Marinas: The continuous growth of the maritime economy in the southern suburbs
How Greece is becoming one of the most important 'hubs' for large luxury yachts.
- 24/07/2025, 13:04
Greece has become one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the Mediterranean in recent years, while our country is the most important “port” for large recreational boats. The demand comes from the global market, while part of it is also due to Greek travelers, who choose to spend their holidays either on their own boat, or by renting one to meet their needs. Approximately 1.5% of the country’s GDP and 40,000 jobs are directly linked to coastal tourism and cruising.
As stated by the president of the Association of Greek Marinas, Stavros Katsikadis, the increased activity regarding the construction of new marinas, especially in the southern suburbs, is related, in addition to demand, to the financing arising from the Recovery and Resilience Fund. “Out of a total of 41 operational plans for the marinas, approximately 20 have been approved by the Ministry of Tourism and its competent committees. Projects are currently being developed that, according to the Recovery Fund deadlines, should be completed by 2025”.
The Role of the Investment in Ellinikon
The role of the investment in the Metropolitan Pole of Ellinikon is decisive. The project and resulting outcome will be inextricably linked to marine and coastal tourism in the Athenian Riviera in the coming years. As Mr. Katsikadis points out, “marine and coastal tourism is not only the marinas and tourist ports, the beaches and the hotels, but also a set of activities that will be developed in the region on the occasion of the great project of The Ellinikon, which will focus even more on the Southern Suburbs. Let us also not forget that the regeneration of the coastal front is underway, from Neo Faliro to Tzitzifies, with the regeneration project of Faliro Bay implemented by the Region of Attica. This specific investment will connect the urban landscape with the beach. The entire set of projects, starting from Piraeus and reaching Lavrio, will bring revolutionary changes, with an upgrade of infrastructure and services. I believe that we will see new activities related to coastal tourism, such as watersports, which are very developed in Western Europe, while in Greece that is not the case. Also, activities related to private coastal transport with pleasure boats, diving tourism and many more will be developed.
“A great opportunity that we must capitalize on”
When asked why the Southern Suburbs attract the majority of investor interest in the marina sector, he explains that the privileged zone of the Athenian Riviera had remained untapped for many years. “Now, it has become obvious both to the Greek State and to potential investors that there is a great opportunity that we must capitalize on in the coming years. The new Vouliagmeni Marina has already been completed, a radical renovation of the Agios Kosmas Marina is about to be carried out, and upgrade works are underway at Flisvos Marina and Zea Marinas. What I predict is that there will be an upgrade in the quality of infrastructure and services in the Southern Suburbs in the coming years. The total resources available for the marinas, through the Recovery Fund, amount to 140 million euros, of which I hope that a large part will be utilized”.
He points out that the Southern Suburbs offer access to the islands of the Argosaronic Gulf, which have experienced significant growth as a tourist destination in recent years, while this specific geographical area provides natural protection for pleasure boats from the weather. “The entire coast line of Argolida, as well as further south in the rest of the Peloponnese Region, are also popular choices for visitors,” he adds.
Recently, the Association of Greek Marinas presented the spatial planning study that has been carried out jointly with the University of Piraeus and the University of Athens. According to Stavros Katsikadis, this study dealt with the spatial planning of marinas and their prospects. “Our aim, through market research, is to highlight areas based on objective criteria, such as the development of new infrastructure, the existence of urban activity and tourist growth, as well as existing networks and infrastructure, such as airports, ports and highways. In the same study, we also examined the configuration of waste networks and the entire spectrum of services required for a marina. The conclusion was to determine which municipalities already have the specifications required and where the creation of marinas is suggested in the coming years”.
According to Mr. Katsikadis, approximately 30 marinas with high-quality specifications and services operate throughout Greece. “In total, 39 licensed and designated marinas operate through out the territory with approximately 13,000 mooring spaces. These do not include marinas that are already designated, but for various reasons the required projects have not been implemented or completed. At the same time, there are approximately 60 shelters and tourist anchorages, which operate with a varying degree of quality”.
Marnet: The company behind the four major marinas of the southern suburbs
Nikolaos Florios, co-founder and managing partner of Marnet S.A., a consulting engineering company behind a large number of marinas in the South ern Suburbs and in Greece as a whole, points out that “we were lucky enough to be involved in all four marinas in the Southern Suburbs. It started with Flisvos Marina, that we worked on during the Olympic Games and we are still working on its new form, expansion and further development. It is a recreation center of decisive importance for Attica”.
“Next is the development of the Alimos Marina, where we also undertook the study. This too has been granted by the Hellenic Republic Asset Devel opment Fund to a private individual in recent years and its reconstruction is expected to begin. This is a large land zone, which for many years remained undeveloped and its area exceeds 200 decares. It is going to be developed with the prospect of becoming a hub for recreation and activities, while simultaneously supporting the chartering activity”.
Among the marinas for which Marnet has undertaken to prepare the study is that of Agios Kosmas. “It has already entered a development trajectory in order to be transformed into a modern facility. This is the point where the Greek Sailing Center was located, for which we also carried out the study about 20 years ago. It is now being transformed into a modern marina with infrastructure for the hosting of mainly large vessels. I hope that one of the best marinas in the country will be created”.
“The Vouliagmeni Marina has already been completed and the result is evident. We were responsible for preparing the master plan, the environmental studies and the port works studies, and securing the permits,” adds Mr. Florios.
Development plans and new marinas south of Vouliagmeni
Referring to the landscape, as it is expected to take shape in the coming years, he notes that, “there are already proposals and projects underway for the development of new marinas, further south of Vouliagmeni”.
On the other hand, Mr. Florios also points to the example of Eastern Attica, where the expected moves or investments in marinas have not been made, even though it offers access to the Cyclades and the Aegean islands. “Although there are plans, and while we have also prepared some studies, the projects have not progressed in this area for different reasons. On the one hand, due to bureaucracy, and, on the other hand, due to the prejudice with which local communities often treat marinas. However, these are recreational poles that can offer many positive features, not only to those who own boats. One does not need to have a 30-meter boat to take a stroll in Flisvos, drinking their coffee. I hope that the benefit that arises for society as a whole from the creation of a marina will be more widely recognized in the coming years”.
Marinas bring added benefit to local communities
TEKAL is one of the most important actors in the construction industry, with profound expertise in port projects. It recently completed the construction of the Vouliagmeni Marina while, as an investor, it has undertaken the concession and operation of the Nafplio Marina. TEKAL Vice President, Iro Psaltakou, states that, “in recent years, the development of maritime tourism, but also of tourism in general, has created the need to utilize existing marinas, as well as to create new ones, in areas where this is feasible. What we have also found out from our experience as an investor in Nafplio is that there are several obstacles to the licensing of these projects”.
“The new marinas that are being created require the development of both port and land infrastructure. The aim is to build an integrated venue in which visitors will enjoy not only basic docking services, but also high-level combined services, bringing additional income to investors. At the same time, it is necessary to harmonize new developments with the requirements of local communities. Let me remind you that, in the case of Vouliagmeni Marina, there were appeals by residents to the Council of State against the implementation of the investment. However, when a business plan is comprehensively designed and licensed, the obstacles are sooner or later removed,” says Mrs. Psaltakou.
“The construction of a marina leaves its mark on the local community by creating new jobs and attracting revenue that can benefit a destination as a whole. At the same time, with the construction of new or the upgrading of existing facilities, in addition to upgrading port infrastructure, a large part of the land area is completely renewed”.
Published in “White Paper: The Big Business of the South”, NouPou Media’s special edition spotlighting the current landscape and future prospects of the Athens Riviera.