Corinth Canal

We will be in Nafplion Greece in September. Is taking an excursion to Ancient Corinth and viewing (or sailing on) the Corinth Canal worth the time and money?

"Worth" is a personal, subjective opinion only you can develop.

That being said, we enjoyed it. YMMV.

Have never seen it from the top, but our ship sailed through. It was really a nice little part of the day.

This is looking astern as we transited:

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This is looking toward the bow

We did this four years ago rather than going into Athens. We really enjoyed both the canal as well as Corinth. It was a very tranquil excursion.

If you like ancient sites, Corinth is a must see -- however, it's not all "reconstructed" so you need to bring your understanding and ability to visualize the fabulously wealthy rival to Rome that it once was. It also has a very nice small museum on-site.

If you opt for the Corinth canal "view" be aware it will likely just be a quick photo stop looking down from a bridge. It was a nice addition to the tour but not anything I couldn't live without... Haven't yet had the chance to actually transit the canal -- now THAT would be fun.

I'd opt for an excursion that actually goes through the canal. We did this a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. We had a good guide who gave us a lot of history as we went through, and pointed out some interesting things to look at on the way back. Because time was very tight, we booked it through the ship, which was a good decision since we got back to the port about an hour after the scheduled sailing time!:p

From Napflion excursions to

Epidaurus

or Mycenae

would be better

In my experience, it was midly interesting but not at all a "must see". We did a trip through the ship which included a visit to the ruins at Corinth and then a cruise up and down the canal. I use the term "cruise" lightly. We were bundled onto a small ship with hundreds of other passengers. There was a buffet provided which was a total bun-fight, every man for himself to get something. We just about had time to get something to eat and then have a quick look at the views before we got back to our starting point. Perhaps if you booked it privately it would be a more tranquil experience.:)

Thank you everyone for your input, suggestions and photos. We will definitely being taking an excursion.

I am greek ive been to almost everywhere in greece and i can assure you that corinth canal is a huge tourist trap of greece!!!basically its just a canal we greeks would never take excursion there.even staying only in nafplion watching the nice caffes there the bourtzi castle the first goverment house of greece etc its well worth more than the canal.if you want to see myceane though well thats a total different story!!thats a real historic place of greece with lots to see like epidavros as well

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I am greek ive been to almost everywhere in greece and i can assure you that corinth canal is a huge tourist trap of greece!!!basically its just a canal we greeks would never take excursion there.even staying only in nafplion watching the nice caffes there the bourtzi castle the first goverment house of greece etc its well worth more than the canal.if you want to see myceane though well thats a total different story!!thats a real historic place of greece with lots to see like epidavros as well

 

 

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What would you recommend as "must see" (we'll have 2 to 2.5 days in Athens)?

I am greek ive been to almost everywhere in greece and i can assure you that corinth canal is a huge tourist trap of greece!!!basically its just a canal we greeks would never take excursion there.even staying only in nafplion watching the nice caffes there the bourtzi castle the first goverment house of greece etc its well worth more than the canal.if you want to see myceane though well thats a total different story!!thats a real historic place of greece with lots to see like epidavros as well

Below is one of my visuals of the Corinth Canal that is right on the route as we were circling the Peloponnesian Peninsula during a day trip from Athens. Agree with above and other comments that there might be additional and/or better options to consider. Below are some of my visuals for other potential options. Really loved the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Great sights and super history there.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 102,484 views for this posting.

The Corinth Canal is right on the route as you are circling the Peloponnesian Peninsula and nearby to the famed, ancient, historic city of Corinth. This canal is a unique engineering job carved through about 260' of rock. The canal is four miles in length, 75' wide and was built between 1881 and 1893:

Historic Roman ruins are in Ancient Corinth, including this portion of the Temple of Apollo and the mountains over this site. This historic area is 48 miles southwest of Athens. It was a city-state on the Isthmus of Corinth that joins the Peloponnesus to mainland Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta. In classical times, Corinth rivaled Athens and Thebes in wealth, based on the Isthmian traffic and trade. Apostle Paul first visited the city around AD 51-52. He lived here for eighteen months, including writing two of his epistles on the difficulties of maintaining a Christian community in such a cosmopolitan city with so much sin and corruption existing in this city.:

Looking down upon Nafplion from the historic Palamidi military fortress that overlooks the town and its harbor. This fortress is on the crest of a 216-metre high hill. It was built by the Venetians during their second occupation of the area (1686-1715).:

These Mycene ruins go back 2700 years from a spectacular empire. As a major center of Greek civilization, this military stronghold dominated much of southern Greece. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae's power during this "bronze age". Much of the Mycenaean religion survived into classical Greece in their pantheon of Greek deities. Lots of "real" history here!!:

Epidaurus is the famed outdoor theater with super great acoustics on the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Their local prosperity enabled Epidaurus to construct civic monuments including this huge theater that had dramatic performances, ceremonial programs, etc. It was designed in the 4th century BC. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21 rows. As with many Greek theaters (and as opposed to Roman ones), the view on a lush landscape behind the performing areas was an integral part of the design. It seats up to 15,000 people. The acoustics permit almost perfect intelligibility of un-amplified spoken word from the proscenium. A 2007 study by Georgia Tech scholars indicates that the amazing acoustic properties are either the result of an accident or the product of advanced design . . . rows of limestone seats filtering out low-frequency sounds and amplify/reflect high-frequency sounds from the stage.:

In the Peloponnesian Peninsula, you can enjoy many countryside views, including of this goat watching over the charming area: