Bible Locations

Phoenix was a harbor on the southern coast of Crete. In Acts 27:12, during Paul's voyage to Rome, the ship was at Fair Havens, but "because the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest." Paul warned against it, but the centurion followed the pilot and the owner. A gentle south wind began to blow, and they set sail, but soon a violent northeaster, called the Euraquilo, struck and drove the ship out to sea. They never reached Phoenix. Most scholars identify it with the bay at Loutro, a small village about 40 miles west of Fair Havens, which is still one of the safest harbors on Crete's south coast. Others suggest the nearby Phineka bay, which may preserve the name.