Cyprus
Departing from the Seleucian port, some 16 miles from Antioch, the team arrived by ship into the port of Salamis on the eastern side of Cyprus in an undisclosed amount of time (probably two days by sail depending on winds). After preaching in the synagogues of the city, they proceeded across the island as far as Paphos, a port on the west of the island (Acts 13:4-6).
The long island of Cyprus (225 kilometers) is the largest island of the eastern Mediterranean, situated about 100 kilometers off the Syrian coast (as well as the same distance south of the Turkish coast). Cyprus is not mentioned by name in the Hebrew Scriptures, but reference to the "Kittim" (Gen. 10) was probably the inhabitants of Kition (near modern Larnaca). By the time of Paul's journeys, Rome was mater of the island, though it acted with much autonomy. Though Cyprus was log considered an ally of Rome, it was historically Egyptian controlled. The island became a Roman province in 58 BCE (initially as an annex of Cilicia), but in 47 BCE the island was returned to Egypt. With the suicide of Cleopatra (31 BCE), Cyprus came under direct Roman control. Later (22 BCE) Augustus proclaimed Cyprus one of the senatorial provinces under a praetorian Proconsul.
The specific route of their land journey is not specified in the text, yet there are arguments to suggest the route may be along the major Roman route of the day. First, Paul and Barnabas appear to intend to make their way in haste, and do not plan to spend an excessive amount of time in any one city. Though they had been directed by the Spirit of God and the Church at Antioch, the actual plan of the trip is undisclosed in the narrative. Second, on other journeys they took advantage of the Roman roads. Scholars suggest that Paul used the Via Sebaste to access Pisidian Antioch in the First Journey, as well as the Via Egnatia to cross from Neapolis to Berea in Macedonia in the Second Journey.