Crete or Rhodes? The full comparison (2026)
Rhodes for a short, easy break, Crete for a longer, varied holiday. A full comparison table, including flights, children, kosher food and Shabbat.
- Rhodes: about 1h35 flight, small island, no car needed.
- Crete: six times bigger and more varied, best with a car and at least a week.
- Both have a Chabad house with kosher food and Shabbat meals by registration.
With 3–5 nights or small children, Rhodes is simpler. With a week or more and a love of road trips, Crete gives you more.
Crete or Rhodes? The short answer
- Rhodes suits a short, easy holiday: the shortest flight from Israel to a major Greek destination (about 1 hour 35 minutes), a small island you can get to know in a week, a medieval Old Town, and a Chabad house with a kosher restaurant near the hotel area.
- Crete suits travellers who want variety: an island six times bigger, with mountains, gorges, villages, every kind of beach and two lovely towns, Heraklion and Chania. Rent a car and stay at least a week.
Comparison: Crete vs Rhodes
| Crete | Rhodes | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | about 8,450 km², 260 km east to west | about 1,400 km², about 80 km long |
| Population | about 624,000 (2021) | about 128,000 (2025) |
| Flight from Tel Aviv | about 1h55 | about 1h35 |
| Direct flights | Heraklion: El Al, Israir, Arkia, Bluebird, Aegean. Chania: Bluebird in summer | Aegean, Arkia, Bluebird, El Al, Israir. From Haifa: Air Haifa in summer |
| History | Knossos, the Minoan palace | Rhodes Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage) and Lindos |
| Chabad and kosher | Chabad in Hersonissos: kosher tavern, grocery, Shabbat meals | Chabad in Ialysos: Jerusalem kosher restaurant, Shabbat meals |
| Historic synagogue | Etz Hayyim in Chania | Kahal Shalom in the Jewish quarter |
| Sea (August average) | about 25°C | about 26°C |
| Driving | Almost essential. Long distances | Possible without a car, by bus and tours |
Size and population from Wikipedia. Flight times from our flights to Crete and flights to Rhodes guides, per FlightConnections. Sea temperatures from our Greece weather by month page.
Crete or Rhodes with children?
Both islands are good for families. The difference is pace:
- Rhodes: less driving. Pick a hotel around Ialysos or Faliraki and stay put, with a day trip to the Old Town and Lindos. The short flight is especially easy with small children.
- Crete: more variety, but you need to choose an area. With small children, the stretch between Heraklion and Hersonissos is convenient, near the airport and Chabad. With older children you can add the west, Chania and Rethymno.
Beaches
- Crete: a huge range, from organised beaches by the hotels to wild beaches in the west and south. Some need a car and a long drive.
- Rhodes: the east coast is relatively calm, with bays such as Anthony Quinn Bay and the beaches of Lindos. The west coast is more exposed to the wind.
Nightlife
- Crete: Malia and Hersonissos are known for clubs and a young crowd.
- Rhodes: Faliraki is the party centre. The Old Town has bars and restaurants.
Kosher food and Shabbat
- Rhodes: Chabad is at Leof. Iraklidon 84 in Ialysos, in the hotel area, not in the Old Town. It has the kosher Jerusalem restaurant and a Shabbat minyan. Chabad lists hotels a minute or two's walk away on its website. Chabad of Rhodes.
- Crete: the island's only Chabad house is at El. Venizelou 44 in Hersonissos, east of Heraklion: kosher tavern, grocery and Shabbat kits to hotels, depending on the area. There is no Chabad in Chania. Chabad of Crete.
Note: Chabad of Rhodes warns that many tavernas on the island call themselves "kosher" without real supervision.
Prices
Both islands are in a similar price range for a holiday. Rhodes has many all-inclusive hotels in its resort areas. Crete has more budget options in villages and apartments, but add the cost of a car. Check current fares on our cheap flights to Greece page.
When to go
Both islands are warm from June to September. In October there are still direct flights to Heraklion, but fewer. In winter most direct flights to both islands stop. Greek islands with direct flights.
So which is better?
| If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Are going for 3–5 nights | Rhodes |
| Are a family with small children wanting one hotel | Rhodes, or the Heraklion–Hersonissos area of Crete |
| Love nature, hiking and driving | Crete |
| Keep Shabbat and want kosher food near the hotel | Rhodes (hotels near Chabad), or Hersonissos in Crete |
| Want history | Both: Knossos in Crete, the Old Town and Lindos in Rhodes |
FAQ
Crete or Rhodes, which is better? Rhodes for a short, easy holiday with a short flight and no need for a car. Crete for a longer, more varied holiday with mountains and many beaches, ideally with a car.
Crete or Rhodes with children? Both work. Rhodes means less driving. In Crete choose the Heraklion–Hersonissos area, near the airport and Chabad.
Which island has the shorter flight? Rhodes, about 1 hour 35 minutes from Tel Aviv. Heraklion in Crete is about 1 hour 55 minutes.
Which island has kosher food? Both have a Chabad house: the Jerusalem restaurant in Ialysos on Rhodes, and a kosher tavern in Hersonissos on Crete. Shabbat meals by advance registration.
