NICOSIA: President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus on Sunday (Jun 19) attended a ceremony in Limassol to commemorate the commissioning of a ferry connection with Greece, praising the event as “historic.”
After a huge gap of 21 years, Cyprus has re-established regular sea contact with the outside world.
“At long last, the umbilical cord that connected Cyprus and Greece through shipping is being re-established in a more efficient manner, with more contemporary ships, but most importantly, with the most crucial feature, which was to offer this alternative option to the residents who want it,” he said.
In October 2001, the last ferry from Cyprus to Greece reportedly left. Only cargo ships and international cruise ships stopped in Cypriot ports after that.
Ferries from Limassol to Rhodes and Piraeus ran on a regular basis until 2001, when they were phased out in favour of a 90-minute flight to Athens, as flights to Athens became more frequent and affordable.
The sea ferry service will be operated by Daleena, a Cypriot-registered cruise company. The 30-hour cruise can accommodate 270 passengers and 100 cars at a time. This is a very interesting development; as of now, those who want to go on a self-driving holiday to Greece or vice-versa have the option of getting their own vehicles.
Cyprus is the third largest and also the third most populated island nation in the Mediterranean region and is located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, just south of Turkey.
