Corinth Canal
Corinth, Greece
About Corinth Canal
The Corinth Canal is a man-made waterway that crosses the narrow Isthmus of Corinth to link the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. The canal was dug through the isthmus at sea level and has no locks. Before its construction, ships in the Aegean Sea that wanted to cross to the Adriatic or anchor in Corinth had to circle the Peloponnese which would prolong their journey an extra 185 nautical miles.
History
It is said that the tyrant Periander in the 7th century BC was the first to propose such an undertaking. As the project was too complicated given the limited technical capabilities of the times, Periander instead constructed the diolkos, a stone road that allowed ships to be transferred on wheeled platforms. Subsequently, several rulers of antiquity (including the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, Emperor Nero and Herodes Atticicus) attempted to dig a canal through the isthmus. The project was finally completed by a Greek company and the canal was used for the first time on 28th October 1893.
Corinth Canal Today
The canal is 6.4km long with a width of 25m, making it impassable for many modern ships. It is mostly used by smaller recreational boats and tourist ships. For the adventurous ones, the bridge connecting the peninsula to the mainland is ideal for bungee jumping.
Interesting Facts
- The canal is crossed by a railway line, a road and a motorway.
- In 2019, MS Braemar became the widest and longest ship to cruise through the canal.
- Ships can pass the canal only one convoy at a time on a one-way system. Larger ships must be towed by tugs.
