Making the most of Corinto
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The Port of Corinth stands before the town, near the north-western entrance to the Corinth Canal. Completion of a new pier in the late 1980s doubled its capacity.
Take a printable map with you.
Corinth, also called Korinth or Kórinthos in Greek, is a city on the Isthmus of Corinth, the slim land bridge connecting the Peloponnese with mainland Greece. It was a city-state in antiquity. The Gulf of Corinth lies west of the isthmus and the Saronic Gulf east, while Athens is about 78 kilometres (48 mi) north-east. Ancient ships once crossed the rocky ridge on sledges, but a canal now cuts through the isthmus.
A city square adjoins the harbour. North of it, the port mainly exports cargo serving local agriculture and industry. Despite its modest size, the town centre contains unexpectedly glamorous shops and bars, together with quality local leather and jewellery retailers.
Getting around
Ancient Corinth's most prominent ruin is the 6th-century BC Temple of Apollo, positioned on a hill above the remains of the Roman agora, or marketplace. Seven of its original 38 Doric columns survive, making it one of Greece's oldest stone temples. The temple remained active in Paul's time, during the 50s AD, before earthquakes eventually destroyed it.
Nearby places
Nearby Corinth Canal is an unusual engineering achievement cut through about 260' of rock. Measuring four miles long and 75' wide, it was constructed from 1881 to 1893.
Money
The local currency is the Euro.
Opening Hours and
Greek shopping hours are complicated and depend on the kind of business. The broad pattern below covers the principal categories, but sudden, arbitrary and often confusing legal changes can alter it.
Especially during hot summers, the period from 2.00pm to 5.30pm is generally reserved for lunch and the traditional afternoon siesta.
Tourist retailers may remain open, alongside many kiosks, all supermarkets, main post offices and telephone offices.
Everything closes on Sundays except kiosks, sweet shops, florists and many tourist outlets. Supermarkets open at 8.00 am and close at 8.00 pm in winter or 9.00 pm from April through the end of October; on Saturday they shut at 6.00 pm and remain closed on Sundays.
Unless listed separately, shops generally open at about 9.00 am and close around 1.30 or 2.00 pm from Monday to Saturday. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, they reopen from roughly 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm, and are always closed on Sundays.