After a long 20-month wait and many canceled talks, Larnaca’s Port and Marina issue is still stuck. The Ministry of Transport and the Municipality of Larnaca are back to discussing future plans. Meanwhile, citizens are losing faith as they see years go by without any real progress.
Panos Alexandrou, head of Prosperity Group CY Ltd, talks about the unfair treatment of the development plan. This ambitious project was already underway with plans for four-lane roads, sidewalks, sewage systems, electricity, water supply, and buildings like the Yacht Club and the new port office. Studies were approved by state authorities and top firms like AECOM, KPMG, and Deloitte.
BY CHRISTINA PELEKANOU
However, due to technical issues rather than delays or mistakes, the project stopped, leaving citizens waiting for years. The situation gets more interesting with Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Alexis Vafeadis. He has promised to move forward with the marina by late 2025 or early 2026. Yet, all Larnaca sees are studies and consultations instead of actual projects.
The only progress is cleaning out sand from the marina while promises of millions in investments remain unfulfilled. Citizens are starting to ask: “Minister, Mayor, so many promises… where is the project?”
The tough reality might change after a meeting at the Presidential Palace on January 7, 2026. Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras expressed happiness, saying they now focus on a permanent solution for the port and marina. But Mr. Alexandrou points out: “Larnaca doesn’t need promises — it needs real roads and results. Every delay costs the city another decade.”
Citizens’ frustration peaked with Saturday’s protest aimed at sending a clear message: enough talk; patience is running thin. “Development is legally and technically possible,” says Mr. Alexandrou. “No excuses needed. If there is will and teamwork between state and private sector, the marina can happen — now!”. Larnaca is watching and waiting.
This Saturday, January 31st, Larnaca residents will gather at Europe Square to show their dissatisfaction with the city’s Port and Marina.
This Saturday will reveal if citizens will let promises slip away again or take action themselves. The key thing, as Mr. Vyras mentioned, is that they now focus on lasting development for the port, marina, and surrounding area while speeding up tender processes — avoiding delays that have become an annoying “trademark” of government promises. “Our main request — focusing on a permanent solution — has been accepted by the President and we start work as soon as possible so we can soon see how we proceed,” stated Mr. Vyras.
No chance for development is off the table, whether by private sector or Port Authority if studies show it’s best. Despite local authorities’ “satisfaction,” Minister Vafeadis seems stuck between promises and reality: lots of talk and meetings… but no projects yet as the Municipality declares readiness to start. Larnaca now waits to see if words turn into real roads before citizens lose all patience.
Panos Alexandrou concludes that developing the port and marina is legally and technically possible; any “excuses” or delays from the Ministry are just excuses. With goodwill and teamwork between state and private sector, it must happen before Larnaca loses another decade in empty promises.
