Filenews 17 February 2026 - by Natasa Christoforou
The time for big decisions about the future of the port and marina of Larnaca has arrived. In the midst of delays in what was announced, but also important pending issues that have caused great turmoil among institutions and residents of the city, the Minister of Transport is rushing to Larnaca next Friday to inform about the results of the study of the Hellenic Superfund. A study that, as "F" wrote in previous reports, prefers separate developments in the two state infrastructures.
The briefing will take place at 3 pm at an extraordinary meeting of the Larnaca Development Committee, which will then be called upon to make critical decisions. "This discussion is of decisive importance for the course of the development of the port and marina of Larnaca. We come with responsibility, documentation and a willingness to cooperate, with the sole interest of the city and its citizens in mind", said the chairman of the committee and mayor of Larnaca, Andreas Vyras, indicating that three issues will be discussed during the meeting. The first will be the study of the Ministry of Interior, the second will be the proposal of the Prosperity Group for the revival of the project and the third will be the creation of a Working Group, with the participation of the Municipality of Larnaca and the EOAL, which will monitor the progress of implementation and will intervene when deviations from the set schedules are identified. "We are asking for answers. The issue with Prosperity must be clarified, the options given by Growthfund must be presented and specific timetables must be given", noted Mr. Vyras, indicating that after the meeting with the Minister of Transport, time will be requested to study the data, so that the city's decisions can be made.
It is noted that the study of the Ministry of Finance gives specific proposals for the port and the marina and that three scenarios for one infrastructure and three scenarios for the other are being evaluated by the Ministry of Transport. As far as the port is concerned, no use of the port, either commercial, tourist, or a combination of the two, has been ruled out. For the marina, there is a scenario that provides for its expansion, through the assignment to a private investor, but also the execution of only state projects such as the Nautical Club and landscaping, which were estimated at €30 million. However, the state projects are experiencing significant delays and only the small project of dredging the marina has been executed. The architectural competition for the Nautical Club, as well as for the landscaping of the site, is pending. According to the announcements, the landscaping was to be completed in September 2026 and the Nautical Club in December 2027.
Prosperity Group returns and calls for dialogue
The proposal of Prosperity Group, shareholder of the former contractor, Kition Ocean Holdings, for the revival of the project continues to be on the table, although it is understood that if the Superfund study is approved, it will automatically be excluded from the plan, since it provides for a single development of the two infrastructures.
The company returned yesterday with a new lengthy announcement, in which it analyzes why, in its opinion, the unified development of the two infrastructures is in the public interest. He once again expresses readiness for dialogue with the state, with the aim of reviving the €1.2 billion project.
Among other things, the company speaks of the successful management of the port and marina by Kition, for a period of two years and a significant increase in turnover. "It is worth recalling that during Kition's management, the port managed to attract new cruise companies, such as Virgin Cruises, Celestyal and Royal Caribbean, as well as itineraries of the Greece-Cyprus sea connection, something that had not been achieved in the past, even after the termination of the contract," notes Prosperity.
According to the company, the unified development of the two infrastructures is possible. "The close proximity of the port and marina, combined with the fact that their functions are inextricably linked and highly inter-affected, substantially strengthens the argument that the two activities should remain under single management," argues Prosperity and wonders what will happen if it is decided to convert the port into an industrial or container terminal. "Our view is clear: The attempt to separate the two functions will bring significant uncertainty and serious delays in the implementation of any project," he notes, indicating that Larnaca needs substantial infrastructure that will contribute to improving the living standards of the residents.
