☰Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal slices through the isthmus in a dead-straight cut just 25 metres wide and 79 metres deep. Completed in 1893 after a construction effort of over a decade, it finally fulfilled an ambition first proposed by Nero — who actually broke ground in 67 AD before abandoning the project. Modern cargo ships are too wide to use it, so today it carries mostly tourist boats and the occasional yacht. The view from the road bridge looking straight down into the sheer rock walls is genuinely dramatic. Stop here on the way in from Athens; there is usually a bungee jumping operation at the bridge if that appeals.