Ayia Napa marina to be a ‘jewel of the Mediterranean’

Despite the global travel crisis brought about by Covid restrictions, the Ayia Napa marina welcomed more than 100 vessels last summer, its operators said on Tuesday during a tour of the facility by the transport and tourism ministers.

According to CEO of MM Makronisos Marina Stavros Karamontantis the indications for the coming summer period were encouraging.

Karamontantis said the port area of the marina was delivered on June 1, 2020 and between then and the end of August it serviced 100 vessels “despite the global crisis caused by the pandemic”.

Soon, he said, the commercial area of the marina would operate on a pilot basis while construction of the residential part will also be completed in various phases.

Specifically, work on the construction of the residential towers, he said, was progressing rapidly and the construction of the 35 villas would be completed soon.

“At the same time, with the recent decision of the council of ministers, the Ayia Napa Marina has joined the ports of limited use which gives it the opportunity to receive and host large cruise ships, large and superyachts starting from the coming tourist season,” he said.

Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said after the tour “The timing of the visit is not accidental as we look with optimism as our country successfully faces the pandemic. This makes our economy ready to enter a course of dynamic recovery and we will emerge victorious again after a very difficult period.”

Karousos said the Ayia Napa marina was the second-largest development project currently underway in Cyprus with a budget of over €300 million.

“This project is not just a marina, but a marina which will be a jewel of the Mediterranean, which will significantly upgrade the district of Famagusta and the tourist product and at the same time benefit the whole of Cyprus,” he added. He said another 81 development projects were ongoing in the Napa area worth €202 million.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios said the Famagusts area had a “special role to play in the recovery of our economy”.

Perdios stressed that 800 new jobs had been created for the construction phase of the marina and that in addition around 500 people would be employed in the opertation and management of it.

“The Ayia Napa Marina, with its innovative architectural design and the quality of services provided, both on land and at sea, significantly enhances the tourism profile of Cyprus, supporting the development efforts of maritime tourism and contributing greatly to attracting high level tourists throughout the year,” Perdios said.

Located between the beaches of Ayia Thekla and Makronisos, the marina includes the construction of 220 spacious, luxury apartments in two towers, 35 luxury villas, a marina with docking capacity and integrated services for 600 vessels, a boatyard, shops and restaurants.

The mayors of Ayia Napa, Paralimni, Sotira, Dheryneia, the community leaders of Liopetri, Acheritos, Frenaros, Avgorou and Dasaki Achnas, as well as representatives of the local chamaber of commerce and tourism development companies of the Famagusta district were also present for the tour.