Peloponnese or Santorini?

The Peloponnese is the better destination for beaches, and it has far more of them. Voidokilia's horseshoe and the sweep of Navarino Bay on the Messinian coast, the pale sand of Elafonisos and the rocky coves below Kardamyli give you real choice, and the water is slightly warmer.

Santorini's beaches are dark volcanic sand and fine pebble at Kamari and Perissa, dramatic under coloured cliffs but scorching at midday. The meltemi wind can make the sea choppy. The caldera villages have no beach at all, so swimming means a trip down to the coast.

The two eat about equally well, but in different styles. The Peloponnese offers generous country cooking: Kalamata olives and oil, slow-cooked goat, Mani cured pork and harbour fish, with Nemea reds and Moschofilero whites from Arcadia's highland plateau to go with them.

Santorini's cooking is smaller and more intense, built on fava, cherry-tomato fritters, capers and white aubergines from volcanic soil. Its Assyrtiko and Vinsanto make winery visits a highlight of the stay. On the caldera rim, though, you often pay for the sunset rather than the food.

Both have a great Bronze Age site, Mycenae in the Peloponnese and Akrotiri on Santorini. Beyond those, the Peloponnese goes much further, with Olympia, the theatre at Epidaurus, Messene, Bassae and Ancient Corinth, then the medieval layer of Mystras, Monemvasia and the Venetian castles at Methoni and Koroni. Nafplio makes an elegant base for the Argolid sites.

Santorini's heritage is Akrotiri and its frescoes, the ruins of Ancient Thera, and the cliff-hung villages of Oia and Fira with fortified Pyrgos inland. It is memorable but compact, and two or three days see it.

Neither is a place for serious night owls, and evenings on both mostly mean a long dinner and a drink by the water. On Santorini the going-out area is in one place: a few lanes in Fira where cocktail bars and clubs run late in July and August, plus beach bars at Kamari and Perissa.

The Peloponnese spreads its evenings out. Nafplio's waterfront bars and the seafront in Kalamata draw a local crowd, and the region's only real club scene is in Patras, a long way from most visitors' bases.

The Peloponnese has more to offer outdoors and much more variety. You can hike Taygetos at about 2,400m, follow the Lousios gorge between cliff monasteries, walk the long Menalon Trail or cross the stark Mani to Cape Tainaron. The Gialova lagoon adds birdwatching, and Chelmos has winter skiing.

Santorini has one landscape, but it is unforgettable: the 10km cliff-top walk from Fira to Oia, a hike up the lava cone of Nea Kameni, and sailing or diving inside the caldera. A day or two covers it.

The Peloponnese gives you more and easier outings, as long as you have a car. From Nafplio you can reach the Nemea wineries, ferries to car-free Hydra and Spetses, and even Athens. Further south, Monemvasia, the Mani villages and Elafonisos each fill a good day.

Every trip from Santorini goes by boat from Athinios: Thirasia, Ios, Folegandros, Naxos, or a long day to Knossos on Crete. The choice is attractive in summer, but services thin out after the season and the meltemi can cancel crossings.

The Peloponnese is far easier with children. Shallow, sandy bays at Tolo, in Messinia and on Elafonisos, resort hotels with kids' clubs and relaxed tavernas make for good beach days, though the distances mean a lot of driving.

On Santorini, the steep steps and unfenced terraces of the caldera villages rule out pushchairs, and many cliff hotels do not take young children. Kamari and Perissa, with flat promenades and a small water park, are where families can manage.

Neither is easy without your own wheels, but for opposite reasons. The Peloponnese is a large region where you need a car. Motorways make the main towns quick to reach, but mountain and Mani roads turn short distances into long drives.

Santorini is small, under an hour from end to end, yet it is congested in summer. Every bus route runs through Fira, the buses are crowded, and parking in Oia is scarce. Fira is the one base that works without a car.

Santorini has the edge for browsing, though neither is a shopping destination. Oia and Fira have jewellers, galleries of island painting and photography, linen and resort-wear boutiques, all aimed at well-funded visitors and mostly closed in winter.

The Peloponnese's best shopping is more modest: Nafplio's lanes for ceramics and worry beads, weekly markets in Kalamata and Tripoli, and olive oil, honey and Nemea wine bought at the source.

The gap in cost is large. In the Peloponnese, village rooms, taverna meals and local wine are good value. The main costs are a hire car, fuel and entry to the big ancient sites.

Santorini charges heavily for its caldera views, from cave suites at Oia and Imerovigli to sunset dinners, boat trips and tastings. Staying in Kamari or Perissa and taking the bus helps, but it still costs more than the mainland.

The Peloponnese has one of the great live experiences in Greece: ancient drama on summer weekend nights in the theatre at Epidaurus, with summer concerts at its Little Theatre and Kalamata's dance festival in July.

Santorini offers much less: a long-running classical music festival in Fira at the end of summer, occasional concerts in old wineries and mansions, and otherwise a guitarist in a taverna.

The Peloponnese has a slight edge, mostly because of its natural water and slow pace. There are old thermal spa towns at Loutraki and Methana, warm sulphur springs at Kaiafas, and quiet stone villages for doing very little.

Santorini's version of rest is the luxury cave hotel, a heated plunge pool facing the caldera, plus a swim in the warm, rust-coloured springs off Palea Kameni. For quiet, stay in Imerovigli or the wine villages rather than Oia.