Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Anexagoras
Ayíou Nikoláou 31.
In a car park west of the
marina, on a street with several other dining options, this
taverna has a good range of mezédhes and grilled meats,
as well as catch-of-the-day and Greek standards. About
€10/person.
Daily lunch & dinner.
Blue Dolphin Camping
T
27410 25766,
W
camping
-blue-dolphin.gr.
About 6km west of Kórinthos, at Léheo
(part of Ancient Corinth), situated on a beach, with shady
campsites, this facility offers free transfers from Kórinthos
bus and train stations. Services include a
market
, a taverna,
beach sports and wi-fi. April-Oct. From
€12.50
Korinthos
Damaskinou 26
T
27410 26701,
W
korinthos
hotel.gr.
Just a few metres from the marina, this medium-
sized hotel is plain, clean and very central. Rooms are en suite
and have a/c and balconies, some with good vie
ws, a
nd
there's free wi-fi. Prices discounted if you book online.
€50
2
The Corinth Canal
As you peer over from the bridge, the 6km
Corinth Canal
appears to be a very narrow
strip of water, until a huge freighter from Pireás or cruise ship to the Ionian islands
assumes suddenly toy-like dimensions as it passes nearly 80m below. Today,
supertankers have tended to make it something of an anachronism but it is still used by
large vessels and remains a memorable sight. At the northwestern end of the canal, by
the old Kórinthos-Loutráki ferry dock, there are remains of the
diolkos
(summer Mon
noon-7pm, Tues-Sun 8am-7pm; winter Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; free), a paved way
along which a wheeled platform used to carry boats across the isthmus. In use from
Roman times until the twelfth century, the boats were strapped onto the platform after
being relieved temporarily of their cargo.
If you are travelling by car, the old national road passes directly over the canal, and it
is fairly easy to park. Keep an eye out for a cluster of tourist shops and restaurants and
you'll know you're there. Many buses also stop here.
Brief history
The idea for a canal providing a short cut and safe passage between the Aegean and
Ionian seas harks back at least to Roman times, when
Emperor Nero
himself performed
the initial excavations with his little silver shovel, later heavily supplemented by Jewish
slave labour. It was only in the 1890s, however, that the technology finally became
available for cutting right across the 6km isthmus. Opened in July 1893, the canal,
along with its near-contemporary Suez, helped establish Pireás as a major
Mediterranean port and shipping centre.
Ancient Corinth
The ruins of
Ancient Corinth
(Arhéa Kórinthos) occupy an extensive site 7km southwest
of the modern city and are an essential stop. The site is split into a vast, impressively
excavated city with the
Temple of Apollo
at its core, and even more compelling is the
stunning acropolis site of
Acrocorinth
, towering 565m above the ancient city. To
explore both you need a full day, or to stay overnight at the adjacent
village
.
Brief history
Ancient Corinth was a key centre of the Greek and Roman worlds, whose possession
meant the control of trade between northern Greece and the Peloponnese. Not
surprisingly, therefore, the area's ancient and medieval history was one of invasions and
power struggles that, in Classical times, was dominated by Corinth's
rivalry with
Athens
, against whom it sided with Sparta in the Peloponnesian War.
Having defeated the Greek city-states of the Achaean League, the Romans
razed
the city in 146 BC, before rebuilding it on a majestic scale in 44 BC under the
command of Julius Caesar. Initially it was intended as a colony for veterans,
later becoming the
provincial capital
. Once again Corinth grew rich on trade -
