A sure way to put an area on the map and boost its jet setter appeal is to build a new marina! Here are three European destinations catching the eye of superyacht owners, not to mention property-buyers looking for idyllic waterfront views!

Ayia Napa, Cyprus
The much anticipated Ayia Napa Marina is a landmark project not only in Cyprus but the whole of the Eastern Mediterranean. Once complete it will be the island’s biggest-ever seafront development and a major nautical hub.
Built as a secure gated community, residences and commercial outlets will focus around a 600-berth marina.

Properties on offer include 205 apartments spread between two eye-catching towers, both over 100 metres tall and constructed with an innovative twist shape, and 35 villas, including some on a man-made island. Complementing the marina will be a boatyard, yacht club and beach club, as well as a selection of shops and restaurants.

The marina part of the project, which is located just east of the main resort between the beaches of Ayia Thekla and Makronissos, is expected to be finished and operational this year. The residential and commercial property are due for completion in 2021, but off-plan opportunities are available now.

Portonovi, Montenegro
Mountainous Montenegro has already been discovered by the world’s super rich, who enjoy the exclusivity of Kotor Bay and the option to moor up and pop ashore for sundowners or a browse in the boutique shops.

The upmarket resort of Porto Montenegro in Tivat, where the 450-berth marina can accommodate the world’s largest mega yachts of up to 800 feet, has played a large part in establishing the Balkan country as a rival to Monaco. But now a new marina project is taking shape across the Kotor (also known as Boka Bay), bringing even more cachet to the area.
Called Portonovi and located in Kumbor near the mouth of the bay, the new 26-hectare resort focuses around a 238-berth deep-water marina, which opens this May.

The marina is overlooked by a square and palm-lined promenade with upmarket shopping and restaurants. The first residential phase, due to open this year, includes 214 furnished luxury apartments, available in a modern or traditional Mediterranean style. Access to 1.8 kilometres of beachfront completes the masterplan. Further phases, including a luxury hotel, are planned for 2020 and beyond.

Rovinj, Croatia
Montenegro’s Balkan neighbour, Croatia is an old-time favourite with sailing fans, whose perfect holiday is spent drifting between idyllic islands away from the masses. Building on this reputation, in April this year the town of Rohinj in the country’s northern Istrian region opened its state-of-the-art new marina.

One of the Croatia’s largest marinas boasting 196 berths, it’s overlooked by the recently opened Grand Hotel Park, a landmark hotel dubbed one of the most luxurious in the Adriatic Sea.

A popular tourist hub, Rovinj is an old fishing town, popular for its medieval cobbled streets, quality restaurants and laid-back lifestyle. There are more than 20 islets dotted in the sea around the town, which is looking forward to benefiting from its new marina and increased appeal to property-owners.