Fair Havens
FAIR HAVENS (Gr. Kaloi Limenes). A small bay on the south coast of Crete, about five miles (eight km.) east of Cape Matala. Paul stayed there for a time on his way to Rome (Acts.27.8-Acts.27.12). The harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, so the captain decided to sail from there, with the hope of reaching Phoenix, a more secure harbor, also on the south coast of Crete.
FAIR HAVENS (καλοὶ λιμένες, fair harbors). A bay near Lasea on the S coast of Crete about five m. E of Cape Matala.
Paul in the custody of a centurion sailed W from Cnidus on an Alexandrian grain ship. The weather forced them to sail on the S side of Crete. They passed Cape Salome, the eastern tip of the island and took refuge at [[Fair Havens]]. Since Fair Havens was only an open bay, the centurion, the captain and the owner of the ship decided to attempt to reach Phoenix, a harbor further to the W. They failed, and drifted in the open sea for fourteen days until the shipwreck at Malta (Acts 27:8).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
ha’-v’-nz (Kaloi Limenes): A roadstead on the South coast of Crete, about 5 miles East of Cape Matala, the most southerly point of the island. The harbor is formed by a bay, open to the East, and sheltered on the Southwest by two small islands. Here Paul waited for a considerable time (Ac 27:9); but while it afforded good anchorage and a shelter from North and Northwest winds, "the haven was not commodious to winter in" (Ac 27:8,12).
See [[Crete]].