Fair Havens

Biblical References

Acts 27:8

The ship on which Paul was being transported to Rome may have completely bypassed Fair Havens in favour of heading for Phoenix, a port further west and apparently more suited for over wintering.

The name of the harbour is unchanged to this day: Kaloi Limenes literally means "good ports" (according to Google Translate) or, more poetically, "Fair Havens".

Visiting the Site

Kaloi Limenes is on the south coast of Crete. When visiting Crete (2016) I initially based myself in Heraklion. From there I rented a scooter and rode south. On the way I also took the opportunity to visit the archaeological site of Gortyn, the first century Roman capital of Crete.

At Kaloi Limenes itself, there is a delightful harbour and, on top of the ridge overlooking the sea, a small chapel dedicated to St Paul. It seemed to have more icons of St Paul per square metre than any other place I have visited.

Down the landward side of the ridge is cave dedicated to Paul, which local tradition regards as his dwelling place for two years before continuing the onward journey to Rome. This tradition would seem to be seriously at odds with the New Testament narrative. Unfortunately, the day I visited I did not have information about the cave with me and missed this detail.

Click here for a Google Earth view of Fair Havens, with the Pauline chapel above the bay.

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