Skip to main content
Pesach Programs

Pesach in Rethymno, Crete, Greece

2 programs here.

Programs here

Olam Holidays

Aquila Rithymna Beach

Rethymno, Greece

Olam Holidays privatizes the five-star Aquila Rithymna Beach near Rethymno for Pesach, aimed at English-speaking families. The food is glatt kosher with no kitniyot and no gebrokts under Rabbi Eliezer Wolff of Amsterdam. Kids and teen clubs, evening shows and Chol Hamoed excursions are included in the description.

Stated by the operator: Non-gebroktsStated by the operator: Glatt meatStated by the operator: Shmura matzahStated by the operator: No kitniyot
Price
Price on request
Track record
16 years, as stated
See full details

Getting there

We found no nonstop flight from New York (JFK) in late April, so plan on one connection. A nonstop would take about 10.5 hours; with a connection allow several hours more.

Rethymno sits between Crete's two airports. Heraklion has year-round flights from Paris Orly; flights from London and Tel Aviv to both Heraklion and Chania are listed as seasonal and normally run by late April, but confirm for your dates.

Most North American travelers fly to Athens and take a short connecting flight to Crete, or connect through a European hub such as Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich.

Routes come from each airport’s published route list, checked October 2026. Flight times are estimates from the distance. Airlines change schedules, so confirm before you book (route list we used).

From the airport

  • Heraklion International Airport (HER): about 70 minutes by carCrete's main airport, on the edge of Heraklion.
  • Chania International Airport (CHQ): about 65 minutes by carThe airport for western Crete; most flights other than Athens are seasonal.

Late April weather

Daytime highs are around 70°F (21°C) and nights around 55°F (13°C); the sea is cool at about 64°F (18°C), so swimming is brisk.

Good to know

  • Greece is 7 hours ahead of New York, and the currency is the euro.
  • A rental car is the best way to see the island from here.
  • Greek Orthodox Easter is Sunday, May 2, 2027, so the week before is Holy Week; some sites and shops will have shorter hours, especially on Good Friday.
  • US passport holders can visit for short stays without a visa, but Europe is introducing an online travel approval, so check entry rules for your passport.

Safety and travel advisories

What governments say about travel to this country. Nothing here is this site’s own judgment.

US State Department travel advisory for Greece

Level 1 of 4: Exercise normal precautions

  • The level is for the whole country, not for the hotel or its neighborhood. Level 1 is the lowest of the four and Level 4 the highest.
  • Advisory dated October 22, 2025; I read it on October 4, 2026. Levels change, so open the advisory before you book and again before you fly.
Read the US advisory UK government advice

This is the governments’ own wording, not a rating by this site. Israel’s National Security Council also publishes travel warnings for Israelis abroad. Ask the operator what security the program itself arranges, such as guards and entry checks.

Things to do on chol hamoed

Check opening times before you go; some places close or get very busy during the holiday.

  • Rethymno Old Town

    City, about 15 min away

    Venetian and Ottoman lanes, a small harbor with a lighthouse and plenty of shops.

    Good for kids, teens, couples, grandparents

  • Fortezza of Rethymno

    History, about 15 min away

    A big 16th-century Venetian fortress on the hill above the old town, with sea views.

    Good for kids, teens, couples, grandparents

  • Arkadi Monastery

    History, about 25 min away

    A beautiful fortified monastery that is a symbol of Crete's fight for freedom.

    Good for teens, couples, grandparents

  • Margarites

    Shopping, about 30 min away

    A hill village of potters where you can watch them work and buy ceramics.

    Good for couples, grandparents

  • Museum of Ancient Eleutherna

    History, about 35 min away

    A modern museum beside the dig site of an ancient city in the hills.

    Good for teens, couples

  • Lake Kournas

    Nature, about 35 min away

    Crete's only natural freshwater lake, with pedal boats and turtles.

    Good for kids, teens, grandparents

  • Etz Hayyim Synagogue, Chania

    Jewish heritage, about 65 min away

    The only surviving synagogue on Crete, a restored 15th-century building in Chania's old Jewish quarter.

    Good for teens, couples, grandparents

  • Knossos

    History, about 75 min away

    The partly rebuilt palace of the Minoans, Europe's oldest city and the setting of the Minotaur legend.

    Good for kids, teens, couples, grandparents

Ari of Consult With Ari

Website designed and built with love by Consult With Ari

You Have a Business to Grow. Let Me Handle the Internet.

Website design, SEO, social, ads and consulting. I’m based in Jerusalem and New York City and work with clients all over the world.

Wix Legend Partner | Base44 Specialist PartnerRated 5 stars on Wix and Google

Book a free call (opens in a new tab)ConsultWithAri.com (opens in a new tab)

This site uses no advertising or tracking cookies. It only saves your shortlist, your home airport and your cookie and display choices on this device. The Google map on program pages loads only if you allow it, and operators’ videos only when you press play. Privacy policy