Corinth Canal

Nero began digging here in AD 67 with six thousand labourers and a golden pickaxe, and abandoned the attempt within months; the modern canal was finally cut between 1881 and 1893, separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece. It runs 6.4 kilometres, is only about 21 metres wide at water level and up to 90 metres deep at the rock face, which is why it takes vessels no larger than small cruise ships and cargo boats, towed through by tug. Standing on the road bridge at Isthmia the effect is startling: a knife-cut through pale rock with a ribbon of green water far below. Two submersible bridges at either end sink beneath the water to let ships pass. Landslides have closed the canal for long repair periods in recent years, so traffic can be sparse.

What you actually see

• The main road bridge - the classic view down the length of the cut.
• The submersible bridges - road decks that sink under the water for shipping.
• The rock walls - near-vertical sides rising up to ninety metres.
• Ships under tow - vessels being pulled through the narrow channel.

When to go

Any time; morning light reaches down into the cut better than afternoon. Shipping is irregular, so seeing a vessel pass is luck rather than schedule.

Honest expectations

It is a viewpoint from a road bridge with traffic behind you, seen in twenty minutes. Bungee jumping and a small cafe make up the facilities. If no ship is passing, the canal is simply a very impressive ditch.

Nearby

Ancient Corinth and Acrocorinth lie a short drive west; Athens is an hour east.