The Mini Canal That Took 2,500 Years to Build

Greece has a small but dramatic waterway that outlasted emperors, bankruptcies, and the ancient world itself. Now, you can sail it, bungee above it or selfie-it.

Meet the Corinth Canal in Greece. This little beauty is just 4 miles long and 70 feet wide. And it only took 2,500 years to build.

The idea was first proposed around 600 BC by a Corinthian ruler named Periander. Cheeky. He settled instead for a limestone-paved road on which small ships could be carted across. Weak.

Julius Caesar wanted to dig it (talk about ego). So did Caligula (ditto). But they never got to it. Slack.

Nero actually broke ground in 67 AD using a golden pick. He was dead the following year. Project cancelled. Bummer. But at least he started. Right, Julius?

Anyway, it finally opened in 1893. Which was a bittersweet moment because it was open, but the construction ultimately bankrupted its original builders. Classic.

Then, after all that, modern cruise ships developed fast and grew too wide to use the canal anyways. The modern cruise ship is typically 130 to 160 feet wide.

Talk about adding insult to injury.

Today, the Corinth Canal is primarily a tourist attraction, with stunning sheer rock walls rising nearly 260 feet from the waterline. Amazing.

You can sail it (on a smaller boat) or visit some of the bridges that cross the canal and take some selfies. You can also do a bungee jump of it, if you tend to like those sorts of things.

Emperors dreamed of it for two millennia. Now, you can visit it and do a nice little 4 mile sail. Just keep you arms and legs inside the boat please.