Rhodes or Zakynthos?

The two are equally strong for swimming, but the beaches feel different. Rhodes has its east coast: a long run of sheltered bays and coves from Faliraki down to Lindos. The sand there is often mixed with fine shingle, and there are rocky snorkelling inlets at Anthony Quinn Bay. At Prasonisi, calm water lies on one side of the sandbar and waves on the other.

Zakynthos has softer, sandier beaches around Laganas Bay and the Vasilikos peninsula, including protected turtle beaches that are left undeveloped. Over the limestone the water turns a paler, more striking blue. Many of its best swims, such as the Blue Caves or the rock ledges at Porto Limnionas, are reached by boat or by climbing down rocks rather than walking onto sand.

Neither island is a food destination, but Rhodes has a little more range. It has proper meze places in the newer part of Rhodes Town, wine and honey from Embonas, and a small upmarket choice around Lindos. On Zakynthos you eat in village tavernas, where you can try garlicky skordostoumbi, ladotyri cheese and Verdea wine. On both islands the advice is the same: leave the resort strips to eat well.

This is the widest gap between the two islands. Rhodes Town has an intact walled medieval city: you walk the Street of the Knights, visit the archaeological museum in the old hospital, and find mosques and Byzantine churches inside the walls. Beyond the town are Lindos, Kamiros and the stadium on Monte Smith. That is several days of sightseeing.

The 1953 earthquake took most of the old Venetian capital on Zakynthos. What remains is a rebuilt town with the Byzantine Museum and the Solomos museum, a ruined castle on Bochali hill and a few village churches. It makes a pleasant half day.

The two are close overall, but they offer different kinds of night out. Rhodes spreads its evenings across several places: the all-night strip at Faliraki, a lane of late bars in the Old Town, cocktail bars around Mandraki, and rooftop and courtyard bars in Lindos that attract an older crowd.

On Zakynthos, going out means Laganas: foam parties and drinking until dawn, aimed at young groups. Elsewhere on the island there is almost nothing in between, so it suits partygoers or people avoiding parties, but not much else.

Zakynthos has the more striking landscape. Its high white cliffs, the sea caves at Cape Skinari and the turtle marine park in Laganas Bay are best explored by kayak, by boat or with a mask and snorkel. Inland, the island has olive-covered hills.

On Rhodes the landscape is pleasant rather than dramatic: low pine hills, the shaded Valley of the Butterflies, and one real climb up Mount Attavyros. Its outdoor strength is wind. Prasonisi is a well-known spot for windsurfing and kitesurfing, which Zakynthos has nothing to match.

Rhodes gives you more options. A fast boat takes you to the pastel harbour of Symi and the monastery of Panormitis, quieter Halki is reachable from Kamiros Skala, and a short ferry crosses to Marmaris in Turkey. On the island itself, the castles of Monolithos and Kritinia make good outings.

From Zakynthos, a ferry is needed for anything beyond the island. Southern Kefalonia works as a long summer day, and ancient Olympia means a full day via the mainland port of Kyllini. Most visitors settle for a tour of the island instead.

Both islands suit a beach vacation with children, but Rhodes is easier. Its shallow, gently sloping bays at Tsambika, Afandou and Kolymbia are close to large resort hotels, and it has both a water park and an aquarium. The Old Town ramparts also go down well with children.

On Zakynthos, Tsilivi and Alykes on the north-east coast are just as gentle, and turtle-spotting boat trips are a highlight for children. Beyond those, there is less made for children, and several famous beaches are reached by steep paths or by boat only.

Rhodes is easier without your own wheels. The Old Town is car-free and compact, and a reasonable bus line runs along the east coast to Lindos in about an hour. A hire car is still worth having for the south and the inland villages.

Zakynthos is small, only about 40km long, but its buses go only to the main resorts. The cliffs, viewpoints and villages of the west and north are reached by narrow, winding roads, so plan on a car, a scooter or organised boat trips.

Neither island is worth visiting for shopping, but Rhodes gives you more to browse. Sokratous Street in the Old Town is lined with jewellery and leather stalls, the new town has Greek high-street fashion, and Archangelos and Lindos sell Lindian-style ceramics. Zakynthos has a few local shops on Alexandrou Roma street and lace around Volimes. The best things to take home are edible: mantolato nougat and thyme honey.

Both are middle-priced islands where package hotels keep room prices moderate. Costs climb in different places. On Rhodes the expense is in Lindos and the boutique hotels of the Old Town. On Zakynthos it is boat trips, car hire and quiet coves in August, though choosing a base away from these makes either island fair value.

Neither island has a theatre, orchestra or opera season. Rhodes offers folk dance in a small Old Town theatre and summer concerts in the moat and the ancient stadium. Zakynthos has a living song tradition instead: kantades serenades sung informally in tavernas, and folk street theatre at carnival.

Both islands offer resort hotel spas rather than a bathing culture of their own. For something local, Zakynthos has cool sulphur springs bubbling into the sea at Xigia, while the old spa at Kallithea on Rhodes is now only a sight. For quiet, Rhodes has southern villages such as Lahania and Asklipio, and Zakynthos has the hills around Keri and the Vasilikos peninsula.