J - 231 : Last Leg of Apostle Paul's Voyage to Rome (Part III)

Love the quiet festive season with its family dinners, long out-door walks and the occasional fresh snow. Time to restart my blog and finish the travel planning for this summer. This year we pushed sailing to September. The last three years we sailed during peak season when all major ports and towns were busy. Let's see how we do when most of the holiday goers have returned. We are on the 3rd and final leg of our project to follow the route of Apostle Paul who was brought as a prisoner to Rome in spring 60 AD. We finished last year in Navarino Bay. Saint Paul never went there. His ship was swept off Crete into the open sea and blown by two consecutive storms to Malta where it shipwrecked. All cargo but no life was lost.

Fort St Elmo in La Valetta, Malta's Capital. Birgu, our starting point

this September is on the big harbour to the left.

Saint Paul stayed for probably four months on Malta where he introduced Christianity before continuing his journey to Rome on another commercial ship. He sailed north along Sicily's east coast, then followed the Calabrian coast and eventually reached the Golf of Naples. He disembarked in Pozzuoli, Italy's busiest port, and continued on foot on the Via Appia until he reached Rome three weeks later. Had he arrived 19 years later, Apostle Paul would have wittnessed the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

"My Lotty", our Benedetti 1983 Two Master for this year's trip from Malta to Pozzuoli

But Saint Paul must have noticed the "Ring of Fire" - the many volcanos in the Tyrrhenian Sea he crossed. Mount Etna was active during Roman time, Monte Vulcano and Stromboli were both alive and sported plumes so did the Vesuvius. We do not know what he thought of them. Acts 27:1 to 28:16 which mention many details of his trip dont make any reference.

Lipari and the Stromboli on the back right seen from Monte Vulcano in 2021

Our entire itinerary follows the ancient Greek settlements from Syracuse to Naples with the magnificent temples which still stand tall in Paestum, a few miles south of Salerno.

If you like to have a look at our detailed itinerary for 2026, please go to to the Main Menu - Travel Plans and click on "Travel Brochure 2026".

Welcome back to the blog!