St Barts or Sint Maarten?

The beaches are equally good, but they suit different kinds of beach day. St Barts has small, uncrowded coves: wild, shadeless Saline and Gouverneur, the reef lagoons at Grand Cul-de-Sac, and Colombier, which you can only reach on foot or by boat.

Sint Maarten has more sand across two halves of the island, from Mullet Bay and Simpson Bay to Orient Bay and Pinel Island on the French side, but cruise days crowd Great Bay and Maho. Both islands have planes landing over swimmers: small aircraft at St Jean, full-size jets at Maho.

Both islands eat well, in different styles. St Barts is French above all, with proper boulangeries, cheese and wine in the supermarkets, and long rosé lunches on the sand at St Jean or Saline. Nearly everything is polished and expensive, and there is no street food.

Sint Maarten is more Caribbean and more casual. Grand Case on the French side has Creole restaurants and the open-air lolo barbecues, and you can try johnnycakes, conch and guavaberry liqueur. The Dutch-side strip is mostly steakhouses and seafood grills aimed at visitors.

Neither island is worth choosing for its sights, and each takes a morning at most. St Barts has its Swedish past, with the clock tower and the Wall House museum in Gustavia and the old fishing village of Corossol. Sint Maarten has the 1793 Courthouse on Front Street and the forts above Great Bay and Marigot.

Sint Maarten has the fuller and more dependable night out. Simpson Bay and Maho have beach bars that start at sunset, casinos open late and a few clubs that go into the small hours, and Grand Case and Orient Bay offer something gentler.

St Barts has a scene rather than a range. Afternoon parties at St Jean and harbour bars in Gustavia run from Christmas to spring, and the island is at its loudest around New Year. In late summer and autumn many places close.

The outdoors are much alike, small and hilly, with the best of it at sea. St Barts is mainly about the water: turtles in its marine reserve, kitesurfing and paddleboarding in the Grand Cul-de-Sac lagoon, and the cliff path to Colombier. Sint Maarten adds a little more on land, with dry forest, zip lines on Pic Paradis and Sentry Hill, and dives in the Man of War Shoal marine park.

Sint Maarten is by far the better base for day trips. From the island, ferries reach Anguilla in about half an hour, St Barts in about an hour and Saba in about an hour and a half, and the French side, with Marigot and Grand Case, is a day out in itself.

From St Barts there is really only one outing, the ferry to St Martin for a busier, more commercial day. The other nearby islands need a charter or a small plane.

Sint Maarten works better for families. It has resorts with pools and kids' clubs, self-catering apartments around Simpson Bay, calm water at Mullet Bay and Pinel Island, and zip lines, treetop courses and glass-bottom boats for older children.

St Barts is very safe, and its lagoons and Shell Beach are ideal for toddlers. Beyond the villa pool and some snorkelling, though, there is little for children, and the island is geared to adults.

St Barts is easier to get around once you are there, because it is so small that any beach is a short drive away, even if the steep hairpin roads unnerve some drivers. Getting there takes more effort: a small plane or a ferry, usually via St Martin.

On Sint Maarten distances are short too, but traffic builds around Simpson Bay, the causeway and Philipsburg, especially on cruise days. Informal minibuses are an option, but most visitors hire a car.

Both islands are duty-free, but they sell different things. St Barts has the stronger fashion offer, with luxury fashion and jewellery boutiques packed around the Gustavia harbour, resort wear in St Jean and straw work from Corossol.

Front Street in Philipsburg is aimed at cruise passengers and specialises in watches, electronics, liquor and tobacco. Marigot adds French perfume and a harbour market, which St Barts lacks.

Sint Maarten is clearly the more affordable of the two. St Barts is among the most expensive places anywhere to take a vacation, from the villa to the beach lunch to the small-plane flight in. Cooking for yourself softens the bill a little, but there is no cheaper part of the island to fall back on.

Sint Maarten is still costly in winter, and imported food pushes up restaurant bills. But apartment rentals, minibuses and the lolo barbecue stalls in Grand Case give you real room to economise, and rates fall in summer and autumn.

Neither island has a theatre or a year-round programme, so the choice comes down to one event. St Barts has a long-established classical music festival each January, with opera and dance in the churches of Gustavia. Sint Maarten's high point is its spring Carnival, with calypso, soca, steel pan and late-night jump-ups.

St Barts is the more restful island. It has no high-rises, no casinos and few crowds, its hotel spas are of a high standard, and therapists and yoga teachers come to the villa. The days settle into a beach, a long lunch and a sunset, except in the week around New Year.

Sint Maarten has resort spas and poolside massages, but busy roads and cruise crowds on the Dutch side get in the way. For a calm stay, base yourself near Dawn Beach or on the French side.