BRIEF GUIDE TO THE KORINTHIA

BEACHES:

The quality of the beaches in the Korinthia can be ruined by one of the following factors: overcrowding, winds that bring in loads of seaweed, and jellyfish (most of which are harmless and, in most cases, dead--but unpleasant nonetheless).  Fortunately, if one of these conditions prevails at one beach it is normally possible to go to the opposite Gulf where the conditions will be very different.  Remember that beaches in Greece are nearly all public and they are not frequently "maintained:" that means that there are no life guards or other safety features and trash is not commonly picked up; beaches also virtually  never have changing facilities (except at the beaches where there is a charge--none of which exist in the Korinthia).  Incidentally, most of the trash that you find on the beaches has washed in rather than having been discarded by other bathers.

ANCIENT KORINTH BEACH:

          This is the closest major beach.  It is located along the main highway between Ancient Korinth and Korinth, where there is a collection of shops and restaurants.  Often crowded in the summer and occasionally dirty, it is nevertheless a good beach and the easiest to reach.  It has sand mixed with pebbles, especially at the water's edge.  It has reasonably shallow water.  The bus to Korinth stops there and the terminal of one of the New Korinth busses also is there.

LECHAION:

          The Lechaion beach is actually a continuation of the above beach to the west.  (For directions as to how to reach it, see under Lechaion above.)  It is a little harder to reach but a nicer beach: in early and late summer it is frequently deserted.  It has sand and is shallow; often there is washed-up trash since the beach is not maintained or cleaned.  It is possible to walk between the two beaches along the sea.

VRACHATI:

West of Ancient Korinth is a series of villages that are now primarily summer residences.  All of them have reasonably good beaches.  Vrachati is perhaps the best of these.  It has pebbles and is fairly deep.  Perhaps better beaches can be found further west at Xylokastro and beyond.

KENCHREAI:

See the discussion of Kenchreai under Archaeological Sites above.  The larger beach to the south has sand and is quite good, the beach at the ancient site of Kenchreai has shelters from the sun, although it is fairly small.

  LOUTRAKI:

          Loutraki is the most famous tourist center in the Korinthia.  It is also one of the main water and soft-drink bottling centers in Greece.  Loutraki is located at the northeast corner of the Gulf of Korinth, just opposite Korinth and ca. 6 km. north of the canal.  It has quite a dramatic location, dominated by Mt. Loutraki above it.   Loutraki's medicinal waters attracted the rich and famous as early as Roman times (when it was known as Therma--the hot baths), and today it attracts tourists from all over the world.  The beach is long and clean.  It has pebbles only and is quite deep; the waves can be high when the wind is from the west.  The beach in the town is dominated by scantily clad foreigners, while Greek families prefer the area further south.  The beach is clean and kept in good condition; it has won several European awards for cleanliness.  There is a "boardwalk: (it's actually cement), with cafes, restaurants, and shops along the waterfront.  You can reach Loutraki by frequent bus from Korinth or, by car, by following the road to the Diolkos and beyond.  A new casino just south of Loutraki has added another attraction to the resort town, and thisis changing its character somewhat.  Loutraki was quite trendy in the 1930's but it then became a bit run-down and was dominated by quite ugly cement blocks of flats.  It's hard to know what will become of it now, although, with a new rapid train connection expected in 2004, it will probably become an even more popular destination for weekending Athenians. 

PERACHORA:

             See discussion of  Perachora above under Archaeological Sites.  The water is very deep and cold.  The Blue Guide says there are sharks but actually there are sharks in most Greek waters.