03.07.2022
The importance of the Port of Latsios has been great for centuries, according to Panagiotis Agathokleous, Director of Limassol-Paphos-Lazios Ports, who added that for the Cyprus Ports Authority, it is a beacon of navigation for the current and future port.
On the occasion of the presentation of the decision of the ALK on the expansion of the port of Latsios, Mr. Agathocleous, making a historical overview, mentioned that Latsin, a diminutive of Lakkos, is a toponym of the area, which historically seems to have been given because, according to him, there used to be in this area a shallow pit from which, it is assumed, the inhabitants of the area, as well as the sailors approaching the port, used to water themselves.
He added that the port of Lazio, according to archaeological research, seems to have begun its journey through time, from the Hellenistic period, that is, from the 4th century BC. Structurally, it bears considerable resemblance to the port at Amathus, and both are ports of a characteristic Hellenistic type. Myth and reality merge at the port of Latsios, one of which mentions that the legendary Regina left the port in an attempt to escape from Digeni. Outraged , Digenis grabbed two stones and threw them towards Regina’s ship. Witnesses of this myth are the famous “Stones of Digeni”, which adorn the area to this day.
The conquerors of Cyprus from time to time over the centuries had a direct influence on the use or non-use of the port, which, however, never ceased to maintain its importance, since since the time of the kingdom of Marion it was the closest port to Cyprus. Metropolitan Greece, a geographical and symbolic proximity that is emphasized even today by the departure of several pleasure boats from the port of Lazio with a direct destination to the islands of Kastelorizos and Rhodes.
He added that the restored warehouses of the port of Latsios, which were transferred by the Cyprus Ports Authority to the municipality of Polios Chrysochous for cultural purposes, were previously a trademark of the area in the first decades of the 20th century and were used to store salt from the salt marshes of Larnaca, as well as carob. from the surroundings.
The port continued, it was then used for the export of the valuable agricultural product of the carob, which our people rightly called “black gold”. The warehouses were also used to import barley and wheat, as well as an important part of the commercial and economic livelihoods of the inhabitants of the wider region. Also, Mr. Agathocleous mentioned that there were only a few dozen inhabitants of Latia at the beginning of the 20th century until the 60s, and today there are several thousand of them, thus proving the vital importance of the port in the trade and economic sphere ..
He also added that the beauty of the landscape and the important sights of the area, the scenic beauty of the port of Latsia, the beautiful beaches, the easy access to the port and the high-level services offered have given the area a new lease of life.
“Port of Lazio today”
Combined with the natural beauty of the area, Mr. Agafokleous said, “we have invested over several years in developing and optimizing the infrastructure and services provided at the port. We have carried out a number of projects and actions to make the port of Lazio a functional, safe and modern port that meets all the needs of seafarers and other users of the port.”
Today, he continued, the port of Latsios, as a port of mixed use, receives about 350 boats, both fishing and pleasure, as well as various places of recreation and catering with the provision of other ancillary services. He also pointed out that every day, and especially during the summer season, the modern tourist area of Lazio is visited by many local and foreign tourists, and the port is an important part of the already announced state policy to further develop maritime tourism.
It is noted that the Lazio port expansion project is on track for implementation and has a cost of about 45 million euros, while it is one of the largest investments in the development of the Cyprus Port Authority.
