Phoenix was a harbor town on the southern coast of Crete. The apostle Paul and the people he was traveling with hoped to stay there for the winter during their trip to Rome (Acts 27:12, “Phenice” in the King James Version).
Phoenix was west of a place called Fair Havens, near the small island of Cauda. Paul advised the ship’s leaders to stay at Fair Havens, but they decided to keep sailing toward Phoenix.
While the ship was on the way, a strong wind came from the northeast. This storm pushed the ship south and west, past the island of Caudar (verses 9–17). The wind was so strong that it almost drove the ship into dangerous sandbanks off the coast of North Africa. These were called the shoals of Syrtis Major.
Luke says that Phoenix faced northwest and southwest (Acts 27:12). This matches the location of a modern town called Phoinika, near the western tip of Cape Mouros. In ancient times, this harbor was deep and safe for ships. It also gave shelter from the strong winter winds. The name Phoenix still survives in the modern name Phoinika.