Larnaca unveils ambitious port transformation

The long-term programme, presented jointly by the Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA) and the Municipality of Larnaca, aims to transform the eastern Mediterranean gateway over the next 20 years while ensuring the port remains fully operational throughout the phased redevelopment.

Mayor of Larnaca and chair of the Larnaca City and District Development Committee Andreas Vyras said the success of the project would depend on delivery rather than ambition.

“We must be honest with the citizens,” he said. “Success will not be judged by the announcements, but by the implementation of the projects, the adherence to the schedules and their completion.

“The road map is the beginning of the route and not the end of it.”

The project allocates €205 million to commercial port infrastructure, including new quays, an extended breakwater, additional berths, a new port basin and upgraded cargo-handling equipment. Passenger facilities will also be enhanced through the construction of a modern terminal, while improvements to operational capacity are intended to support future growth in both cargo and passenger traffic.

Alongside the port works, the marina will be expanded to around 200 berths, with new pedestrian promenades and the relocation of traditional boatyards designed to reconnect the waterfront with the city centre.

The plans follow the termination of a €1.2 billion concession agreement with Kition Ocean Holdings after contractual disputes. Unlike the previous proposal, the new roadmap focuses on a phased approach that allows development to progress gradually while maintaining commercial operations.

The CPA has described the programme as a strategic framework rather than a final engineering blueprint, with detailed designs, procurement schedules and construction tenders to follow once legal, institutional and administrative processes have been completed.