A passenger ferry connecting Jounieh to Larnaca is reported to begin sailing on June 9, reopening a sea route between Lebanon and Cyprus that has been closed for close to twenty years. The service is run by the Abou Merhi Group under the brand name Cedar Waves.
The crossing is expected to take under four hours. Round-trip tickets are reported to cost about USD 220 at launch, with fares rising slightly during the peak summer months.
How the Schedule Works
Departures from Jounieh are reported to run three days a week: Wednesdays and Sundays at 9 a.m., and Fridays at 10 a.m. Boats arriving from Cyprus are due into Larnaca shortly before 1 p.m. on sailing days.
The vessel was reportedly bought in Italy, where it previously worked the Naples to Capri route. The operator has also said it plans further routes linking Mersin in Turkey and Latakia in Syria, spread across the week.
Why a Sea Route Matters Now
The ferry gives travelers a way out of Lebanon that does not depend on a flight. That has weight at a time when Middle East Airlines has kept its schedule constrained by repeated airspace closures across the region.
A four-hour boat to Larnaca puts Cyprus, and onward connections through Larnaca International Airport, within easy reach of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. For a country where air travel has been the only practical exit for years, a second door carries real value.
A Project a Year Behind Schedule
The line was first meant to open in the summer of 2025. It was held back by delays in getting Jounieh port ready and by coordination between the authorities involved, according to reports.
The last regular passenger ferry between Lebanon and Cyprus stopped running roughly two decades ago. If the June 9 date holds, Cedar Waves becomes the first scheduled passenger sea service to operate from a Lebanese port in a generation.
