Experience the best of Corinth

Modern Corinth was rebuilt on a grid beside the Gulf of Corinth after an earthquake destroyed the older town in 1858. It lies where the Peloponnese joins the mainland, and the Corinth Canal, a straight, steep-sided cut through limestone completed in 1893, links the gulf with the Aegean a few kilometres east of the town. Roads and trains cross the narrow strip of land from Athens, which lies about eighty kilometres away by road.

Ancient Corinth, a rich trading city in Greek and Roman times, lies some seven kilometres south-west. Seven Doric columns of the Temple of Apollo, dating from the sixth century BC, stand above the agora, where the Bema platform recalls the apostle Paul's appearance before the Roman governor. Above rises Acrocorinth, a vast fortress of Greek, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman walls, with wide views over the gulf. Nemea and Mycenae lie within reach.

Corinthian currants, tiny dried grapes, take their English name from the city, and nearby Nemea is a noted wine region known for its red agiorgitiko. Seafood tavernas line the waterfront, serving grilled fish, octopus and meze with ouzo. The long summer is hot and dry, and spring, with wildflowers among the ruins, is the pleasantest season.