ANCIENT CORINTH FROM ATHENS

Early in the morning, at the time indicated, we will pick you up from your hotel or closest meeting point to start this great excursion to Ancient Corinth, the city, whose wealth rested largely on the control of trade in the western Mediterranean. 

At first, you will stop at the famous Corinth canal, called Isthmus in Greek, to take panoramic pictures of the spot where the Peloponnese peninsula and Central Greece meet as well as where the Aegean connects with the Ionian Sea. This canal was completed in the latter 19th century during the governorship of Charilaos Trikoupis and prevents ships from circumnavigating the Peloponesse for more than 400 km.

You will then visit Ancient Corinth with its amazing artifacts, some of which date back to 6000BC. The remains of the City, which include the Agora (market place), and Apollo's Temple (6th century B.C.) clearly show how rich and important Corinth was in antiquity.  In the middle of the central row of shops in the Agora there is a bema, a marble podium from which Roman officials and also St. Paul addressed the people. The Romans rebuilt the city in 44 BC and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.

On your way back to Athens, you will make a brief stop at the Site of the Ancient Port of Cehries, where St. Paul disembarked from Thessaloniki. For Christians, Corinth is mentioned in the New Testament, when Saint Paul addressed the town's residents in his two epistles, First and Second Corinthians.  It is mentioned again in the Acts of the Apostles during St Paul's evangelical work.

At around 14:00 hrs. you will return to Athens and your drive will drop you off to your hotel or the nearest pickup point.

Greca Tip: Visit the on-site excellent museum, where you can see two kouros statues, fine Greek and Roman mosaics, figurines, reliefs and friezes as well as the pretty courtyard with its fine reliefs.