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Corinth Canal, Greece

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Most travelers are familiar with many of the great man-made canals of the world like the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal. These two great canals are lengthy and link major oceans. However, numerous smaller canals, like the Corinth Canal of Greece, provide fascinating engineering insights into human ingenuity, and each canal has its unique historical narrative.

Canals serve various purposes. River canals are often constructed to manage flooding or provide vital irrigation, while ocean canals, like the Corinth Canal, are primarily designed as shortcuts to reduce nautical travel time for cargo or passenger vessels. The four-mile-long Corinth Canal is a remarkable example, linking two significant bodies of water and saving essential sailing time for ships.

Location of the Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal forms a natural division between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese Peninsula, connecting the Gulf of Corinth of the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. A map of Greece illustrates not just its myriad islands, but also this peninsula, which would be the country’s largest island if not linked to the mainland by this narrow isthmus. Technically, the Corinth Canal makes the Peloponnese an island; however, due to its width, most experts continue to classify it as a peninsula.

Corinth Canal Facts and Stats

The Corinth Canal, named after the nearest city of Corinth, features steep limestone walls that rise approximately 300 feet from water level despite being only 70 feet wide at the surface. Consequently, vessels transiting the canal must be narrower than 58 feet. While this width was suitable for vessels at the time of construction in the late 19th century, it is inadequate for today’s larger cargo and passenger ships. Presently, the canal mainly accommodates small cruise vessels and tour boats, similar to the Suez Canal, which also lacks locks, making it a flat-water canal.

Early History of the Corinth Canal

Although construction on the Corinth Canal was completed only in 1893, the dream of building a canal in this location persisted for over two millennia. The first documented proposal came from Periander in the 7th century B.C., though he abandoned the plan in favor of a portage road, known as the Diolkos or stone carriageway. This unique road featured ramps on either end and facilitated the transportation of boats across the isthmus. Remnants of the Diolkos can still be observed today next to the canal.

In the first century A.D., philosopher Apollonius of Tyana prophesied that any ruler who attempted to construct a canal across the Corinthian isthmus would face dire consequences. This prophecy did not dissuade three Roman emperors who later sought to develop the canal, yet all met untimely ends, seemingly validating Apollonius’s prediction. Julius Caesar initiated plans for a canal but was assassinated before work could start. Following him, Emperor Caligula hired Egyptian experts to create a plan; however, they mistakenly claimed that the Corinthian Gulf was at a higher elevation than the Saronic Gulf, leading to concerns of flooding island areas. Caligula was assassinated during this deliberation. Nero famously attempted to build the canal, even breaking ground with a pickaxe and completing 2,300 feet, but he, too, perished before the canal’s completion. The current Corinth Canal follows this original route, but the initial Roman construction left behind only a relief of Hercules to commemorate their endeavor.

In the second century A.D., Roman senator Herodes Atticus endeavored to revive the canal project, but his efforts proved fruitless. Centuries later, in 1687, Venetians contemplated a canal after taking control of the Peloponnese but ultimately abandoned the idea.

Nineteenth-Century Failures

After Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830, the concept of building a canal was renewed. Greek statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias commissioned a French engineer to evaluate the proposal, but the exorbitant estimate of 40 million gold francs forced Greece to withdraw the suggestion.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 prompted the Greek government to reconsider its own canal. Under Prime Minister Thrasyvoulos Zaimis, legislation was passed in 1870 to initiate the Corinth Canal’s construction. Nonetheless, financial difficulties arose as the French company managing the Panama Canal declared bankruptcy, instilling hesitance among French banks regarding loans for such grand constructions, ultimately leading to the bankruptcy of the French company assigned to the Corinth Canal as well.

Corinth Canal Becomes a Reality

After a lapse of a decade, the Soci ét é Internationale du Canal Maritime de Corinthe was tasked with the canal’s construction in 1881. King George I of Greece attended the groundbreaking ceremony in April 1882. Initially capitalized at 30 million francs, the project faced financial hurdles. After eight years, the company ran out of funds, and a bond proposal to issue 60,000 bonds at 500 francs each failed to attract enough investors. The company and its Hungarian head, Istv án T ürr, went bankrupt, with a bank that had pledged additional funding collapsing as well.

In 1890, the canal project resumed under the management of a Greek company and reached completion in July 1893, eleven years after work commenced.

Financial and Structural Issues of the Corinth Canal

Despite reducing nautical travel by approximately 400 miles, the Corinth Canal faced numerous problems post-completion. Primarily, its narrow width posed significant navigation challenges. By the time of its completion, the canal was unsuitable for the larger vessels that had emerged, permitting only one-way traffic. Moreover, strong winds funneling through the steep canal walls compounded navigational difficulties. The differing tidal timings between the two gulfs also caused strong currents, further deterring ship operators from utilizing the canal, and resulting in traffic volumes far below projected estimates. For instance, an anticipated annual traffic of about 4 million tons for 1906 instead registered only half a million tons, leading to disappointing revenue figures. By World War I, traffic improved to 1.5 million tons, yet the conflict induced significant declines.

The canal’s location within an active seismic zone further contributed to structural worries. The steep limestone walls, already prone to landslides, grew increasingly unstable due to seismic activity and the wakes from transiting vessels, forcing frequent closures for safety measures. Over its first 57 years of operations, the Corinth Canal was closed for a cumulative total of four years.

During World War II, the Corinth Canal sustained severe damage. In 1941, British troops attempted to defend the bridge over the canal from German forces, ultimately demolishing the bridge when faced with defeat. As German troops retreated in 1944, they triggered landslides to obstruct the canal and destroyed crucial infrastructure, complicating repair efforts. Nevertheless, in 1948, after clearance operations by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the canal reopened.

Presently, the Corinth Canal mainly accommodates small cruise ships and tourism vessels, with around 11,000 ships navigating through it annually.

How to See the Corinth Canal

Travelers wishing to experience the Corinth Canal have several options. First, small cruise lines like Silversea Cruises, Crystal Cruises, and SeaDream Yacht Club often include the canal in their eastern Mediterranean itineraries. Second, various private companies offer canal cruises departing from Piraeus, the port of Athens. Lastly, many cruise ships spending a day in Athens provide half-day excursion options to the Corinth Canal for returning visitors. Buses transport guests from Piraeus for a 75-minute journey to the canal, where local tour boats provide opportunities to experience the waterway from both high vantage points and its surface.