Lasea

Lasea was a coastal town on the southern shore of the island of Crete, mentioned once in Scripture in connection with Paul's sea voyage to Rome. Acts 27:8 records the ship's difficult progress: "With difficulty we sailed along it and came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea." The proximity of Lasea to Fair Havens (Kaloi Limenes) places it a few miles east of that harbor on Crete's south coast, in the district of ancient Gortyn. The area was considered an exposed anchorage unsuitable for wintering a large vessel.

Lasea was virtually unknown to modern scholarship until its ruins were discovered in 1856, approximately five miles east of Fair Havens, confirming Luke's geographical precision. At Fair Havens the centurion in charge of Paul's voyage held a consultation about whether to remain for winter or press on to the better harbor of Phoenix on Crete's western end. Paul urged staying, warning of disaster, but was overruled (Acts 27:9–12). The ill-fated decision to sail led to the famous storm and shipwreck on Malta that forms one of the most vivid travel narratives in Acts. Lasea's mention in this account contributes to the nautical accuracy that characterizes Luke's description of the voyage, widely noted for its technical maritime precision and geographical detail.