Things are heating up regarding the future of the port and marina. At the time of writing, the government is pushing for a heavy industry port, whilst the Mayor, Municipal Council, Larnaka Tourism Board and the Larnaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry are all vocally objecting. Their vision is of a unified coast from Dhekelia Road all the way to Mckenzie, taking in the port and marina and seafront along the way.
A protest took place on Saturday and statements have been issued, but will the wishes of a town be able to override the wishes of a government who are thinking very differently to those who live in – and love – Larnaca?
Larnaca has always drawn the short straw. Our reputation is that of a peasant town; old fashioned, backwards, un-trendy. I don't know how much this has changed over the years, but growing up, this is the way people in Nicosia and Limassol always viewed us.
In actual fact, Larnaca is the gateway to the rest of the island, thanks to its central position, and is (in the opinion of many), the only coastal town on the island that is not a tourist 'resort'. The experience tourists have here is not a segregated one like in Paphos or the Famagusta resorts where there are clear and obvious tourist restaurants and bars. In Larnaca, tourists and locals alike all go to the same places, and the result is an authentic experience for visitors, and a normal town, unblemished by an 'in-your-face' tourist industry for its residents.
The vision the bodies have is a wonderful one. It seeks the removal of the refinery tanks from Dhekelia Road – something that the town has been demanding for years – and its redevelopment. That prime stretch of coast would then be developed and is the only place where new hotels could be constructed, and boy do we need those. Dhekelia Road has been in decline for so long, this is the much-needed push the area needs to return to its glory days of the nineties.
The port and marina plans are grand and will see an influx of cruise ship passengers. The redevelopment of Piale Pashia and the promenade (which begins later in the year), will result in a coastal town that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and we are lucky that there are people in positions of power and authority in Larnaca that actually care about the town's future.
It would be tragic for the government to block these plans and it's about time the politicians came down to Larnaca for the weekend and saw what we are and what we can become. Let's take them to Piale Pashia for a good quality meze, let's take them for a drink at the town's hotspot of Mckenzie, and let's stroll with them along the Finikoudes. Then we could show them round the fort, and the small artisan workshops, educate them at our museums, show them the natural beauty of the salt lake and the environmental significance of Oroklini Lake.
I defy anyone to spend time in Larnaca and not love it. If those at the seat of government come down and meet us, I have no doubt they will realise the gem we have and will be as keen as we are to allow it to flourish.
First published in The Cyprus Weekly, 12/04/14
