Monaco secures third port with Ventimiglia takeover
By Laurent Duval, MonacoViews Editorial
The operator of Monaco's two ports has formalised a takeover of Ventimiglia's long-stalled marina, bringing decades of uncertainty at the Italian site to a close.
A deal years in the making has finally been signed: Aleco Keusseoglou, president of the Société d'Exploitation des Ports de Monaco (SEPM), joined Ventimiglia mayor Enrico Loculano to formalise the Monegasque acquisition of the incomplete Ligurian marina. The purchase gives SEPM control of infrastructure that has sat unfinished for decades, and brings a third port under Monaco's operational umbrella for the first time.
For those who use Port Hercule or Fontvieille's port, the rationale is straightforward: both facilities operate under considerable pressure, and additional berthing capacity just across the Italian border offers a practical release valve. The Ventimiglia marina, sitting only a short distance along the coast, is a logical extension rather than a distant satellite.
The agreement draws a firm line under what had become an enduring uncertainty around the Vintimille site. With SEPM now in charge of the construction and operation deal, the expectation is that the marina will be completed and brought into service, giving boat owners connected to Monaco a credible alternative to the waitlists and congestion that have long defined berthing in the Principality.