stays keep to a slow village pace. In both places, late spring and September are the quietest times.