Pensacola or Sarasota?

Both have the white quartz sand and calm, warm Gulf water that most visitors come for, so the choice comes down to character. Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore offer miles of protected dunes and clear green water, with quieter Perdido Key to the west. On rougher days rip currents are a real risk, so watch the flags.

At Siesta Key, Sarasota's sand is so fine it stays cool underfoot, and the beach slopes very gently into shallow water. Lido, Longboat and Anna Maria are calmer alternatives, and Venice has shark teeth to hunt for. The hazard to check for here is the occasional red tide rather than the surf.

Neither city is worth choosing for its food, and both rely on Gulf seafood eaten by the water. Pensacola's cooking is the more Southern of the two, with chargrilled oysters, royal red shrimp and gumbo with a Creole touch, and Palafox Street adds breweries and brunch.

Sarasota has stone crab claws instead, and smarter dining rooms on Main Street and St Armands Circle that are aimed at winter visitors. Its one surprise is Pinecraft, where Amish and Mennonite family restaurants serve hearty plates and pie.

The two have about as much to see, but of very different kinds. Pensacola's strength is its layered past: restored colonial and Victorian houses around the Seville district, brick Fort Pickens and the huge naval aviation collection. That last one sits on an active base, so expect ID checks.

Sarasota has no old quarter. Instead it has the Ringling, with a serious art museum full of Baroque paintings, a Venetian Gothic mansion and a circus museum. Design lovers can also look for its mid-century Sarasota School houses. History buffs will lean towards Pensacola, art lovers towards Sarasota.

Pensacola is clearly the better night out. Palafox Street and the Seville Quarter pack pubs, cocktail bars, rooftop terraces and taprooms into a cluster you can walk around, busy at weekends with locals and young Navy personnel. Out on the island, sand-floored beach bars and the rowdy roadhouse on the state line add a party side in summer.

In Sarasota a night out means wine bars on Main Street and sunset drinks in Siesta Key Village, with an older crowd and an early finish. Neither city has much in the way of clubs, but from Sarasota a big night means driving to Tampa or St Petersburg.

Both are flat and watery and full of birds, but Pensacola has the edge for time outdoors. The Gulf Islands National Seashore protects long stretches of dunes, salt marsh and maritime forest, with a bike path running through them. The Blackwater River offers clear-water canoeing and tubing, and the sunken aircraft carrier offshore draws experienced divers.

Sarasota's answer is Myakka River State Park, with its canopy walkway and alligators, and kayaking through the mangroves off Lido Key, where you may see manatees as well as dolphins. Its outdoor season also runs right through winter, while Pensacola is at its best in spring and autumn.

Neither has a long list of day trips and both need a car, though Sarasota's list is a little more varied. From Pensacola the highlight is Mobile, with its antebellum streets and Mardi Gras heritage, plus Fairhope and Fort Morgan around the bay. Heading east, the drives lead mostly to other beach towns such as Destin and Seaside.

From Sarasota, St Petersburg's Dalí Museum and Tampa's Ybor City are about an hour away. Tarpon Springs, the Edison and Ford winter estates at Fort Myers and old-Florida Anna Maria Island round out the list, so a city day is easier to fit in.

Both work well for a beach vacation with children, and Sarasota is a little easier. The water off Siesta and Lido is about as gentle as Gulf beaches get. Mote Marine's aquarium, with its sharks, turtles and manatees, and the Ringling's circus model are good options for days off the sand, and the town is calm and safe.

Pensacola has shallow sound-side spots for toddlers. Children who love planes will be thrilled by the aviation museum and the Blue Angels' home base, and the zoo and Fort Pickens' tunnels fill other days. Neither has a theme park nearby, though from Sarasota Busch Gardens is within a day's reach.

You need a car in both, but Sarasota makes it less of a chore. Downtown, St Armands Circle and Siesta Key Village are short drives apart and each is easy to walk, and cycling works on the keys and along the bayfront. In winter, though, traffic on the bridges can crawl.

Pensacola spreads its beach, the naval air station, Perdido Key and the shops across highways and bridges, so even small errands become drives. Only downtown and the historic district are easy on foot, and the seasonal beach trolley is the main other help.

Neither city is a shopping destination, but Sarasota gives you more to browse. St Armands Circle on Lido Key has a ring of resort wear, jewellery and gallery shops, and Main Street and Palm Avenue add independent boutiques. Pensacola has a few boutiques and antique shops on Palafox Street, its Saturday market and a chain mall, with beachwear and souvenirs on the island.

Pensacola is the cheaper of the two, though neither is a bargain, and both mean paying for car hire. Its beachfront condos are dearest in summer, but staying in town or inland cuts the bill, casual seafood is reasonably priced and the big museum is free.

Sarasota caters to affluent winter visitors and its prices follow suit, especially on Siesta and Longboat Keys from January to April, with tax and tips added at restaurants. Its cheaper season is summer and early autumn, the opposite of Pensacola's pattern, so the gap narrows if you go then.

This is where Sarasota clearly outshines Pensacola. It has its own opera in a restored 1920s theatre, a ballet known for its Frederick Ashton repertoire, a full orchestral season and the Asolo Rep, a large regional theatre on the Ringling grounds. Most of it runs from autumn to spring.

Pensacola's counterpart is the 1925 Saenger Theatre, where the symphony, opera and ballet share the stage with touring shows. It makes for a pleasant evening, but it is regional in scale and not a reason to choose the city.

Neither has a real spa culture, but Sarasota is the better place to switch off. Spas on Longboat and Lido Keys, sunrise yoga on the sand and Warm Mineral Springs, a spring-fed pool that stays warm all year, give it more to do than lie on the beach, though winter crowds can take some of the calm away.

Pensacola has hotel day spas and the slow pace of the island and Perdido Key outside summer. That is restful enough, but there is little beyond it.