The Deputy Ministry of Tourism has launched the tender process for the development of the Paphos Marina project, which will be located in the Potima area of Kissonerga. The project will be awarded through a long-term DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer) concession agreement.
According to the ministry’s announcement, the development will include a modern marina with a capacity of 1,000 berths for leisure craft, covering both the sea and land. Between 70-80% of the berths will be allocated for mooring, while the remaining 20-30% will be onshore facilities.
The tender also provides for residential and commercial development, which may include hotel infrastructure and, optionally, facilities to accommodate cruise ships.
The announcement of the tender follows President Nikos Christodoulides’ statement during a meeting with stakeholders in Paphos district. He highlighted the marina as one of 75 projects planned for the region, with a total budget exceeding €230 million. The Paphos Marina alone will cover an area of 165,000 square metres and accommodate up to 1,000 leisure craft.
President Christodoulides emphasised that the project is expected to strengthen the local economy, create new jobs, and enhance the tourism offering of the Paphos district.
Deputy ministry of tourism statement
The Deputy Ministry of Tourism said that this development marks another important step in establishing Cyprus as a leading nautical tourism destination, while supporting sustainable economic growth and long-term progress.
The marina will be constructed on state-owned land in the Potima area of Kissonerga, covering approximately 165,000 square metres. It will feature high-standard facilities capable of hosting 1,000 leisure craft, as well as residential and commercial developments, with optional hotel and cruise ship infrastructure.
The tender process will be conducted in collaboration with Deloitte Ltd and Triton Consulting Engineers S.A., ensuring transparency, fairness, and compliance with both Cypriot and European legislation.
The tender has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus. All related documents, including the Expression of Interest and subsequent competition papers, are available on the Cyprus eProcurement platform.
Interested parties are invited to submit their Expressions of Interest according to the procedures and timelines outlined in the official tender documents.
The troubled history of the long-awaited Paphos Marina
Since an initial study was carried out more than 30 years ago, the Paphos Marina project has been stalled by legal battles and mired in bureaucracy.
1990s–2006 — concept & early planning
The idea of a marina for Paphos appears in long-term coastal development planning and feasibility studies through the late 1990s and 2000s as Paphos developed as a tourism hub.
2007–2008 — first high-profile tender and award
A major government tender was run. In 2007–2008 the Cybarco-Pandora consortium (including Leptos Group in reporting) was initially announced the winner of the concession/tender for the Paphos marina. Litigation followed almost immediately as the other bidders objected and appealed the award.
2008–2015 — litigation, counter-awards and re-examinations
The 2008 award triggered multiple legal challenges and reviews. Different bidders (notably Poseidon Grand Marina and Pafilia) lodged appeals and objections; the administration re-examined financing evidence and committee procedures. These years saw annulments and re-assessments rather than construction.
December 2015 — Supreme Court milestone
In late 2015 the Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision favouring the Poseidon consortium in aspects of the dispute (reporting indicates the court found procedural problems with the administration/committee handling of earlier stages), which reshuffled the legal status of the tender. (The ruling did not immediately produce a stable concession because subsequent steps required proof of funds and committee re-assessments.)
2016–2018 — committee rulings, new award and withdrawals
Following court rulings, the management/steering committee attempted to move ahead. At different moments Pafilia was invited/approved as the next concessionaire, and a new committee signed an agreement in 2018 — but Pafilia then withdrew from the process (citing the uncertain legal and commercial environment). Meanwhile Poseidon and others continued legal actions asserting procedural irregularities. The cycle of awards ? legal challenge ? re-award ? withdrawal repeated.
2019–2021 — continuing delays and fresh objections
Even after new committee actions, interested parties kept raising formal objections to tender steps (complaints brought to tender review authorities and interim orders). That kept the project on hold and prevented contract signature/works starting. Reporting in 2021 flagged another objection that again froze progress.
2022–2023 — renewed government work and feasibility / tender preparations
The government and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism repeatedly restarted preparatory work: updated feasibility studies, revised tender documents, and public statements that the ministry would re-launch an improved, legally robust procurement process designed to avoid the errors of the past. Coverage in this period described a “new hope” and active preparation for a fresh investor call.
January 2025 — publication of basic characteristics / call for proposals (Phase 1 input)
In January 2025 the Deputy Ministry published the basic characteristics of the project and invited interested parties to submit proposals/expressions of interest under those characteristics (reports cited a submission window that closed in late January 2025). This marked a concrete administrative step toward a two-phase procurement (expression of interest and invitation to tender).
August 2025 — ministry preparing investor call / tender documents
By August 2025 reporting noted the Deputy Ministry was finalising the investor-interest call and legal checks, with stakeholders saying the formal call for investors / opening of tender documents was expected in late August / early September 2025. Officials signalled an intention to run a more rigorous tender process and to address financing, environmental and archaeological constraints up front.
September 2025 – ministry launches tender process
The Deputy Ministry of Tourism has launched the tender process for the development of the Paphos Marina project.
Time will tell if, after 30 years of legal battles and bureaucracy, Paphos will finally get it’s marina. But if past performance is anything to go by – don’t hold your breath!
The Paphos Marina projects long, messy history is a classic example of how bureaucracy and legal disputes can paralyze promising development. Its frustrating to see such potential delayed for decades.