Larnaca, Cyprus. Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said the ports authority will undertake the redevelopment of Larnaca’s port and marina, with the government set to transfer the port, marina and the port’s land area to the authority. The ports authority has been tasked with presenting a roadmap for both projects by June 30.
Announcement and timeline
Vafeades made the announcement in Larnaca following a meeting attended by President Nikos Christodoulides, Larnaca district governor Andreas Hadjicharalambous, and Larnaca mayor Andreas Vyras. He said the government will “immediately transfer the port, the marina, and the port’s land area” to the ports authority.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail after the announcement, Vafeades said the transfer of responsibility for both the port and the marina will require cabinet approval before taking effect.
Redevelopment plans
Vafeades said the marina will be expanded to a capacity of 200 boats. He added that 50,000 square metres of land adjacent to the port will be developed “for urban use … in line with the wishes of the town”.
He also said the town’s waterfront will be “unified”, ensuring direct access from the marina to the port.
Administration history and project structure
The port was initially administered by the ports authority, while the marina was initially overseen by the Cyprus tourism organisation, later incorporated as the tourism deputy ministry. Both were later transferred to the transport ministry, which entered into a public-private partnership with Kition Ocean Holdings to operate and develop the port and marina.
After the government terminated its agreement with Kition Ocean Holdings in May 2024, administration of the port was transferred back to the ports authority, while the transport ministry administered the marina.
Vafeades said that, once cabinet ratifies the plans, both the port and the marina will be administered by the ports authority and redeveloped as “separate but parallel” projects. The projects were initially planned as a single undertaking, but the government announced in November 2024 that they would be split into two, with Vafeades saying last month that keeping them unified would have meant “one development would occur at the expense of the other”.
What changes do you expect the redevelopment to bring to Larnaca’s waterfront and public access?
