Fair Havens
Fair Havens is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of North Africa in modern-day Greece. Known today as Kaloi Limenes. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Fair Havens enters the biblical narrative during Paul's eventful journey to Rome as a prisoner, recorded in Acts 27. As the ship carrying Paul sailed along the southern coast of Crete in the autumn, it arrived at a harbor called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea (Acts 27:8). The voyage had already been difficult, and Paul urged the ship's centurion and captain to winter at Fair Havens, warning prophetically that continuing would bring disaster to cargo, ship, and lives (Acts 27:9–11). Despite Paul's counsel, the majority decided to press on and attempt to reach the more commodious harbor of Phoenix further along the Cretan coast. This decision proved fatally mistaken: a violent northeastern wind called the Euraquilo struck the ship, driving it far off course for fourteen days before the vessel was ultimately wrecked on the island of Malta (Acts 27:14–28:1). Paul's warning at Fair Havens thus stands as a pivotal moment in the narrative — a prophetic word heeded too late — and the subsequent shipwreck demonstrated God's sovereign protection of Paul as he fulfilled his apostolic mission to testify before Caesar in Rome.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Fair Havens (Greek: Kaloi Limenes) has been identified with the modern harbor of Kaloi Limenes on the southern coast of Crete, located approximately midway along the island's southern shore. The site retains its ancient name in modern Greek, providing one of the more secure geographic identifications in Acts. The harbor is small and exposed to certain wind directions, explaining why the sailors were reluctant to winter there despite Paul's advice. Ancient anchors have been recovered from the bay, attesting to its use as a maritime stopping point. The town of Lasea, mentioned in Acts 27:8, has been tentatively identified with ruins east of the harbor. The site has not been extensively excavated.
Verse Appearances (2)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →