The long-awaited restoration of the old lighthouse in the Pervolia district of Larnaca will begin at the end of 2024.
This was announced by the head of the Cyprus Ports Authority, Antonis Stylianou, on Monday 2nd September.
It should be noted that the project was already approved in 2022. However, it had to be frozen due to a lack of funding. Now, the process is moving forward. The local municipality is actively preparing to launch the tender.
A Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed between the Cyprus Ports Authority, the Larnaca Tourist Board, the Cyprus Maritime and Maritime Institute (CMMI) and the Pervolia Municipality for the operation of the site and the surrounding area.
The lighthouse is situated in a picturesque and very favourable geographical location. It is also one of the first lighthouses to be built in Cyprus. The lighthouse of Pervolia dates back to 1860. In 1891 the keeper's house was added and in 1901 the complex was modernised. The lighthouse is considered an important historical monument in Larnaca, yet it has remained closed and abandoned for many years.
According to Stylianou, the renovation of the lighthouse will begin in the first quarter of 2025, barring any force majeure. The work will take about six months. The cost of the project is estimated at 180 thousand euros (including the necessary equipment). Most of the costs will be borne by the Port Authority (which is the legal owner of the lighthouse) and CMMI, while a small part of the costs for the external renovation will be borne by the Tourist Board.
It is worth mentioning that after the modernisation of the lighthouse, a museum, education and research centre will be created on its territory, which will be open to the public.
In addition, the lighthouse itself will continue to fulfil its direct functions and there are plans to improve the lighthouse keeper's house and the surrounding area, as well as to create a small space for organising events.
The head of the Larnaca Tourist Board, Dinos Lefkaritis, said that after the renovation of the site and the surrounding area, the lighthouse will be given a second life and the town's tourism sector will benefit greatly. For his part, the head of Pervolia Municipality, Costas Tingis, expressed his satisfaction that after long and persistent efforts by the municipality, the coastal area will be modernised and become an attraction for locals and foreigners.
