Diolkos

View looking northwest along the diolkos. About 1,500 ft. [460 m.] of the diolkos has been excavated.

The diolkos was a paved "road" which connected the Corinthian and Saronic gulfs before the Corinthian canal was dug. The diolkos was constructed during the sixth century B.C. It is about 3.7 mi. [6 km.] long, and 11 to 20 ft. [3.4 to 6 m.] wide. The ancients offloaded their cargo, dragged it on carts to the other side of the isthmus and loaded it on to another ship. By doing this they avoided the long and dangerous trip around the southern tip of the Peloponnese.