Limassol: Live, Work & Play

A PRIVATE AFFAIR

Invite friends to an exclusive event in the privacy of your own apartment at Castle Residences and welcome them in this show stopping dress by Efi Papaioannou.

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

A night out on the town at Limassol Marina can be glamorous and hedonistic, with a selection of the best restaurants and bars right on your doorstep. Add a sparkle with earrings and rings by Palmiero from ERA Luxury Jewels – Ralph Lauren Woven Calfskin Ricky Clutch from Moda In. Miu Miu shoes – Kult. Man’s suit from ISAIA. Evening dress – Efi Papaioannou.

Photography – Dinah Kaprou Drone Photography – DeC Audio Visual DOP – Eleni Polydorou Styling – Mariana Hadjimina Hair + MUA – Irene Samata

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text by Alexia Evripidou

LIMASSOL: LIVE, WORK & PLAY

Chat with crew, team members and residents about what it means to be based in the Marina, and a collage of joy and contentment quickly emerges. Here, five members of the community reveal how they follow their bliss, as they live, work and play in the beating heart of Limassol.

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From visitors to permanent residents, boat brokers to international crews, to teammates striving daily to make it an unparallelled destination, Limassol Marina is a melting pot of remarkable people. It is also so much more. Looking deeper, here we find characters whose diverse lifestyles and hobbies fully embrace the call to adventure, while appreciating the treasures both on, and beyond, their doorstep. Taken all together, each of their experiences is as much about community, as it is about self-expression, making the Marina an inclusive home from home, in which to live, work and play.

Everything, In Easy Reach

Limassol Marina's vast, integrated offerings, combining luxurious residential and commercial developments with world-class yachting facilities, rely on equally impressive dedication for operation and maintenance. And it's up to Marina Manager Tom Lord and his team of 20 to provide the highest standard of service to the community that calls this home. "There's the entire spectrum of the yachting industry accommodated here," Tom points out, "and we support the entire customer base."

As one of the first to join the team to prepare the Marina for its launch over 8.5 years ago, Tom feels privileged to have been here from the beginning to welcome the inaugural boat. “I’ve greeted every single boat we’ve had through the Marina, which is now approaching 10,000 boats,” he says, doing the numbers and referencing the 9,000 yacht arrivals per year, 300 of them superyachts. Beyond its yachting facilities, the Marina is also unique for several other reasons, not least of which is its strategic location in an expanding and innovative city centre – another feature appreciated by Tom. “It’s alive and kicking all year round,” he says of the €400-million development, “so whether you are here in the winter or summer, visitors and residents can stroll out of the Marina and find everything they could possibly ask for.”

Super Cycling Man

When Tom’s not juggling work and family, he takes advantage of the playground offered by Limassol and its vicinity by cultivating a variety of outdoor pursuits - the most routine of which, for him, is cycling. "When you’re up on the top in Troodos, on a clear day, heading round the trails, it’s breath-taking - so good for the soul,” he says. Closer to home at the Marina, there are also many cycling enthusiasts - both road cyclists and mountain bikers – with whom to join forces. “Many of the crew enjoy it. They bring their bikes on the boats with them, so they can just jump off the boat and onto their bikes and explore new surroundings.”

Exploration is certainly part of the thrill of the two-wheeling kind, and is easily accommodated by the natural landscapes nearby. According to Tom, there’s a fantastic old coastal road running all the way to Paphos from Limassol, which follows all the cliff-tops, passing by famous sites like Aphrodite’s Rock, as well as through beautiful coastal villages and bays. “You can

Marina Manager Tom Lord considers Limassol and its vicinity a paradise for cycling enthusiasts.

travel along, watching the waves crashing on the beach and relax, or hill-climb when you need to do some more vigorous exercise, and just link village to village and choose a route,” explains Tom.

Team Playtime

But when it comes to bikes, it’s not just about the adventuring and impressive locales. Community spirit and hospitality are equally paramount to Tom and his team. “We’ve built it into our culture and strive to deliver fantastic customer service,” he says. The mantra being to deliver to all the Marina’s guests, residents and visitors the hospitality that Cypriots are famous for.

One case in point is the established group of around 10-20 people who like to meet every Sunday at 7am over the winter to get the endorphins flowing. Troodos Hotel offers a shuttle facility where the group can choose a trail, start at the top, cycle down over several hours, be picked up at the bottom, and then taken back up to the top to start the next trail. “There are hundreds of set trails with huge variety and everyone is welcome,” enthuses Tom. “Be it crew that are staying one week, a month, or nine, they can jump in and discover the best spots and get involved with events already set up.”

Everyone’s favourite track is the one where, starting early in the morning, they take their bikes right to the peak of Mount Olympus in Troodos, and make their way all the way back to Limassol over a few hours, effectively linking five to six different trails together. “Spending the morning travelling down together is always a fun adventure,” says Tom. “It’s a great way to spend time together and connect, and for people to meet other like-minded people from the Marina.”

‘There’s a reason they call it fishing and not catching’ goes the saying. Marina Attendant Titos Ioannou wades through the mysteries and techniques of hook, line and sinker, as only a true fisherman can: serenely.

When a pursuit means everything to you, enthusiasm comes naturally. For Marina Attendant Titos Ioannou, fishing keeps him in the best of spirits, and is a source of unparallelled satisfaction. “I have caught many large fish in my life, the biggest weighing in at 35 kg, it was an amberjack near the old port,” he beams, recalling one particular exploit. A Limassol boy, born and bred, Titos sits at ease, moves the walkie talkie around his neck to a comfortable place, crosses his fingers and waits serenely for the questions. His silence is loud and strong, and there is little doubt that here is a man who knows patience - a quality primary to being a good fisherman, and one that also facilitates his job at the Marina, too.

Off To Work We Go

Titos is a relatively new team member at the Marina, having worked here for nine months, and he’s kept on his toes. He lists off the tasks of a typical day: welcome new boats, tie them up, pull boats into place, fix mooring, ensure new boats have electricity and water, check all boats in the Marina have not been damaged during bad weather, carry out boat maintenance, fill diving air tanks, and generally provide all kinds of other customer services to ensure crew, residents, villa and flat owners have everything they need.

“Not only are my daily chores different, but I also find the job very pleasurable, as it involves working with people and I never have time to get bored,” he says, contentedly. But while having a job you enjoy is a blessing, having a calling is something else entirely. “I’ve loved fishing since a child of six,” he says, with an assured smile. “My father would drop me off with a fishing rod in tow at the old marina, where I would entertain myself, alone, catching fish.” And that passion continues today, unabated.

Hooked On A Feeling

Getting his fishing and boating licence at 17, Titos continued upgrading until he could finally work up to getting an inflatable boat. “These are by far the safest, it’s very rare to capsize in one,” he explains. Whenever he’s not working, he’s fishing. “I still haven’t quite understood what it is that I love about it,” he muses. “All I know is that, from the moment I get into the sea, my mind tunes into fishing. Everything else just fades away.”

Titos fishes two to three times a week, every week, throughout the year, his favourite spots being near the old port, in Moni and Akrotiri, where he hunts for red porgy, seabream, dentex and wreckfish, as well as golden and dusky grouper, all native to the shores of Limassol. “There are times I started fishing at 5.30am and left 16 hours later, lost to time and the sea,” he admits. Why? He does it simply because he loves to do it.

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Fish Versus Tech

That said, fishing may be synonymous with relaxation, but a surprising amount of calculation, focus, discipline and preparation is required to make the most of this past-time. Armed with a special fish-finding GPS system that uses high-frequency sonar to track the rocks at which the fish gather, there’s also water depth, temperature and potential hazards to take into account, plus a downloaded weather application, varying rods with which to catch different varieties of fish and, when in season, fresh squid and cuttlefish for bait.

“Safety comes first. I analyse the weather, the speed and directions of the wind, the currents and height of the waves of the sea and temperatures,” shares Titos. From there, he moves onto equipment: you need specific tools to catch specific fish. Every finny fighter requires a different rod, as each can hold up to a varying level of weight. “So, if I choose to fish dentex, then I will need a rod that can hold 150-300g,” he illustrates. “The bow, or give to pressure, is always a consideration, depending on the fish I wish to hunt.” If he chooses a rod that does not have enough flexibility to bend, then for sure the dentex will escape or the rod will snap. Ultimately, it boils down to man versus fish; human preparation versus the scaled creatures’ will. And for Titos, it’s safe to say he fishes to win.

Cyprus’ coastal capital may be famous for its watersports and beautiful beaches, but how about the island’s first-ever mermaid? Marina Attendant Ioanna Yiangopoulou talks work, scuba-diving and the unearthly joys of donning fins.

Courteous and low-key in her demeanour, Limassol Marina Attendant Ioanna Yiangopoulou, is a woman of hidden depths. Presently, she’s the first and only female on the Marina Attendants team, but, in her spare time, she can be found in the water, perfecting several forms of diving. One, in particular, being the new trend, and known in international waters as ‘Mermaiding’ or ‘Mermaid Diving’.

“Mermaiding is not a common thing,” laughs Ioanna. “I discovered it by mistake whilst watching a variety of diving videos on YouTube, but I guess I’ve always wanted to be a mermaid or some kind of fish as a child!”

Born in landlocked Nicosia, it was Ioanna’s desire to be close to the sea that ultimately led her to a life aquatic. And when she is not wearing her mermaid’s tail, her Marina responsibilities range anywhere from stretching the lines that connect boats to the deck under challenging weather conditions, to performing maintenance dives for yachts, and generally ensuring all customers’ needs are met. It comes as no surprise, then, that Ioanna twilights as a mermaid, during which time, equipped with her shiny blue tail and mono-fin, she finds peace and fun underwater.

Marina Mermaid

Once referred to as water ballet, the first professional freelance mermaids appeared internationally around 2004. “For me, it’s a hobby with great exercise - plus, I get to live out a fairy story,” giggles Ioanna. And she’s not joking about the exercise. In spite of its inherent gracefulness, the full-body workout of Mermaiding demands serious levels of fitness.

Within six months, she will be the first official instructor on the island offering Mermaiding training to aspiring merfolk, eager to learn the weightless cardio artistry themselves. As a course of training, Mermaiding has only been around for about five years and does not yet exist on the island, though there are certified schools in America, Germany and Australia, where actual Olympian Mermaiding competitions are held.

“Mermaiding is mainly free-diving, which combines specific moves from synchronised swimming,” Ioanna explains. She clarifies this by saying that the discipline goes beyond simply using the fins. The fins generate the power, then the whole body is used to create the perfect hand-and-arm movement to help turn left, right or around. “It’s about enjoying your tail and the feeling that this experience gives you,” Ioanna adds.

Underwater Wonders

Taking up scuba-diving three years ago, Ioanna’s teacher recognised her huge potential and she has now worked her way up to the dive master certification level. Ioanna also holds scuba, skipper and speedboat qualifications, is a member of the NAUI and AIDA organisations and practices free-diving. “I love the blue of the water and the silence and peace that come with it,” she confesses. “There’s a whole new environment and world to explore underwater. The rocks may stay the same, but the rest of the underwater nature is always completely different. It amazes me each and every time.”

When Ioanna’s mermaid tail is not in use, she enjoys scuba- and free-diving Limassol’s wrecks, including the Lady Thetis Vessel that attracts large numbers of damselfish, parrotfish and jacks, and the Costandis wreck, which was built in Russia in 1989. But her favourite place to roll in the deep is an underwater archaeological park at the ancient port of Amathus. “It is one of the best-preserved ancient harbour structures in the eastern Mediterranean,” Ioanna says.

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A citrus fruit export company director, a semi-professional tennis player, a sailing enthusiast, and, above all, a proud father, Nicolas Mavropoulos reflects on two magnificent years spent living on his boat with his daughters.

Calling Limassol Marina their home was an unforgettable experience for Nicolas Mavropoulos and his two daughters, now aged nine and 11. With their three bikes parked outside their boat, and everything they needed within easy reach at their pier, they had the freedom to hop on and travel wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted. “We would pop out to Calma Café for lunch together by bike; our favourite meal was the triple ham and cheese with curly fries - the girls go crazy for it,” Nicolas laughs, recalling. With everything so close to the Marina, sometimes they would go even further afield, biking down to the Four Seasons hotel, swimming there, and then cycling back. “We discovered a new life that we’d been missing out on, just by living on the Marina,” says Nicolas.

No Place Like Home

“I am the owner, I am the captain, I am also the handyman of the boat - from the engines, to the air conditioning, to the woodwork… I fix everything because I love it. I even get the girls involved, so they can learn firsthand.” Until he refurbished an old Cypriot house last year in Limassol, Nicolas’ 60foot, three double-cabin boat, which was docked on a pier in the Marina, was their family home. “It has everything you need, it’s like living in a small apartment on the sea.”

The girls loved the lifestyle: sleeping under the stars, spending endless nights on the front of the boat, enjoying lying on big cushions, eating dinner and moon-bathing together. In particular, watching the boats come and go and the lights of the Marina “was really special. It gave me quality time with my kids without the distractions of today’s usual lifestyle trappings of phones, pads and TVs,” reflects Nicolas. The entire Marina became an extension of their home, in which Nicolas and his daughters felt safe to explore, discover, make friends and play.

As it happened, at the end of their pier, there were kids the same age as one of his daughters. “They would go cycling and fishing around the Marina together; it was lovely to watch my kids experiencing this.” It reminded him of his own youth growing up in Limassol, “back when things were freer and safer”, he says, adding, “thankfully, by living on the boat at the Marina, my girls got to experience that lifestyle.”